And so it begins - the tug-of-war to get Rush Limbaugh off military airwaves. For a couple of weeks, we have been fortunate. We have seen more than 26,000 people sign OldHippieChick's petition to Secretary Panetta via WhiteHouse.gov. That should mean that the administration will take a serious look at the petitioners request - Remove Rush Limbaugh from the Armed Forces Network.
The Air Force Times reports that a petition to keep Rush Limbaugh on the air has hit the White House petition site. I'll let you hunt it down rather than give you a link but as of publication of said article, it only had 2 signatures. So why mention it at all? Maybe there is someone over at the Air Force Times who loves Rush Limbaugh wants to see him have a fighting chance. And, it might have worked... as of this morning the petition is up to 1,354 signatures.
I have been running a petition drive to Senators Levin and McCain, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I only wish that the Air Force Times would take notice!
I make direct ties to the current sexual harassment and sexual assault abuses going on in today's military force and question the continued presence of a misogynist on military airwaves. As much as the Limbaugh supporters want to make this about free speech, it isn't. It's about the right to be free from sexual harassment in the work place. Rush Limbaugh has no place on military airwaves. Maybe those working that other petition can find a Right Wing Conservative talk show host who can manage to speak about Conservative Political Opinion without resorting to slander and to sexism.
Please sign:
Senators Carl Levin and John McCain: Cut all ties between American Forces Network and Rush Limbaugh
It is a tough thing to convince those outside of military circles that change in the military happens in a very different way than change outside of it.
We're fortunate that the Army has decided to pull it's recruitment ads from Limbaugh's show. They saw the negative implications of being tied to that sinking ship.
But AFN is a different kettle of fish. It is a military organization that is run by civilians. They are a well-protected little group and have been fighting to keep Rush Limbaugh on the airwaves for so long that they no longer hear the arguments. They are in automatic response mode. They keep repeating the mantra "Free Speech, Free Speech, Free Speech" over and over again.
Our Mantra needs to be "Free From Sexual Harassment, Free From Misogynists, Free From Hate." It's a little trickier. We are trying to change the framing that has existed around Rush Limbaugh for decades. It is working in the larger American community but that tiny office at AFN has walled itself off and is hiding behind the Constitution as if it can protect them against Common Sense.
I had hopes that a front pager might pick up this fight... I still have hopes that it might happen in some way, shape, or form. But until we begin to understand that this isn't the same fight to remove advertisers, we won't win. Until we understand that AFN and Secretary Panetta need pressure from all political sides - including Republicans - Rush Limbaugh will remain on military airwaves. We need to push this issue outside of it's current military frame of reference and tie it as tightly as we can to issues of sexism and safe work and living environments.
For those of you that have contacted Congressmen or written directly to Secretary Panetta, what have you heard? Anything? Let us know in the comments below.
Maybe it's time we requested a survey, military style, about AFN content and find out what our military listeners actually want to hear. I would like to see Limbaugh removed sooner rather than latter but will take further steps in whatever direction will see his imminent departure from American Forces Radio.
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Senators Carl Levin and John McCain: Cut all ties between American Forces Network and Rush Limbaugh
And, do as 2thanks suggests:
I changed my sig to support you, angelajean! (16+ / 0-)
Here is the text and html code:
Please sign angelajean's petition to FLUSH RUSH from AFN (Armed Forces Network).
If any Kossack wants to support angelajean with a sig like mine, here are the instructions:
1. Highlight the paragraph above that begins "Please sign ..."
2. Copy all the text with Ctrl + C or Apple Key + C.
3. Click "Edit Profile" in your Welcome Back box at the top right of any DK page.
4. Scroll down to the Comment Preferences section.
5. Put the cursor in the Signature box.
6. Paste with Ctrl + V or Apple Key + V.
7. Edit the text but not the code,if you wish.
8. Scroll down to the Save button.
9. Click Save.
10. Wait for the page to reload.
11. Now all of your new comments will have the changed sig.
At this moment her change.org petition has 315 signatures toward a goal of 500.
We can do this, Kossacks! Let's get this done for angelajean.
Please sign angelajean's petition to FLUSH RUSH from AFN (Armed Forces Network).