17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
Proverbs 12:17-19
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
I started to get interested in politics when I was a teenager. I’d already covered the first Gulf War for a project in school when I was 10 or 11. I remember the yellow ribbons around the trees, and the outpouring of support for the troops from my family and pretty much every adult I knew at the time. My upbringing by two hard working and loving parents in addition to the days events contributed to a frame of thought that didn’t quite mesh with my peers.
I got my first job when I was 13. It was a summer job out in Brewster, NY. At the office where my father worked in IT, I was doing data entry, fixing fax machines, generally being an office gopher. Every day we’d sit in his old Chrysler and drive the 90 minutes there and back, and part of the drive included listening to the Rush Limbaugh show. It was something that brought us together – a shared mind and many shared hours discussing politics.
Honestly, I cut my teeth on Conservative talk radio in the early 90’s. Bob Grant, Rush Limbaugh, Paul Harvey, maybe a few others stuck out but I can’t recall their names. They didn’t shape my thinking, but what they did accomplish was a reinforcement of how I was raised, the values my parents instilled in me – and an idea of what the truth was and how that truth tended to come off as almost… backwards to those around me.
I’ve listened to Rush for nearly 30 years now. Throughout the years he helped to keep my political path straight, well before I handed over my life to Christ. There’s a reason that so many folks who listened to his show over the years – whether they agree with his opinions or not – will keep him in their thoughts. He was a man who fully embraced his God given talent of communication, and he did it well!
Spending time with my Dad and talking politics was one of our things. That I basically grew up listening to Limbaugh with my Dad is why his fight against and eventual succumbing to cancer had such a strong effect on me as a person. Through all his public and personal battles, his fans stuck with him and greatly appreciated the perspective he offered. He’ll be missed by millions of listeners, and I can only imagine the conversations he is having right now.
God bless you and your family Rush, you will be missed.
