Reaching out to someonewho is hurting

[SoFlaJets]

is this a trait of true liberalism?Or are we just haters like them?Do we pay lip service and CALL ourselves liberals and wish say someone in legal trouble with oh let's just say a bad drug problem that they"get theirs"?Would or should a truly compassionate liberal reach out a helping hand to a fellow human being even though THAT person would gladly kick ANY ONE OF US right into the gutter if the shoe were on the other foot.Who here would HELP Rush Limbaugh?Anyone?or is it cricket chirps all around.I know what I would do(and HAVE done)today.

[demnan]

1. What people make fun of in the abstract

doesn't really reflect how they would act in the reality.

[Kamika]

2. the point of liberalism

Is that we can pick who we want to help, if we dont want to help it's fine, if we want to help someone it's fine. We're not forced to help anyone we dont want to help. And nobody will look down on us IF we chose to help someone like Rush.


Would i help Rush?

I think id rather chop off my arm

[VelmaD]

7. I think you are right and wrong

Picking and choosing who you want to help sounds more like the repukes actually rather than liberalism. Liberals are supposed to have compassion for all whether we agree with them or not. Only "helping" those who agree with you is definintely a rethug thing.

I want to believe you are right that liberalism means no one will look down on us for wanting to help him (although with some of the posters on this board the last couple of days I doubt that is universally true).

[Kamika]

11. liberalism is that youre free

The whole point of liberalism is that youre free to run your life how you want, with as little interference as possible from the state.

Being liberal has in no way anything to do with being compassionate. But Anything that isnt cosnervative is imo pretty compassionate.

Being forced to do anything (including helping someone) is not liberalism, its opression

[thom1102]

3. I would suggest that true liberals would

want to get him help for his dependency. I would say let him try to get help through the system that has failed so many, that he holds so dearly... the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, being a celebrity, his treatment would be very different from the treatment of the ordinary person.

Yes I hope that Rush gets the help that he needs to overcome his addiction. I hope that this journey gives him a different perspective on the problem of addiction. But I can take some personal pleasure in the fact that Kharma works. This man is a bigoted hate monger who has left a trail of ruined lives in his wake, and to see him knocked from his perch by his own failings is, in my opinion gratifying.

[prolesunited]

4. How would you suggest

we reach out to help Rush? I hope he gets the drug treatment he needs, but I also hope he gets it in jail. He is NOT above the law.

I think much of the reaction you see here is to the hypocrisy of the Republican Party. When somebody has consistently trashed and vilified you for human failings and weakness, it's only human nature to take some sort of perverse pleasure in their downfall. My hope is after experiencing things from the other side of the fence, they won't be so quick to condemn.

When people on this board have reached out for support, DUers have consistently been there.

[Deja Q]

10. This is America, celebrities and the wealthy ARE above the law

Some people will say otherwise, but they are not being accurate.

Celebs and the wealthy get off easy; from a Bush family member to Randy Moss to you-name-it, celebs get away from justice very easily.

It's a double-standard that shouldn't be allowed. (as if there aren't other double-standards...)

And DUers have definitely been there for people, consistently. :loveya:

[blondeatlast]

16. My sentiments exactly. This is pure hypocrisy; the Repugs want to

throw the addicts in jail and take away the keys; I don't think you can blame us for, in the backs of our minds, wanting the same fate to befall him?

We aren't piling on to the weak, we are piling on to a racist, homophobic, race-baiting, misogynist blowhard who seems unable to take what he dishes out.

Rush was seriously nasty to Chelsea Clinton and I will never forgive him for that (I don't revel in the adventures of the Bush twins, either).

We aren't talking about a reasoned, intelligent critic of the Democratic agenda. We're talking about a man who spews acid on a daily basis and gets paid millions for it.

Whew . . . I guess I really had to get that off of my chest! I feel much better now.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. OF course I would get him help

His attitudes, opinions, and statements made with nothing but hatred are a sign of sickness. IT's only a shame that they have become such the norm in American discourse that people no longer recognize this as sickness but a valid political position.

I wasn't just made aware of his sickness yesterday.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. {{{{{{{{NSMA}}}}}}}}}

You are a genuinely kind person, and I like you!

I hope you're treated with as much compassion as you offer to others.
:-)

[Jim Sagle]

6. Rush ain't nuthin' but shit. End of story.

[Deja Q]

8. I was thinking the same thing this morning, and I don't like it.

I thought of several excuses for people to justify the hatred of Rush, and I sitll have trouble with it.

Yes, Rush is an openly hateful man who lies and spins and distorts.

Is it okay to hate a hater, or does that turn us into them?

At what point is justifiable criticism turned into blind hatred just because that person isn't on "our team"?

Yes, I hate the Neo-cons and dislike Republicans who side with them. Their actions and what they support are hurting far more people than they are helping, especially in a society that's being designed to keep people "in their place" if not worse.

I would give them a 2 strike rule. I would help them the first time. But if they didn't change their tune, I would NOT them the second time. It's sad people are like that and it's doubly sad we live in a society that encourages hatred over helping, but until humankind improves on itself even what I am suggesting isn't harsh.

[Misinformed01]

9. That son of a bitch Rush

Deserves as much sympathy and compassion that he has shown others over the years; one gets as good as they give.

If he has an epiphany when he kicks his drug habits and apologizes to every single person that he has caused anguish for, then I will feel something for that hypocritical, misogynist bastard.

Until then, he and his disgusting band of fans can kiss my ass.

[mac56]

12. For me one of the keys of liberalism is -

the notion of "There but for the grace of God go I."

It's called empathy. Most liberals I know have it. I have never seen a shred of it in Rush.

I do have empathy toward Rush. Any one of us could become addicted. As an earlier poster put it, I want him to overcome his addiction, but I want him to do it in a jail cell. And I believe if he had empathy, he'd feel compassion toward people charged with drug-related crimes, people he used to trash and dismiss. He may even view a jail sentence as a necessary part of his recovery.

[ewagner]

13. Like everything in Liberal thought

...it's not black and white.

Certainly we hate to see people addicted to anything and will support their efforts to rid themselves of the addiction.

On the otherhand, it is perfectly legitimate to absolutely REJOICE IN CELEBRATION OF HYPROCRISY EXPOSED!

[amazona]

15. to cushion his fall is to enable his addiction and it's cruel not kind

Have you much personal experience dealing with an addict? If so, you may have been told by support group or counselors, and you have certainly experienced, how cushioning the addict's comfortable world -- enabling him, forgiving him, making it easy for him to avoid facing his problem -- is actually harming him.

If Rush is not allowed to hit bottom, it is likely that his extremely serious problem will kill him. A man of his wealth and influence is going to need one hell of a push to get away from his delusions and denial. Treatment hasn't worked. He has sought treatment. He needs a powerful motivator. When we steal his opportunity to hit bottom and make a change by offering a cheap compassion -- because it makes us feel oh-so-highly evolved and super-compassionate -- I wonder how we can honestly say that we are doing him a kindness. Such kindness may kill.

We should put our egos aside. We should not be saying, "It is more important for me to show what a big person I am, than it is to put pressure on this addict to progress in his life's journey."

Yes, difficult as it may be to accept, holding Rush up to scorn isn't just fun -- it's the decent thing to do.




it is human nature to feel sorry for another who is suffering, but if "reaching out" means cheating the addict of his chance at change, we need to stand back and give him room