by Terry O'Neal-Cox MD

Created on: March 14, 2009

So often have we heard "there are two sides to everything", "every coin has two sides", yin and yang, right and wrong, left and right, etc, etc? Even in the halls of justice, there is "yes" or "no" and rarely, if ever, an in-between. I have had the feeling that, for a long time now, that dogma, with its obvious truth, is inherently fallacious and it is the fertile ground of extremism. And extremism, in any form, is dangerous. We are witnessing this in religion, no-sectarian, and sectarian politics.

Take for example, how we view the "extremists" in the ranks of Al-Quaeda, the Taliban, Hezbollah, and Hamas. We frown on the behavior of these groups, and deplore their actions, branded as terrorism. Here in the United States we, too, are breeding political extremism. Yes, I think it is terrible to think of any American taking on the appearance of the very evil we fight against so fervently. But just when we thought we had the KKK, racist skinheads, white supremacists, and the quota system under control, Rush Limbaugh is cultivating extremism in the form of political conservatism.

Mr. Limbaugh has capitalized on his medium to create a following of like minded individuals. They are like the sleeper cells that have been awaken. Rush is obviously speaking from his heart, and that's the scary part. If he claims to be such a true American, how can he hope for failure for America? Regardless of political party affiliation, should he not put Country first? During his CPAC speech, Rush's followers laughed and applauded when he indicated that he was higher than God; and that God was pretending to be Limbaugh. I wonder how the religious right wingers (extremists) took that. While the presence of his intellect is questionable, the absence of his common sense is definite.

I believe in free speech; I also believe in free thought. I believe that if Rush Limbaugh could apply common sense and thinks before he speaks, he would actually do better for his followers, and America. Constructive criticism, in my opinion, is welcome and always better, and more admired, than destructive or vindictive criticism. Too bad we do not have rehab for extremism, Rush, would be a prime candidate, with Ann Coulter, Nancy Pelosi, and Al Sharpton playing the supporting role.

The campaign for President is over, for now, and a President has been elected. There will be party politics as usual on Capital Hill, unfortunately, but there should be no room for Rush's political extremism. Limbaugh and his followers are not good for the Republican Party; nor are they good for America. Look at what Al-Quaeda did for Islam and the Muslims.

The leaders of the Republican Party need to, forcefully, distance themselves from Limbaugh and his crowd. The party should learn from John McCain's mistake, when he used Palin just to capture the female vote. Remember, smart men learn from their own mistakes, and wise men learn from the mistakes of others.

Maybe Rush is a plant by the Democrats.

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