Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Last year when places like Joplin Missouri were destroyed by tornado, President Obama was off in his ancestral Ireland enjoying a pint o’ beer. Polemicist Laura Ingraham espoused her view that the nation would be better served by the President were he here.
For that rather gentle criticism, leftist MSNBC TV host Ed Shultz called Laura a “slut.” Twice. Sandra Fluke didn’t complain about it once. I don’t recall days on end of TV coverage about it either, nor do I recall every politician being asked if he or she agreed with Ed.
President Obama has called Sandra Fluke, for what purpose I don’t know, but he showed no such purpose toward Laura Ingraham, as she tweeted today that she still awaits the President’s call.
I’ll make an interesting note, and then leave it at that: The topic Ed Shultz was commenting on had nothing to do with sex. Accordingly, he was just being downright mean in the worst possible way when he called Laura a slut. Rush’s comment at least had context. The insulting slang word (whether you agree or not) for a woman who has sex outside of marriage is slut. Fluke was commenting favorably about sex outside of marriage. Calling her a slut comes down to matters of both applicability and taste. Context in relation to the topic is beyond refutation.
Let me say this about Ed Shultz – I remember his public apology to Laura and it was one of the best I had ever heard. It was impressive.
Now, I’ll admit to being a pushover for apologies. While I’m no perfect Christian, I take the title a bit more seriously than it appears Sandra Fluke does. I hold, and we’ve had this conversation on Ricochet before, that forgiveness is OWED. After a person admits fault, expresses an intention not to do it again, does a penance and asks for forgiveness, forgiveness becomes an obligation of the Christian victim, not a prerogative.
Granted, the more serious the offense the more understandable it is for one to withhold forgiveness. Were someone to murder my child I would find it hard to forgive even if the murderer deserved it. But name calling? As a Christian you will find yourself in the position to forgive for that quite often, and to withhold forgiveness is not following the path that Jesus has shown us. At least that’s what we say every Sunday in Church when reciting the Lord’s prayer - you know that part that asks of the Lord “…and forgive us our trespasses, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US” [emphasis supplied]. I presume there to be a Christian obligation to live that, not just recite it.
After Ed Shultz apologized, Laura Ingraham very quickly accepted. A Good Christian Belle, that Laura. There is a warm and sublime feeling that comes when letting a transgressor off the hook, and I bet Laura felt it.
Rush Limbaugh has publicly apologized to Sandra Fluke at least twice by my count. Yet I saw the soon to be barrister on television today stating that she won’t forgive Rush, even if he personally contacted her in private. She has completely forsaken this Christian obligation of forgiveness as publicly as she has forsaken the Catholic values against abortion, pre-marital sex and contraception held by the Catholic University with which she has affiliated herself. Hey I’m not judging her. Even one of the 12 Apostles ended up confused about his commitment to Christ.
I read her Congressional testimony. While at one point Fluke discusses birth control pills as medication for ovarian cysts, she makes quite clear she was chiefly testifying before Congress on behalf of women who wish to have sex with men they don’t want to have babies with, nor pay out of pocket for that selfish hobby. There are words to describe those women. Which one you politely choose, be it pro or con, does not change the nature of their behavior.
Sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt Laura Ingraham. Apparently words so deeply scar Sandra Fluke she is willing to throw away the Christian joy of forgiveness to retain the Devil's burn of hatred.
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Dec '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Fluke demonstrates yet another difference between us and them.
Mar '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Tommy De Seno
President Obama has called Sandra Fluke, for what purpose I don’t know,
To rise morally above Mr Limbaugh, thereby silencing him? Just a wild guess.
So far, Mr Obama is running rings around the Republicans, who seem to have no idea what is going on. He is no Jimmy Carter.
Mr Limbaugh needs to start using the other half of his brain, just to make it fair.
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 1:37amNov '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
I believe the context of Rush's slut comment was not Fluke and sex, but Fluke and $3,000 per year of sex. That's some context.
RHJ King
Edit: was wrong; $3,000 over length of time to get law degree.
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 3:21amDec '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
If she forgives Rush, that's the end of her talk show career. Why let virtue get in the way of opportunism?
Dec '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
RHJ King: I believe the context of Rush's slut comment was not Fluke and sex, but Fluke and $3,000 per year of sex. That's some context.
RHJ King · 22 minutes ago
Be fair: it was $3,000 for three years.
Still, I am not sure what method she had in mind that involved an outlay of $83 a month. We're told generic oral contraceptives go for $9 a month at the discount chains. Barrier methods, including spermicidal jelly, are around $1 to $1.50 a use, and of course there are lots of agencies (public and private) that furnish condoms for free.
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Tommy De Seno
The insulting slang word (whether you agree or not) for a woman who has sex outside of marriage is slut.
Really??? That's not my experience of how it's used. Wikipedia -- citing Merriam-Webster -- notes: "The accepted denotative meaning is a sexually promiscuous woman."
To a very large number of Americans, having sex with one's "steady" boyfriend or girlfriend does not qualify -- not by a long shot -- as "promiscuous."
Unfortunately, I don't think this is quite just a quibble. A long time ago a wise (and conservative) professor of mine said -- in pre-Reagan days -- "An awful lot of otherwise sensible people think conservatives are just preppies who are against sex."
A lot of people on our side still give the impression that the only sex the're not "against" is that between a man and woman in marriage. This puts a vary large number of Americans -- almost surely a majority -- in the "against" camp. The majority of these, I'd wager, are not promiscuous. By lumping all sexually active non-married people together -- whether one calls them sluts or merely tsk-tsks moral disapproval -- conservatives do their cause no favors electorally.
Dec '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Ms. Fluke doesn't strike me as a Christian. She strikes me as the same type of person as the female Vice Presidential candidate in the movie The Contender:
May '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
I don't agree that forgiveness is owed. Justice is owed. Forgiveness is an undeserved gift.
Feb '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
So what is the proper and acceptable term for someone who expects to be financially subsidized for the ability to have sex?
May '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
How about "a Fluker"...?
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Democrat. Or in polite circles, Progressive.
Oct '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
It is time to revisit the Dolly Parton musical about a place in.... ?
Congress ?
Dec '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Tommy,
I appreciate your sincere feelings on the subject of apology and foregiveness. I hold the same beliefs that you do.
[redacted for Code of Conduct]
Rush isn't in their way! Gd and Morality proper is in their way. We must see the situation for what it is. We must not assume that these creatures will repent but for Gd proper making a visit to them.
This may happen. Stay Tuned.
Regards,
Jim
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 3:02amApr '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
I believe my favorite Ricochet acceptable term is jade. I believe that term is more often applied to women in the circumstance of a White House intern in a Democratic administration than Ms. Fluke however.
Feb '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
We don’t know that Sandra Fluke didn’t complain about Schultz’s comments. She wasn’t a public figure at the time. If she was paying attention to the news at that point, she may very well have complained to her friends, or criticized Schultz. Or she might have cheered him on (but I’d bet against it.) It’s silly to pretend like this is relevant.
And you’re very wrong about forgiveness. Something that is owed to me is something I can demand. But I cannot demand forgiveness. That is a contradiction.
A bit more. These words of yours:
It is very difficult to read these words as an expression of Christian charity. Now, there’s a point to be made, a kernel of truth in them which could be broken open and spoken in love. If it were, it would probably be spoken in the second, rather than in the third person. And it would probably have an altogether different tone.
Finally: The Schultz affair is irrelevant. Let it go.
Aug '10
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Re: comment #6Yes. It's suddenly clear to me why it's best we don't use on Ricochet the word Mr. Lambaugh used. (Ms Berlinski, If you're reading this: none of us should have disagreed with you about insisting we not use this word. You are so very, very right.)
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 3:39amApr '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
The Schultz affair was used for comparison purposes. While conservatives are being flogged mercilessly for Rush's poor choice of words, Ed Schultz's similar transgression was barely a blip on the radar. It is exhausting to constantly be held to a different set of standards than the opposition. Conservatives must act with perfect decorum at all times. One step out of line and the media creates a frenzy. And while we are being whipped into hysteria over a naughty word used to describe a law student who wants free birth control, the main stream media does not seem all that concerned that the price of gas is sky rocketing, Iran is rattling the nuclear saber, Americans are being killed in Afghanistan because a book was burned, the TSA is groping law abiding Americans on a daily basis, American guns were put into the hands of foreign criminals which resulted in scores of murders, recess appointments were made while congress was NOT in recess, billions were given to "green" energy companies which then went belly up.....I could go on, but like I said, exhausting.
Apr '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
One more thing... the bait and switch pulled by the Dems with the help of the corrupt media was nothing less than brilliant. While we are all arguing about Rush, and Ed Schultz, and whether a coed who wants free birth control is a *#%@ or not, the constitution was once again trampled upon. Not only has religious liberty taken a body blow, but it is insane that we have allowed the government to force us to buy insurance, then tell us what the insurance must cover, then tell private companies that they must provide that coverage for free. When I take the time to write it all down I am amazed anew.
Feb '12
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
If having $1000 worth of sex a year as a single woman doesn't make you a slut, what does?
She goes on national TV promoting promiscuity and her mother is concerned about what Limbaugh said?
She openly supports such behavior and gets a call from Obama.
I have had only one sex partner my whole life (my husband) and I am called a tea bagger.
I am also called a racist because I support voter ID. I am called a wingnut because I believe in freedom rather than dependency. I am called a homophobe because I believe in the sanctity of marriage as the foundation to civil society.
Where is my phone call, President Obama?
Mar '11
Re: Whatever Sandra Fluke Is, She’s No Laura Ingraham
Elizabeth Herring:
Where is my phone call, President Obama?
Never fear, Elizabeth - if it helps Mr Obama's re-election you will receive a call.
If not, tough.