This is my diary version of a white buffalo but principles are principles so I believe a defense of Rush Limbaugh is is in order. Why do you ask? Because the people are criticizing him for his opposition to dog fighting.
Apparently "Boss" Limbaugh has been taking heat from gun owners for supporting a Humane Society initiative to combat animal cruelty.
Follow me below the fold for details:
According to todays Washington Times, a coalition of gun owners has demanded Limbaugh end his support for the Humane Society:
Twenty-eight groups representing millions of hunters and sportsmen are demanding that the conservative radio commentator end his collaboration with the HSUS and stop "helping them to mainstream their image in the minds of reasonable people."
"Despite a few programs designed to attract support from the general public, HSUS is in fact an organization that opposes hunting, fishing, and trapping," the groups, including Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, wrote in a letter last week to Mr. Limbaugh.
"Its leadership has a long and established history of promoting legislation, litigation, and referenda to restrict the rights of American sportsmen and women."
How scary is it that Rush Limbaugh is the voice of reason on this or ANY issue. When he comes across as reasonable, now that says something about his alleged supporters.
Reporter Joseph Curl said the ads began two weeks ago and included spots against organized dogfighting and other acts of animal cruelty.
In the second ad, "America's Truth Detector" talks about, as the Humane Society says, "our outreach to communities of faith, and the moral obligation that we have to be good stewards of God's creatures."
And yet the seemingly innocuous opposition to a practice most Americans find abhorrent has been met with vitriol by the darkest fringes of wingnuttia.
The head of the Humane Society was wondering how dogfighting and animal cruelty suddenly became partisan political issues.
"I'm embarrassed for them that they would criticize Rush for amplifying our message that dogfighting and other malicious forms of animal cruelty are unacceptable in society," executive director Wayne Pacelle said.
Countering that his group absolutely does not oppose all hunting, Mr. Pacelle said he reached out to Mr. Limbaugh and was not surprised that he accepted the invitation to join the cause.
"I think the folks that are criticizing it are unbelievably knee-jerk -- I guess they want to provide comfort to dogfighters? It just doesn't make any sense. . . . There are certain things that civil society should agree on."
As for having the nation's top conservative commentator aboard, he said: "I hope this shows a side of Rush to the American people that they may not have contemplated."
Of course the wing nuts see a conspiracy where none exists. Time to get out the tin foil hats.
"The Humane Society of the United States is public enemy number one for sportsmen. We believe firmly that they're against all forms of hunting. We actually battle them in state after state, and they back all types of different legislation, ballot issues, that seek to restrict the rights of hunters," said Greg R. Lawson, a spokesman for the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, which has about 3 million members.
"The concern we have with what Rush did is not so much the actual content of the new public-service announcements. . . . It's the very fact that he recorded anything for that group because of their agenda against the sportsmen community."
Curl said the groups claim that Mr. Limbaugh's collaboration amounts to "implied endorsements" for the Humane Society that are "a real coup for their cause."
"
With America's most prominent conservative spokesman on board, they have the opportunity to make inroads into a new cross section of our country. You are helping them to mainstream their image in the minds of reasonable people. Your collaboration furthers the anti-hunting and anti-fishing agenda of HSUS, which will undermine the great success of conservation and threatens the economies of small towns and rural states across our nation."
Mr. Lawson said many Americans have little real understanding of the Humane Society of the United States -- which has about 11 million "supporters" -- and don't know it is not affiliated with local humane societies, animal shelters or animal care and control agencies.
"When people think of the Human Society of the United States, they a lot of times are thinking of the guys who are taking care of dogs and cats and stray animals and doing the work at the local humane society. That's not what this national group is. They don't work with the local humane societies -- they're a national lobbying group.
"And that's a very big distinction that I dont think has really gotten out into the general public," he said.
Look, there is a world of difference between the Humane Society and groups like PETA. I have had heated discussions with PETA supporters and IMO there is a dogmatic rationale to their views. Moreover, the efforts by PETA regardless of how well intentioned they are, can be counterproductive and alienate people who might be sympathetic to specific animal rights issues.
Nonetheless, the extreme Right Wing is conflating the HSUS and PETA. As far as these gun groups are concerned, these organizations are the same. The reality couldn't be further than the truth.
I understand some readers might disagree with my views on PETA. I can accept that. Still, they should keep in mind that this diary is about defending someone who 99.9% says something indefensible.
If we want to be morally consistent, IMO we should defend those who are like minded while attacking those who are not. It would be rank hypocrisy to attack Limbaugh on this point. I want to be perfectly clear, I can't stand Rush. I find his views disgusting, especially his hateful mocking of Michael J. Fox. This is just one specific example where IMO Limbaugh deserves our support. Whether this is a one time thing or not depends on Rush.
One analogy I have to this fight is one between Pat Boone and the Christian Right. Now on virtually every issue, I find the former crooner to be a RW blowhard, but I supported him when he was being lambasted by the Talibangelists for recording an album of heavy metal and hard rock covers.
Fans of the Osbournes might be familiar with Boone's take on "Crazy Train", which was the show's theme.
Boone and Osbourne were once neighbors and Ozzy has spoke with warmth about his former neighbor. If these two can find common ground, the probability is that virtually any two people can.
The criticism of the vanilla Boone is absurd. The album is a collection of rocking tunes turned into lounge music. It is actually so bad and cheezy, that it actually is good — if that circular reasoning is even possible.
Hence, why I feel it is unfair to criticize Limbaugh about dog fighting.
What this proves more than anything is how frakkin' backwards and ignorant some of his listeners actually are. Most of these would be the so-called "christians." I use that term because these self-identified "christians" are decidedly UN-Christian. They need to be called out for their ridiculous defense of a depraved act.