It would be (far too) easy to gloat over Rush Limbaugh's failed attempt at being a limited partner in a group trying to buy the St. Louis Rams. There are more than enough folks doing that, though, and my interest lies more in the "why" than in tapdancing on anyone's metaphorical grave. Limbaugh is, of course, free to do with his money as he sees fit. This is still a free country, and as long as he's not fomenting violent revolution, he can invest in whatever business venture trips he chooses. What I found of particular interest was the generalized reaction when it was announced that Limbaugh was a limited partner in a group headed by Dave Checketts that's trying to buy the Rams and keep them in St. Louis. A celebrity limited partner isn't a new concept in the NFL- the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans have brought in celebrities of diverse backgrounds in an attempt to widen their appeal in their communities for years. Never, though, has anyone attempting to buy into a team created the reaction that Limbaugh did...so much so that Checketts actually had to cut him loose. Yes, indeed...karma can be a real b---h, eh?
Bottom line, the lesson here is that words have meaning. When your words are hurtful, hateful, and mean-spirted year upon year, odds are that they will eventually comeback on you. Limbaugh, having built his empire upon the soft sand of racism, bigotry, and misogyny, is now reaping the rewards of what he's sown for so many years. If you're unapologetic in your hatred and disdain for those who think, live, and act differently than you, you can't reasonably claim to be surprised when people push back when the opportunity presents itself.
Over the years, I've learned through this space that words, however well-intentioned, can have meaning far beyond anything I might have intended or considered. Write for long enough about hot-button issues, and eventually you will piss someone off or offend someone in ways you couldn't possibly have imagined. And I DON'T set out to cause offense or upset. For someone like Limbaugh, whose career is built on causing offense and upset (and who revels in it), payback can be a real b---h.
This isn't to say, of course, that anyone who voices his opinions in a public forum needs to be Mother Teresa or risk the wrath of Khan. There's nothing wrong with having strong, tightly held opinions. Lord knows I've tossed out a few of those over the years, and I've rubbed more than a few people the wrong way. Hey, it's what I do...and if nothing else, I've made a few folks think. For those like Limbaugh who fly past consideration and courtesy and go directly to vitriol, bluster, and disrespect, anger and bruised feelings are sure to follow closely. Traffic in hate, misogyny, character assassination, and racism long enough and eventually the bill's going to come due.
In a democratic system that guarantees the right to free speech and expression, things sometimes get ugly. As I've often said myself, free speech can be, and quite often is, offensive speech. People will forgive the occasional trespass into offensive speech. Live and revel in that realm, however, and you do so at your own risk. Eventually it will come back and exact a price...and so it is with Rush Limbaugh. Free speech does not mean saying whatever pops into your pointy li'l haid without cost or consequence. While I'm not one to advocate censorship, there are and should be minimum public standards of decency that demand respect. These standards may sometimes seem like moving targets, but there's this little thing called the Golden Rule that will go a long ways toward removing any uncertainty. Not that Limbaugh needs to channel his inner Stuart Smalley, but he brought this firestorm upon himself. I'm not going to gloat, but I can't say that I'm particularly saddened by his failed foray into NFL ownership. You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you might find that you get what you deserve.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
