Sticks and Stones

There are certain words that men should never say.  I know that my friend Laura is rolling her eyes and thinking this is a male bashing moment for me but it isn’t.  I know that there are men – including my husband – who are outraged by what Rush Limbaugh had to say about a young woman who was trying to invoke her constitutional right of free speech. 
Sandra Fluke felt passionately that women should have birth control be freely accessible to all women because a friend suffered medical issues because she couldn’t afford to stay on her birth control. 
Rush Limbaugh took that genuine concern and valid medical reality and turned ugly.  He called Sandra Fluke a slut.  Not shocking in our society.  Any time a women gets out of line men turn to words like bitch (Newt Gingrich about Hilary Clinton – first lady at the time), slut, whore, and so on.  I’ve seen this happen on reality tv with boys calling their girlfriends these names.  I’ve seen it in business.  I’ve seen it in politics.
Here’s what I want to say – men use these words to make women feel powerless.  They throw them out there so that women have to defend their own honor instead of addressing the issues.  It is meant to hurt and distract from the actual issue. 
Limbaugh couldn’t refute her medical information so he vilely called her a slanderous name.  She now has to defend herself.  She should ignore him and keep pushing the issue at hand.  The discussion should be about birth control not about how contemptible and loathsome Limbaugh is for using slanderous words about this woman. 
Perhaps some smart lawyer would volunteer to assist Ms. Fluke in filing a defamation of character and slander suit against Limbaugh to stop such attacks in the future. 

My advice – for what it is worth – to Sandra Fluke.  Use the publicity of Limbaugh despicable comments to bring the focus back to the issue at hand – birth control being free for all women.  Use his words and extremism against him and keep the issue at the forefront of discussion.  Women for health reasons deserve to have free birth control regardless of the organization they work for or belong to.  An organizations beliefs should not come before the health and well being of an actual person.

6 thoughts on “Sticks and Stones

  1. I think Rush Limbaugh has forfeited his right to free speech. I can't think of anything he has ever said about women (and I admit that I never listen to his radio show)that is not misogynistic. I think he should be banned from the radio.

  2. Agreed.. that's why a really smart lawyer (preferably female) should sue him (and the station he is on) for the things I said and part of the settlement should be that he is off the air.

  3. It seems that people are waking up. Yet still we live in a culture that spouts equality but when it comes down to brass tacks, it is still the woman who is in charge of birth control, the woman who is blamed for being sexually active and the woman who takes the brunt of societies puritanical beliefs. I saw Sandra Fluke on the Ed Show and she is focusing on what she has always been focusing on, affordable healthcare for women. She is a graceful and intelligent woman who is power full in that grace and intelligence. Rush Limbaugh will in my opinion get his just rewards since advertisers are leaving a sinking ship like rats….

  4. She seems to be a strong, intelligent, thoughtful woman. I hope she goes far and continues to be active in this and other causes. It is people like her who will change our society for the better.

  5. LOL…
    1. I knew it
    2. Agreed
    3. Never said they were but in this case there are a lot of MEN trying to determine what is best for WOMEN… I personally do not want a say in issues that are strictly male oriented. I do NOT want them in an issue that is strictly female oriented.

    🙂 You know – I'm married to one of the BEST men ever – I've had stellar examples of men in my life. I'm not knocking all men – I'm knocking the stupid faction…

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