Rush Limbaugh, drug addict

[archerships]

rachelmills made the following lovely observation:

Here's a fun game. Every time a Drug Warrior uses the phrase "drug addict" replace with their favorite hero, Rush Limbaugh, and see if they'd still agree with the statement. Here's one from the Republican Drug Warrior Vermont Governor James Douglas, from his budget message speech on January 23, 2003:

As he said it:

"More than anything, these drugs threaten our way of life. All the values that make Vermonters great -our independence, thrift, work ethic and community spirit are endangered when drugs command our bodies. Addicts are not independent; they are dependent; they are not prudent in their finances, only concerned with funding their destructive habits; they are not industrious, but unproductive. When drugs come into our neighborhoods, violence follows and thugs and criminals dominate our streets. This is not the Vermont way."

Translated:

"More than anything, these drugs threaten our way of life. All the values that make Vermonters great -our independence, thrift, work ethic and community spirit are endangered when drugs command our bodies. Rush Limbaugh is not independent; Rush is dependent; Rush is not prudent in his finances, only concerned with funding his destructive habits; Rush is not industrious, Rush is unproductive. When drugs come into our neighborhoods, violence follows and thugs and criminals like Rush Limbaugh dominate our streets. This is not the Vermont way."

Comments

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Pretty amazing for someone addicted to hill-billy heroic.

[knavish.livejournal.com]

Not so amazing, really. I'm an Oracle DBA working at a Fortune 500 company and spent 2 of my last three years working here addicted to Dilaudid (hydromorophone). I am not using it now, but when I was, as now, I was a clean cut, fully functioning, productive, and industrious employee who no one had any idea was an addict.

I think that it has alot to do with a person's work ethic, will power, and sense of responsibility. Sometimes I had to force myself, but I always came to the office and did a full day's work. But that wasn't that often. It wasn't until the last three months of my addiction that I even started using during the day, and then that made me realize that it was time to quit.

Not everyone who uses drugs ends up robbing the 7-11 and living on the streets. There are loads of people who you would never guess about. There are probably people at your office who are, or were, users. Rush is not the exception by any means.

(My post is in no way intended to support Rush Limbaugh's views or even him as a person. They are merely anecdotal. While I do consider myself to be right-wing (libertarian) I strongly dislike the man.)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yes, I whole-heartedly agree with you. Many, perhaps most, drug users are highly functional. (After all, most cigarette smokers and alcholics seem to hold down jobs). That's what makes the Governor's comments so ridiculous. Unfortunately, sarcasm doesn't always translate via the the net.

[knavish.livejournal.com]

ahh. I should have known. We need to develop a sarcasm tag to use. starting a comment with a [sarcasm]yadda yadda yadda[/sarcasm] maybe? :)

[new-iconoclast.livejournal.com]

I'd hate to think, after all the libertarian writing on the War on Drugs, that everyone would suddenly jump on the bandwagon just because their least-favorite conservative windbag has come clean. None of the things that are said above are true of Limbaugh, nor of many other addicts.

Let's knock him for being a hypocrite, but not for being a doper.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

None of the things that are said above are true of Limbaugh, nor of many other addicts.

Yes, and that's the point--Governor Douglas's characterization of drug users in general is as ridiculous as it is of Rush Limbaugh in particular. I'm glad that Rush has come clean--now maybe conservatives won't be so ready to villify non-legal drug users.

[new-iconoclast.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't bet on it, but we can hope!

Maybe he'll retire . . .

[gentlemaitresse.livejournal.com]

Nah. Rush will come out of rehab saying how drugs almost ruined his life, and this is just more proof that drugs should be illegal and we ought to go after the dealers. (Wonder if he'll turn in his suppliers?)

Of course, WE realize that it's the illegality of the drugs that almost ruined his career, rather than the actual drugs themselves.

[kittles.livejournal.com]

Of course it's not the Vermont way. There is no Vermont way.

[deltav900.livejournal.com]

How many whiskey shots are we supposed to take when... wait a second, is this even a drinking game? Dammit!

[crasch.livejournal.com]

No, no it's how many snorts of coke...