Oreos, Limbaugh and name-calling

Today, March 6, is the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Oreo cookie, according to Nabisco's website.

Tomorrow will mark one week since Rush Limbaugh used his national radio show to publicly insult a female Georgetown University law student in a vulgar way simply because she was providing Congressional testimony on the value of birth control medication.  Limbaugh has apologized--sort of--for his remarks, while blaming the political left for uttering words that were "against everything I know to be right and wrong." 

The man's an idiot.

Oops, I shouldn't say that.  It's name-calling, and that's rude.  So, I am sorry that I have said that Rush Limbaugh is an idiot.  That label is probably factually inaccurate.  Maybe he's even smarter than I am, and I'm pretty sure that I am not an idiot.

But I will contend that Limbaugh is behaving in an oafish and boorish manner.  Grammatically, that is an accurate descriptive statement; it's not name-calling.

Since I have never cared for Oreos--not being one of those people who dunks their cookies into milk prior to eating them, which seems to be the only way that these things are consumed--perhaps I should say that Limbaugh is an "oreo" and let it go at that.  However, that would be demeaning to Oreo cookies, so--once again--no name-calling here.

Besides, there are some big differences between Oreo cookies and Rush Limbaugh.  Most notably, whenever I see somebody consume an Oreo, the most apparent end result is a beatific look of pleasure and contentment.  On the other hand, consumption of a Limbaugh show seems to lead to almost anything but pleasure and contentment.  And finally, Oreo cookies are sweet, and Limbaugh is a sour-puss.

(I hereby publicly apologize for calling Limbaugh a sour-puss, but I stand by the accuracy of my observation about his facial expressions as communicated by that label.  And, no, I do not feel that I have descended into a depravity of Stygian darkness that might have been caused by reading commentaries from the opposite side of the political spectrum.  The choice of words is mine alone, and I am not confused about what's right and what's wrong because of any perceived brain-washing by my political polar opposites.)

Nonetheless, there are some similarities between Oreo cookies and Limbaugh.

Oreo cookies have a large following of devoted fans; the same is true of Limbaugh.  Oreo cookies are dry and crunchy and abrasive on the outside; the same is true of Limbaugh.  But the most striking similarity is that both are utterly devoid of nutritional value.

What's with all the name-calling that's going on these days, anyway?  Speaking for myself--and, I am willing to bet, for many others, too--I'm tired of people who are participating in public discourse calling each other names by using insulting terminology.  Name-calling is easy; it's just a way of applying a label to somebody else.  It makes the name-caller feel smug and superior.  Sometimes it can be a little joke and no harm is done and everybody has a little fun, but that's not the type of name-calling that is going on these days.

Usually, name-calling has value for the verbal assaulter because it serves to conceal that person's ignorance.  People conceal their ignorance because they want others to think that they have something of value to offer when there's really nothing there.

So, my assumption is that Limbaugh resorted to using pejorative words about somebody who had an opinion different from his because he was ignorant of anything factual and relevant to say about her.  His ignorance calls into question the validity of anything else that he might have to say on that particular subject at the least, and maybe on every other subject he talks about, too.

Before Limbaugh's verbal meltdown we heard presidential candidate Rick Santorum refer to President Obama as "a snob" for encouraging college education.  While at the low-temperature end of the vulgarity heat spectrum, the word "snob" was apparently used by Santorum because he had nothing valuable to say.  Maybe he's a first-time offender; if so, this comment will fade over time.  If he does not become a serial name-caller, then perhaps he will earn the right to be called "Mr. Santorum" again.

Name-calling contributes nothing to government, politics and the presidential contest.  It's distracting and a waste of time.  This won't stop just because you and I say it should, or just because writings like this one expose it for the puerile indulgence that it is, but it ought to stop, and that should happen without delay.

If these people don't have anything valuable to say, they should not be using up oxygen by saying rude things about people who disagree with them.  Instead, they ought to just keep their mouths shut.

And maybe everybody should have more milk and cookie breaks, too.  I'm all in favor of pleasure and contentment.  Oreos work for some people; oatmeal cookies work best for me.