Pubdate: Wed, 19 Nov 2003
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Copyright: 2003 Chicago Tribune Company
Contact:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/82
Author: Clarence Page.
Note: Clarence Page is a member of the Tribune's editorial board

CALL FOR TREATMENT INSTEAD OF JAIL

Back On The Air After Fessing Up To His Addiction To OxyContin, Limbaugh 
Could Be The Voice For Drug Reform

WASHINGTON -- Rush Limbaugh is back on the air after five weeks of drug 
rehabilitation, although experts say it could be weeks before Ol' Rushbo 
recovers his full sense of self-importance.

His return sermon bombarded listeners with fusillades of what sounded a lot 
like humility, evidence that his rehabilitative treatment had broken down 
his defenses, cracked through his sense of denial and gotten him in touch 
with his feelings, as well as his audience.

It took at least a half hour before his voice could de-mellow enough to 
take a New-Age-sounding shot at "lib-brools":

". . . The attempt to manipulate lib-brools into changing who they are and 
becoming nice guys, and liking us is always going to fail because it's not 
our job to make them like us," he opined. "It's their job to like 
themselves. And the problem with lib-brools is, they don't like themselves 
. . . They're denying who they really are."

Heavy, man. Fans may be reassured that Limbaugh understands his fan base. 
Detox has only given him a new vocabulary for his old act, which always has 
offered therapeutic value to those who yearn to feel good without being 
forced to think about things too much.

Conservative talk shows dominate radio chatter these days, partly by the 
preaching of an attractively oversimplified view of the world. In that 
world, nice, rich guys like Limbaugh are not supposed to be drug abusers on 
the sly. Such awful horrors are supposed to be limited to those "other 
people," the ones who don't listen to conservative talk shows.

Such were the sentiments of the Old Rush, the Limbaugh who told listeners 
in October 1995, that violators of drug laws "ought to be sent up."

Statistics that show blacks go to prison far more often than whites for the 
same drug offenses only show that "too many whites are getting away with 
drug use," the Old Rush said. His remedy? "Go out and find the ones [white 
people] who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the 
river too."

A newer Limbaugh surfaced in March 1998. The New Rush advocated 
legalization and regulation of addictive drugs the way we regulate 
cigarettes and alcohol. "Make them taxpayers and then sue them," he said of 
the drug lords. "Sue them left and right and then get control of the price 
and generate tax revenue from it. Raise the price sky-high and fund all 
sorts of other wonderful social programs."

Then the New Rush went into an odd radio silence on the subject of drugs, 
according to his critics and drug groups who have monitored him. His shift 
of views and subsequent silence appeared to coincide with the beginnings of 
the Old Rush's now-revealed addiction.

On his return show, he offered that long silence as evidence that he was 
not a hypocrite on the subject of locking up drug abusers. "I was honest 
with you throughout the whole time," he told his listeners. "I was not as 
honest with myself."

Fair enough. Pundits reserve the right to avoid taking positions on 
subjects in which they have a conflict of interest.

But now that Limbaugh has come out of the closet as a non-violent drug 
abuser, I cannot help but imagine how effective his powerful voice might 
sound on behalf of other non-violent drug abusers who could benefit from 
treatment instead of incarceration.

This issue transcends political parties. He could make a very good 
conservative argument.

"My friends," he might say, "It's time for us to stop wasting our tax 
dollars on prison for first-time, non-violent drug offenders.

"I'm talking about people who haven't robbed anybody or held up any liquor 
stores or hurt anybody but themselves trying to feed their drug addictions.

"These people could benefit from drug treatment, my friends. Believe me, I 
know. Many of you know it, too, my friends.

"And you don't have to be a lib-brool to believe it. In the past few years, 
states like Texas, Kansas, Arizona, California and Hawaii have passed law 
that mandate treatment instead of incarceration for first-time drug 
offenders. Those aren't all lib-brool states, my friends. They're states 
with good hard-working taxpayers who want to keep what they earn, not throw 
it away on more prisons when rehab can do the job for a lot less money, 
pain and heartache.

"This is serious, my friends. We need to stop the madness. Write your 
senators and congressmen and governors--especially if you happen to live in 
Florida, the state where my own difficulties are still under consideration 
by some fine, upstanding officers of the law.

"Florida Gov. Jeb Bush opposed efforts to send first-time abusers to rehab 
instead of jail. Please let Gov. Bush know how happy you are that drug 
treatment worked so well for his daughter, Noelle, last year.

"Remember, friends, charity begins at home, then spreads to others--like me!"
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman