No one should be celebrating Rush Limbaugh’s cancer. Being human shouldn’t be hard
Rush Limbaugh told his listeners on Monday that he has advanced lung cancer and, of course, social media lit up with partisan responses to the dire diagnosis revealed by America’s best known conservative radio talk show host.
This isn’t the first time Limbaugh has experienced hardship. It’s been reported that he was addicted to prescription drugs and he’s suffered a profound hearing loss, for example.
But cancer is something else altogether.
“This day has been one of the most difficult days in recent memory for me. I’ve known this moment is coming in the program,” Limbaugh said in comments quoted by national publications. “I’m sure that you all know by now that I really don’t like talking about myself and I don’t like making things about me. I like this program to be about you and the things that matter to all of us.”
We don’t know if Limbaugh’s diagnosis states that he has a short time left or if his situation is more hopeful than that. But we do know this, or at least we should: This news should not be met with celebration. It should not be met with laughter and high-fives. It should not be met with Twitter memes or wicked witch analogies.
It’s really very simple. We’re either human beings or were not. We either live our values or we don’t.
I’m no fan of Limbaugh. I’ve always found him to be divisive and hostile to racial and ethnic minorities. Those feelings did not change with Limbaugh’s announcement. I didn’t suddenly retract my thoughts about Limbaugh and his public comments.
But if I allow those feelings to turn into pleasure because the author of those feelings is facing a grave disease, then I cross a line that reflects badly on me.
Limbaugh jumped to national fame from right here in Sacramento, his run on KFBK from 1984 to 1988 catapulting him to a larger audience. He took his jokes about Rio Linda with him to the national stage. I wasn’t in Sacramento when he was here, but I remember when a little diner near my place of work, on 21st street, was dedicated to serving his fans. They were called the “Ditto Heads” back then. Though the place didn’t last long, Limbaugh’s career has.
Kitty O’Neal remembers
He still has longtime friends in Sacramento.
“From the moment I met Rush, I found out that he would be one of the most generous and thoughtful people I would ever know,” said Kitty O’Neal, who hosts her own afternoon news show on KFBK and worked closely with Limbaugh back then.
“You didn’t have to agree with him to be his friend,” said O’Neal who added that she is not in “lockstep” with Limbaugh’s views, but has maintained a close relationship with him.
How would Limbaugh react if say, Hillary Clinton announced that she had advanced cancer? It doesn’t matter. Leadership and humanity begin by looking in the mirror.
I want to beat Limbaugh’s ideas at the ballot box. I want to beat his ideas because I think mine are better.
But celebrating his grave disease? No. We need to be better for the sake of our children and our democracy.
If I saw Limbaugh today, I would extend my hand and wish him good health. Being human shouldn’t be hard.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 1:56 PM with the headline "No one should be celebrating Rush Limbaugh’s cancer. Being human shouldn’t be hard."
