Rightwing US radio host Rush Limbaugh, is right, says Cara Hoffman ― young, single, educated women are trying to take away his freedom.
Rush is right. Young, single educated women are trying to take away his freedom. People like Sandra Fluke, who rationally explained the personal economics of obtaining a drug that benefits all people not just women; and people like Tracie McMillan who writes about the economics of food policy and production, and calls into question the boys club of low wage industries.
Limbaugh’s freedom has gone unchecked for a long time; his freedom to deliver a constant stream of invective and hate speech, the foundation of which is misogyny. So his anxiety is well justified.
People once had the freedom to lynch, terrorize and sexually assault African Americans until that freedom was taken away. They had the freedom to deny them an education, a vote, the right to marry whom they chose, until that freedom was taken away. They had the freedom to mock and use racial epithets and hate speech in all forms of media until that freedom was taken away.
Rush’s listeners know they’ve been losing the freedom of putting their hatred for women into action for a long time now. Freedoms they had before women were allowed to go to school, or to vote, before rape shield laws existed, before domestic violence laws changed. They know as long as there is no level playing field, as long as women are kept second class citizens, the freedom to discriminate, exploit, intimidate, and reap the benefits of the economic and social freedoms that come from creating an underclass remain.
Young single educated women and men, working class women and men, married women and men are at the forefront of dismantling your freedoms, Mr. Limbaugh. Rest assured we will be taking them. You won’t have to wait much longer.
(This story was published in Truthout and has been republished under a Creative Commons licence.)
