RUSH: You’ll remember — What was it? — about a month ago we had a call from a young college student in Michigan who described her political science class as Communism 101. We had a real long discussion. <a target=new href=”/home/daily/site_040706/content/katie_gets_advice_for_communism_class.guest.html”>(transcript and audio)</a> Her name is Katie and she’s back. Katie, welcome, great to have us with us.
CALLER: Hi, Mr. Limbaugh.
RUSH: Hi. Now, first Katie, I have to set people up and remind them who you are if they didn’t hear your first call. You called in; you talked about the assignments you were given in class, the kinds of things you were doing, and we had a little discussion of what capitalism is, because capitalism was being criticized in your class, and so forth, and you wanted some background.
CALLER: Right. Yeah.
RUSH: You wanted some ammo to be able to deal with it. So what’s happened since then?
CALLER: Well, since I called in, tons of people heard it. Tons of people heard the call. So now I have my own little fan club, I guess. But also I guess my professor of the class got a lot of trouble from it.
RUSH: Wait, wait, wait. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just a second on that.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: Did we identify your college?
CALLER: Yes, we did.
RUSH: Okay, but we didn’t identify the professor’s name?
CALLER: No, we didn’t.
RUSH: Okay. So he must be pretty well known if he was able to be identified simply by your phone call to this program. I know that there are so many professors in political science at your college.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: But it could have been any one of them, so…
CALLER: Well, I think he’s actually the only one that teaches the class, and like a lot of people from —
RUSH: Ohhhhh.
CALLER: — the College Republicans, that I’m involved with, they told him. I’m not really sure how his bosses found out.
RUSH: What kind of heat did he get?
CALLER: I’m not exactly sure. I just know that from his superiors he had some problems. I don’t know to what extent.
RUSH: You are kidding?
CALLER: No, because I think —
RUSH: Members of the college administration actually gave the professor heat?
CALLER: I’m not sure exactly who. Like he just said his “superiors.” So I don’t know. I was shocked, because I think the problem was, they were afraid he was teaching his own beliefs in the class, and that I was getting looked down upon, getting in trouble for having my different views, which is not the case at all. So I don’t know if I came across that way on the show, which I don’t think I did, and everyone that heard me —
RUSH: You didn’t. Now, don’t, Katie… Katie, let me tell you something. How old are you again? You’re 20?
CALLER: I’m 20.
RUSH: You’re 20. I’m going to try to give you a little lesson in life here. In fact, I’ve got a <a target=new href=”http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1817064&page=1″>story</a> on this in the stack. You’re going to have people throughout your life try to make you feel guilty and responsible for what happens to other people when you’re not.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: If you want to take on that burden feel free but it’s only going to weight you down. It’s totally unnecessary. I mean, we’ve got people trying to make you feel guilty for driving an SUV, try to make you feel guilty if you don’t pump your own gas, guilty for eating meat. I mean, they’re all over. The Guilt Police are everywhere. Don’t go down that road. I mean, what happened, happened, and you’re an adult, and the professor’s an adult.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: It was a worthwhile experience for everybody involved. Everybody involved grew except me, because I don’t have any growth room left.
CALLER: (Laughing.)
RUSH: (Laughing.) Now, did you do your paper?
CALLER: Yes. Okay, but back up just a minute. I just wanted to clear the air and say, so that everyone knows, I have nothing but the most respect for my professor. I’ve enjoyed both of the classes that I’ve taken with him greatly, and I’ll definitely be taking more of his classes, but —
RUSH: Okay, so now you’re giving us the Cynthia McKinney move.
CALLER: No. Okay. Okay.
RUSH: (Laughing.)
CALLER: So, anyway, I just wanted to, you know, do that. But I did write the paper, and I used some of your advice. So I don’t know what kind of grade I’ll get on it, but —
RUSH: Oh, you haven’t got it back yet?
CALLER: No. I turned it in on Wednesday.
RUSH: Okay. Well, I think everything about this was a good experience.
CALLER: I agree. I mean, I’ve worked in the media, and I think it’s interesting for me. I’m studying political science and broadcast journalism, and I think it’s been an interesting experience for me to see just how fast stories can spread just based on how many people heard it, and —
RUSH: Well, now, you didn’t —
CALLER: — what negativity can come out of it —
RUSH: What did you expect? Katie, did you expect nobody to hear it when you called this program?
CALLER: Well, I mean, I knew people were going to hear it. I just didn’t think so many people that know me would hear it. You know what I mean?
RUSH: Yes, I do know what you mean. You know how many people that know me hear the show every day? It stuns me.
CALLER: (Laughing.) So I don’t know, like, because a lot of people heard, you know, “Katie from Michigan.”
RUSH: Yep.
CALLER: And then they didn’t know it was me but then when, you know, like —
RUSH: Oh, but they will from now on, you are forever “Katie from Michigan.”
CALLER: I know.
RUSH: (Laughing.)
CALLER: But now, and then once people figured out, you know —
RUSH: Let me tell you something, Katie. There’s another lesson that you need to learn from this. You said you’re taking political science and broadcast journalism?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Okay. You just, in your mind, you just destroyed the professor. You got him in trouble. That’s what journalists do. Journalists go out, they destroy people. That’s how they get promoted; that’s how they get noticed. This has been such… I’ll tell you, the education experience for you here and in your classroom is unparalleled. This is fabulous for you. You have to understand this. You’ve, in one phone call to a radio talk show, you have learned the equivalent of a full semester in a class.
CALLER: You’re right, but then maybe I shouldn’t be a journalist, because I don’t want to destroy people. I just want the truth to be brought. I think that there can be a difference in journalism. I think that too many people are out to get people.
RUSH: That’s right.
CALLER: I think that we just focus on the truth. The truth will set you free.
RUSH: Okay. Then journalism needs people like you. Let me be serious with you for a moment. If that’s what you really think, journalism needs people like you but you’re going to run into problems, or challenges, because if you end up in a J school somewhere, the odds are that that’s going to be the focus.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: If you think you’re subjected to a liberal mind-set while in a political science class, then triple it or quadruple it from when you go to a journalism school.
CALLER: Well, I’m… Yeah.
RUSH: Let me ask you. Now, I gave you a complimentary subscription to my website. Did you use it?
CALLER: I really like it. I’m very happy about that. I really enjoy that.
RUSH: Good. I just wanted to make sure you are availing yourself of the educational opportunities there.
CALLER: Well, of course. I, you know, hopefully after all this I’ll be able to find a job and, you know, I think it will be kind of fun to be a political commentator, kind of like you.
RUSH: Yeah, it is fun. It is fun.
CALLER: But, I mean —
RUSH: But you can’t go around feeling guilty when people get mad at you or claim they get in trouble because of you or that their feelings are hurt. You’re going to need to toughen up, because once you start… You know, before I started this radio show, Katie, I’m going to be very serious, there’s not a person in the world who knew me who disliked me — well, hated me — and there’s not a person in the world who thought I hated anybody. I start this radio show and I start telling people what I think, and within a day I have become a racist, sexist, bigot homophobe.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: Simply because of stereotypes that attach themselves, and for the longest time I didn’t know how to deal with it because I’ve never been faced with that kind of hate. Never in my life. I’ve been made fun of for other things, but I mean to have my core existence challenged as illegitimate and dangerous, and people need to shut me up? This was all a new experience for me, and nobody prepared me for it, and if you get into punditry or commentary, that’s part of the territory.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: And you have to learn to accept that as evidence of effectiveness and success, and sometimes it’s tough to measure success by counting the number of people that you made mad every day.
CALLER: Right. Well, I mean, I’ve had my share. I thought I was pretty thick skinned but I think that’s the difference between hard-core journalism and what you do is… I mean, I have been involved. I’ve been in the news business, and I’ve, like, I ran Students for Bush during the election at my school and worked for, you know, the Bush campaign, and, I mean, of course people started hating me then. But I mean, I’ve had my share of, you know —
RUSH: Well, you just have to learn to thank God for your enemies. You’ll learn it as you go, and if you do get into that, experience will be your teacher.
CALLER: Yep.
RUSH: And you just need to learn to identify certain things as signs of success when your instincts will tell you they are not. They actually end up being… Katie, I want to thank for calling back. It’s a delight, and I applaud you for being concerned about the reputation of your teacher. If you admire the guy, and I think probably he’s, no doubt, inspired a lot of thought in you.
CALLER: Yes, he has.
RUSH: And college is supposed to be about the clash of ideas.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: And so I think this is all a great experience for you and in all candor I’m really honored and happy that you called this program and that we were able to be part of it.
CALLER: Thank you. Hopefully I’ll be able to call back in the future with more of my ideas.
RUSH: Call me anytime. I want to find out what you got on this paper. We want to know the grade, Katie.
CALLER: Oh, All right. I’ll let you know once I find out. I don’t know when that will be.
RUSH: If it’s embarrassing and you don’t want to be public with it you can let us know via the private e-mail.
CALLER: I’ll let you know because, you know what, I figure either way now I did my best on the paper. It may not be, you know, exactly everything that he wants but I did my best, and I thank God. He knows that I put a lot of thought into this class.
RUSH: Now, wait a second. That’s interesting, too.
CALLER: What?
RUSH: I’m not being critical. You said, “I don’t know if it’s everything he wants,” meaning the professor.
CALLER: Right. Oh no, here we go again.
RUSH: No, I looked at it as, “Okay, I want to get a good grade on this so what does this idiot teacher want?” That’s what I used to do.
CALLER: Okay, okay, okay. See? This is the kind of comment that’s going to get me in trouble.
RUSH: What kind of comment? Mine?
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: Oh. I’m not talking about your guy! I’m talking about like my teachers in high school.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: They were idiots. No, I’m not talking about your professor.
CALLER: Oh, all right, all right.
RUSH: I’m not calling your guy an idiot. I don’t know your guy and wouldn’t do that.
CALLER: I know. Okay.
RUSH: Since you don’t think he’s an idiot, I’m not going to call him an idiot. Please!
CALLER: Okay. All right, all right.
RUSH: I’m being personal here to relate to you. But what I wanted to ask you was, did you write this paper with the idea of giving him what he wanted for a grade, or did you write this paper to be honest about you what you thought about the question he was asking you?
CALLER: Oh, I was very honest because I — you know, it’s very hard to write a paper where you know that the teacher will not agree with anything you say. I’m not saying he’s going to mark me down for what I said. I’m just saying–
RUSH: No, he’s a great teacher. He’s going to give you a grade based on the quality of your work. We hope.
CALLER: I’m just saying that, like, you know, it’s hard to write a paper knowing, you know, it’s easier to write a paper if you know at least the professor will understand where you’re coming from, you know, just because everyone has personal opinions, so —
RUSH: I understand that, and sometimes in school today personal opinions in the wrong class get you graded down.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: Well, look, best of luck to you. Stay in touch with us, okay?
CALLER: Great. Thank you again.
RUSH: And don’t fall prey for this temptation to feel guilty about things.
CALLER: Okay. Well, I’ll try my best not to.
RUSH: You do that.
CALLER: Maybe I’m just not cut out to be a journalist.
RUSH: Well, you’re just 20. You’ve got a lot of time to figure out what you want to do, but keep your mind active. You know what? It’s great you have goals but don’t have them being too restrictive. I mean, keep yourself available to pursue any option or desire that comes up and you’ll eventually, you know, you’ll find your passion, and you’ll zero in on it, and then your life will begin.
CALLER: Very true. I thank you for that advice. My ultimate goal is to be the press secretary at the White House, so we’ll see if that ever happens, and it will, I think.
RUSH: (Laughing.) Okay. I’ll keep an eye on you for that one.
CALLER: All right, thank you.
RUSH: You gotta realize if you’re working for a Republican president, they’re going to hate you — not personally but you’re the closest they’re going to get to the president.
CALLER: But, see, but see, I’m already in training for that right now, you know, coming on your show. So I’ll be prepared.
RUSH: I think that’s right. You’ve had a great educational experience here. Katie, I have to run. I’m a little bit long but it’s great to hear from you.
CALLER: All right.
RUSH: Okay. We’ll be back, folks, in just a second. That’s Katie from Michigan, now immortalized as a young college student appearing on this program.
END TRANSCRIPT
Listen to and Read the Transcript of Katie’s Original Call…
<a target=new href=”/home/daily/site_040706/content/katie_gets_advice_for_communism_class.guest.html”>(The Limbaugh Institute: Katie Gets Advice for Communism Class)</a>
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