In Memory of Rush
Rush was larger than life! The sound of his voice was energizing, commanding, full of life and always upbeat! His broadcast theme was uniquely bold, most fitting for his nature and phenomenal talent!
I started listening to Rush in 1988, the year my third and last child was born. My daughter was a "Rush Baby". I would listen to Rush and she'd be in her baby swing. I was an avid listener of talk radio for a few years by then. I had been working on my Masters Degree at the time and during my commute I would catch up on the local and national news of the day. The late 80's, early 90's and early 2000's were plagued with their own set of social, economic and foreign policy problems and talk radio provided a venue for news, analysis and dialogue.
Some of the well known radio hosts of that time were; Bob Grant, Curtiss Sliwa, Geraldo Rivera, Ron Kuby. Less known were Mike Gallagher, Steve Malzburg and others. Talk radio was fast becoming a preferred medium for 24/7 news, commentary and provocative conversation. I was the perfect demographic to receive information this way and listened every opportunity I had. Being a mother with 3 young children, attending school, commuting at least 2 days a week and maintaining a household, I could have my news on the go in the car and at home.
I guess you could call me a news junkie. I wanted to be informed on all main events, topics and persons making the news as well as analysis and commentary from the greatest minds of our time! Rush Limbaugh was that mind for our time. He was the "voice of reason". He voiced our thoughts, elevated our concerns and expressed our sentiments with candor and love. He was true to himself, unyielding in his beliefs and not the least bit apologetic or pampering to his detractors. I and millions of others loved him for that. His words reflected his love of country and in a roundabout way his love for his audience. You might say he was a lot like President Trump in that way. I saw many similarities to President Trump.
He was of the same generation as Donald Trump, both products of the greatest generation and beneficiaries of American ingenuity, productivity and prosperity. They embodied the values passed down through the generations that promoted individualism, hard work, responsibility and love of God and Country. They worked tirelessly at developing the skills and expertise that brought them extraordinary success in their fields and propelled them to the pinnacle of success, Rush to "King" of Talk Radio and Donald Trump to the highest office in the land, President of the United States of America!
It's no coincidence that Rush rose to prominence when he did. His voice was a clarion call to those in congress to stand their ground in support of preserving American values and culture. Counter culture was gaining a strong hold in the late 80's. The Clinton years gave rise to sexual promiscuity as displayed in the White House, the nuclear family was under assault, schools were becoming indoctrination centers promoting socialism undermining parents' control and the list goes on. Rush was there challenging these forces for 30 plus years carrying the banner for America, its timeless principles and exceptionalism.
The breakdown of American culture was underway and intentionally accelerated during the 8 years of the Obama administration. Patriots responded to the threats and violations of our freedoms, giving rise to the Tea Party movement. Rush of course, a patriot, supported the movement, encouraging citizen action and promoting the Tea Party's objectives. We could always count on Rush for wisdom, honest advice and encouragement in the face of ridicule and opposition. There were others who used their influence to advance liberty, but none could compete with the intensity and longevity of Rush Limbaugh!
His legacy will be a constant reminder of the strength of conservative thought, the power of individualism and man's desire to remain free, unlimited and bold in his quest for achievement as intended by our Creator!
Rush will live on in the hearts and souls of us who love him! He will be missed dearly and loved forever!!
There are so many wonderful memories of Rush's broadcasts but I was moved as Rush was when he listened to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" on April 16, 2008 at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House. I want to share it with you. It was played again March 4, 2021 by guest host, Ken Matthews. I believe it captures the essence of Rush!
Here are Rush's words describing his emotion upon hearing this famous hymn honoring God and Country.
Ladies and gentlemen, before we get into the political news of the day, I want to play for you something that happened this morning on the White House lawn: The largest welcoming ceremony ever in the history of the White House for Pope Benedict XVI. We have audio sound bites of the president’s greeting to the pope and the pope’s response.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic was sung by the U.S. Army Chorus, and you have to hear this, particularly if you haven’t had a chance to have your TV on today or your radio, and you didn’t hear this. You have to hear it and you have to imagine a crystal-blue sky, a crisp day in Washington, the pope and the president on the reviewing stand with others, the camera occasionally focusing on the U.S. Army Chorus.
You realize, this is at the White House, and a song written in tribute to God is being played at the White House. In this country there has been such an effort — and it has been way too successful — to remove God from anything public. Not only was God present, but the largest White House welcoming ceremony ever participated in a ceremony thanking God and respecting God and offering up a tribute to God, and you just have to hear this. It runs about 4:47. It’s infectious, so well done. The U.S. Army Chorus, The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Please listen and enjoy as Rush would have wanted you to.
You can find this rendition at Rush Limbaugh.com under videos if you are a subscriber or at youtube.com,titled, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, at Trump Inaugural Fireworks.
