What? Wait, what?

So Rush is being an asshole.  Again.  Or, still.

Oh, it doesn't surprise me.  I pretty much ignore him nowadays.  But sometimes the sheer nastiness of his assholery astounds me; add that to the fact that I still hear people talk about what he said on his show as if it were gospel truth, and sometimes I get irritated by him.  I actually used to listen to him years ago, when all my car radio would pick up out in the boonies was AM. I figured it was healthy, something to keep my blood pressure from getting too low.  And, you know, it was a bit of "know thine enemy."  But he kept saying such stupid, stupid things, and his callers kept agreeing with him, and I got too mad and depressed.  I'd rather listen to static- it makes more sense.

I know, he gets paid to say dumb shit.  I know, he is an "entertainer," not a politician.  I know.  But so many people take what he says as truth.  I hear it all the time: "Rush said gas is going to be $6 a gallon next month."  Heads nod.  Didn't happen, but people have short memories.

This latest comment... Wow.  Apparently now that "liberals have normalized gay marriage" they're going to "normalize pedophilia."  Because yeah, that's a liberal idea, and ideal.  It's not like many pedophiles are conservatives, or priests or anything.  I really don't know which angle to start attacking his statements from.  I mean, start with the inherent assumption that liberals are a homogenous group, plotting to impose their whims on the world.  (Of course, that's exactly what Rush's listeners believe.)

Maybe the whole "slippery slope" argument that one thing leads to another?  Because, you know, why would we treat gay people like, well, people?  It's an outrage!  How dare anyone try to "normalize" respecting other people?!  Before society (generally) accepted the rights of gay people as just people, we had discrimination and violence against them.  (I know we still do. But it's better; I think we're past the tipping point.)  Do conservatives think those were "the good old days"? Shall we go back to when that was illegal too?  Is that, honestly, what conservatives want?  Because it sure seems like it.

Or, maybe it's the marriage thing.  Accepting gay marriage?  Once you do that, why not marry your dog?  And if we go back up that slippery slope a bit, we'll find a time when black and white people weren't allowed to marry.  Then that got normalized, and society has been going to hell ever since, right?

And of course, I just don't get any of the arguments against gay marriage.  Religion?  Fine, you have a religious objection, maybe don't allow them to get married in your church.  But you have no right to restrict what others do.  Mind your own business; don't marry someone of the same sex yourself, but let others be.  That's, whaddayacallit, the American way!  Freedom to do as we please, at least up to the point that it harms others.  And what harm does gay marriage do?  Does it hurt straight marriage?  Please.  That's in bad enough shape.  This is likely to help.  Good examples of loving partners, of families, would be a good thing, gay or straight.  It boggles me that the family values crowd opposes welcoming loving families.  They should be pushing FOR gay marriage.

How 'bout some basic human decency, Rush?  And the same goes for conservatives in general, or more specifically, those whose 'conservatism' seems to consist of vilifying others.