Political Outrage Only Seems to Cut One Way

As of Tuesday, April 3, 2012

"G ood afternoon. Thank you for calling radio station WING, your No. 1 source for news talk radio. Can I help you?"

"Uh, yeah, I'd like to talk to the person who schedules your 'Citizens Talk Back' segment. You know, the one where ordinary guys like me can comment on stuff?"

"That would be me, sir. I'm the producer. My name's Georgette. What would you like to comment on?"

"I'd like to talk about how that Geraldo Rivera guy said that Trayvon Martin got shot because he was a black man wearing a hoodie. That really burned me up. I mean, is that a stupid, racist thing to say or what?"

"Yes, sir, I understand. And if you don't mind my asking, I assume you're a liberal?"

"Ummm ... yeah, I guess so. Why?"

"And can you tell me the last time you publicly criticized Bill Maher?"

"What?"

"Bill Maher, the guy who hosts that show on HBO. Have you ever denounced him for calling Sarah Palin a nasty name a couple of years ago?"

"Well, no. I didn't even see that. Or hear about it. What does that have to do with - "

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, liberals are not allowed to make any criticism of anything anyone on Fox News or conservative talk radio says, no matter how stupid, unless they've publicly criticized Bill Maher. It's a new rule. So to speak."

"What? Since when?"

"Since Rush Limbaugh called that young woman who testified before Congress about birth control a slut and a prostitute. Conservatives knew there was no way to defend that, so they pulled up an old quote from Bill Maher where he called Governor Palin a nasty name. That way, they could go, 'What Rush said was bad, but liberals didn't say anything about what Bill Maher said, so they can't complain about it.' They said it so many times on Fox that it became a rule. We even call it the Bill Maher rule."

"That's ridiculous."

"Let me see if there's some other way to help. Have you ever said anything critical of Maxine Waters or Shirley Jackson Lee?"

"I don't even know who they are!"

"Don't lie to me, sir. Every liberal knows everything those two have said, and their failure to abhor them every single day is an example of left-wing hypocrisy."

"Let me get this straight. Someone on the right says something sexist, racist, or just plain stupid and mean, and I can't say anything about it unless I've gone out of my way to criticize something stupid or mean or outrageous some liberal has said?"

"Yes, sir."

"And let me guess ... you get to pick the thing I should have complained about, and even if I've never heard of it, I'm a hypocrite because I didn't already fall all over myself to deplore it?"

"Now you get it!"

"No, I really don't. Do you demand that conservatives do that? I mean, I've seen some really nasty signs about President Obama. There was the one Photoshopped to make him look like a witch doctor with a bone through his nose. There's that bumper sticker someone put out that said "Don't Re-Nig In 2012" and an Obama symbol with a line through it. When someone comes on your station to complain about Bill Maher or Rahm Emmanuel, do you ask them if they've ever denounced those things?"

"Oh, no, sir! That wouldn't be honest. It would be trying to stifle debate!"

"Of course it would."

"Oh, by the way, you can't ever say anything about racism by the Republicans or the tea party unless you've publicly denounced Senator Robert Byrd."

"Isn't he dead?"

"Yes, but he was in the KKK."

"That was before I was born!"

"Doesn't matter. I'm sorry, sir, it doesn't look like we're going to be able to help you today. Thanks for calling WING, fair and balanced news talk radio!"

"This is [bad word]."

"You don't have to use vulgar language, sir!"

"Rick Santorum did!"

"Yes, but you're not allowed to mention it unless you complained about Joe Biden saying ... Hello? Hello?"

Dusty Rhoades lives, writes and practices law in Carthage. Contact him at dustyr@nc.rr.com.

More like this story

MikeNC 1 year, 1 month ago

im-a-harleyguy .... I read your disgusting comments from the other night. No vulgar comments from me were directed towards anyone, let alone towards your wife. My post was simple to understand...you and Dusty are one and the same. If you said something about me it would not be a problem. But trash talking Diane was a poor choice. I expect a face to face apology today.

We can meet up in the Walmart parking lot in S.P. Or any conveniently located place will be fine. I will clear my calendar today just for you. Just post the time here quickly. I will park in the parking lot across from the main doors, the center entrance to avoid any confusion. I will be easy to spot. I'll park far back in the lot to be plainly visible. I'll be driving a green over tan Ford Ranger pick up. I will have the tail gate down and you will see a bunch of dirt residue from what I was hauling the other day. The truck and myself will be easy to notice. I'll be wearing blue jeans, a gray or green T-shirt and a tan ball cap. It's going to be perfect bike weather. Ride your Harley down.

I won't do any back and forth banter of any type here in this thread. What you said was very plain to see by all. No need of further discussion here on the forum. Just provide me the time and I'll be there. That will be the only comment I will reply to. One thing for certain Harleyguy...Your sickening comments will not stand. Words of which you stated directly to me about my wife will not be ignored or passed by. There will be a quick resolution of either today with us working it out or tomorrow by another method.. Just state the time and we will get this behind us or I will walk it through the backdoor tomorrow, which I hate to do; but will resolve it there if necessary. Your choice....Mike

SallyLarson 1 year, 1 month ago

Uh, Mike? Does this have anything to do with this article? Great article Dusty!

Bigguy 1 year, 1 month ago

So I will first say that Spike Lee is a jerk for tweeting that address he thought Was Mr. Zimmerman, what the heck did he think he was doing, or going to accomplish? So now that I have said something about a liberal, I can call Geraldo the the biggest ass ever! His own son was ashamed of him, there are even pictures of him wearing a hoodie sitting next to Billo the clown O'Reilly. If that is the new rule, I'll try to be fair and balanced. Great article Dusty!

bigD 1 year, 1 month ago

I guess you going to wait until June to write about Obamacare? Or are you only going to write about it if it goes your way?

bufordsplay 1 year, 1 month ago

Just remember!!! Everyone of these people that is threatening Zimmerman is an Obama supporter from Spike Lee to the Black Panthers. If Zimmerman's last name was Gonzalez we would not even be discussing it and if Zimmerman won the Nobel Peace Prize the media would be calling him a Latino. The Left continues to push this nation in a direction that They are going to regret.

Political Outrage Only Seems to Cut One Way

More like this story

Comments