Everyone is suffering from this economic downturn. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, everyone. If we don’t fix it soon, we’re going to be facing much harder times.
So when people, such as conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh, claim they want the administration to fail, one has to question their motives. I’m certainly not saying you can’t disagree with the administration. I voted for President Barack Obama, and even I’m displeased with many of his new policies. But to hope that our government fails in times such as this is ludicrous. Even Utah, the reddest state in the nation, needs Obama to succeed.
In the days immediately following 9/11, no one got on the radio to spew hatred for President George Bush and his policies. In fact, in the Gallup Poll conducted after 9/11, Bush’s approval rating was as high as 90 percent.
If you worked at a company that was suffering, would you exclaim loudly to your co-workers that you wanted your boss to fail? Would you even think it to yourself? I would hope the answer is no, but I know otherwise.
Radical and reactionary talking heads are a fact of life. Michael Moore and Ann Coulter aren’t going anywhere. But that doesn’t mean you have to believe everything they say. As college students, we are in the midst of solidifying our beliefs and thus more passionate. There is a reason that college students were leading peace marches during the Vietnam War and why many were at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. For some students, college is where political affiliation is realized.
If everyone blindly believed the rhetoric of Bill O’Reilly or the extreme claims of the online newspaper The Huffington Post, our country would be extremely divided and misinformed. This is why taking these pundits with a grain of salt is imperative. Unfortunately, many people don’t do this. Another Gallup Poll conducted in February of this year found 60 percent of Republicans have a favorable view of Limbaugh versus a 23 percent unfavorable opinion. This is a cause for concern for a number of reasons.
Rush Limbaugh failed out of college after two semesters. He has repeatedly made racist and sexist comments on air, even going so far as to call President Obama “the Magic Negro.” To think that this man has the approval of even 10 percent of Republicans is concerning, let alone 60 percent.
On the other side, Michael Moore is also a college dropout who has had little professional success outside of journalism. However, www.boxofficemojo.com lists three of his movies in the top five grossing documentaries of all time.
This is why it is important for us as students to research our opinions before we develop them. We are the future, and no one wants to live in a future full of bigotry and ignorance.
Jonathan Deesing