During the State of the Union speech Tuesday night, Trump
presented conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal
of Freedom.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest
civilian award in the U.S. It recognizes those individuals who have made “an
especially meritorious
contribution to the security or national interests of the United States,
world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
Other honorees in the past: Mother Teresa, “a heroine of our
times,” and Rosa Parks, “a living icon for freedom in America.” Elie Wiesel
kept “watch against the forces of hatred,” while Jackie Robinson “struck a
mighty blow for equality, freedom, and the American way of life.”
Limbaugh is a polarizing figure who has insisted it was
unfair to blame white Americans for slavery, blamed gay marriage for the
decline of Christianity, and attempted to slut-shame a woman seeking coverage
for contraception
Limbaugh has made numerous derogatory comments about
minority groups as well as offensive comments about AIDS and the LGBTQ
community, suicide and many other sensitive topics and marginalized
communities.
Critics pointed to the time Limbaugh — a divisive media
figure who has been accused of racist and sexist remarks — called a college student
a “slut” and a “prostitute” because of her support of women’s access to birth
control. And when he promoted the debunked birther claim that former President
Barack Obama was not born in the United States. And when he questioned why
Native Americans would be upset about their forced removal and ethnic cleansing
since “they all have casinos.” And when he compared asylum-seekers coming to
the U.S. border to the invasion of Normandy. And when he said that actor
Michael J. Fox was faking the symptoms of his Parkinson’s disease.
“Meritorious
contributions”?
No comments:
Post a Comment