In recent weeks, there has been controversy over comments made by the nationally syndicated radio show host, Rush Limbaugh over remarks he made about Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student who went to testify before an all male panel on Capitol Hill – a hearing she was initially denied, to discuss whether President Obama had hurt religious freedoms by a recent mandate that health insurance companies cover contraception.  Limbaugh in his diatribe; characterized Ms. Fluke as a slut and prostitute who wanted taxpayers to pay for women’s use of birth control and to have sex. 

As a result of his comments, Limbaugh has caused a national debate over women’s rights to proper health care and the use of birth control and whether employers should allow insurance companies to pay for women’s contraception.   Let’s be fair, this debate started long before Limbaugh’s comments.  In actuality, it can be said that his comments were a reaction to a long running debate the GOP and its nominees running for president have used as their domestic platform; everything from the defunding of Planned Parenthood to the birth control debate being about religious freedoms and the separation of church and state.  Evidence of this can be referred back to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill where representatives from the Catholic church spoke on “Lines Crossed:  Separation of Church and State”, February 16, 2012 (Carolyn Kaster – AP). 

Since the beginning of time, society has taught us to conform to certain ritualistic ideals.  Examples of this can be found in a cultural sense; the distinction of how boys are raised differently than girls, a religious sense; how we are brought up to believe from our parents in a higher power other than ourselves, a historical sense; the celebration of honoring those who made contributions / sacrifices in making the world a better place to live, whether it’s serving in the military, the civil rights era, or the discovery of the moon.  Another example of how society has taught us to conform to certain ritualistic ideals would be in our schools.  Such is the case with the reciting of “The Pledge of Allegiance”.  Without knowing exactly the first time I learned those words or what they meant for that matter, I do remember being in grade school, standing at my desk with my hand over my heart, looking towards the flag, and reciting the words.  How, where, and who taught me the pledge, I honestly can’t answer; however I remember feeling like it was almost a rite of passage in reciting them.