Beyond the Imaginary Wiles

The Comedy of Errors, Act 4, Scene 3

William Shakespeare

ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE

There’s not a man I meet but doth salute me
As if I were their well-acquainted friend,
And every one doth call me by my name.
Some tender money to me; some invite me;
Some other give me thanks for kindnesses;
Some offer me commodities to buy.
Even now a tailor called me in his shop
And showed me silks that he had bought for me,
And therewithal took measure of my body.
Sure, these are but imaginary wiles,
And lapland sorcerers inhabit here.

If you’re not a leftist or socialist before you’re 25, you have no heart; if you are one after 25 you have no head!

My journey toward right thinking began early enough but perhaps a little too late. I began to better own my responsibilities as a convert after I returned from graduate school in my late twenties and confronted many blessed events that pointed me in the right direction. Among the sure compasses I encountered was a then television host whose program was by television standards simple, plain, very un-Hollywood. That is not to say it was boring. Far from it! Had I encountered said talk show host a decade earlier I would have dismissed him posthaste. His narrative was commonsensical, and after a decade of a thorough immersion in academia, a massive inoculation of commonsense is what I needed. At first many things he said grated my leftist skin. A modern chivalry saturated his narrative, and as I tuned-in show and after show I came to the realization that though he often spoke in a brash manner, or so it seemed to me at the time, his confidence in the facts, dedication to fairness and inalienable rights were more caring and right for human beings than most if not all of the empty-headed noise espoused by the leftwing idols to whom I had formerly pledged allegiance.

Said talk show host was generous with his considerable wealth. In 2007, for example, he ranked "fourth on the Most Generous Celebrities List by donating $4.2 million, or approximately 13% of the $33 million (he earned that year) to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity that helps support the children of Marines or federal law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty (Forbes)." He struggled with addiction, which he confronted and overcame. He was not a perfect man; nor am I. I am still on my way to the Promised Land and there is much subtle vice to unlearn and much truth and charity to learn and fully embrace.

That man who frequently began segments of his radio talk show - arguably the most popular radio talk show in the history of radio - with the phrase "talent on loan from God" helped me identify the falsity of a common and pernicious ideology. He was part of a chorus of voices that helped me see those imaginary wiles and the sorcerers for who and what they were/are. Am I lauding here Pope Saint John Paul II? Pope Benedict XVI? They were at the front of that chorus, but neither is the person about whom I am speaking. The man who could have carried the entire chorus by himself - and who in America emboldened many citizens marginalized by destructive politics and social policies - was Rush Hudson Limbaugh III. He died today.

Long time listeners also know that Limbaugh was as much a fan of Pope Saint John Paul II as he was of Ronald Reagan. Papa Wojtyła and President Reagan, together, emboldened a people to tear down that Wall of shame, tyranny and death. They offered a world wearied by a soul-destroying ideology a way past fear, a message of liberation for a people who languished under an ideology too many today want to revisit and enact upon the world. Mr. Limbaugh provided a perspective that many still need to hear. One is not required to agree with everything the man said. Then again, there is little with which to disagree if one shares with Rush a love of truth, freedom, history and neighbour.

Anyone who has listened to Limbaugh's show for the past year could confirm his dedication to his listeners and his relentless passion for everyone to have the same opportunities he had in a country he loved. In the midst of intense therapy to combat cancer this past year, he continued to host the show, taking time off occasionally when the treatments took their toll.

Undoubtedly, his detractors will weigh in, barely concealing their contempt behind their attempts to retain control over the narrative, a control Rush so effectively dismantled. His adversaries, habitually lacking any real argument, routinely resorted to the lowest form of ad hominem. Limbaugh was above the whining and malice lobbed at him by smallminded schoolyard bullies - politicians, academics and celebrities. His parodying of his opponents' attacks could be withering.

Much more can and will be said by those who knew him best. Rush carried the torch of freedom. In many ways Rush had been preparing for a transfer of leadership. His lieutenants, his co-hosts, have done well to bear that same torch made brighter under his leadership. He promoted them among the ranks to find their own voices. Now the world needs those lieutenants to become generals in the culture war and to lead others where they themselves have been led.

May God have mercy upon his soul. R.I.P. May flights of angels lead him home. Peace and consolation to his wife, family and coworkers.