Rush Limbaugh vs. Human Rights

I cried this past weekend for the first time reading the news in roughly two years. The tears were of frustration, resentment, anger and shock. Rush Limbaugh, who is a radio talk show host and FOX News regular, responded to President Obama's action of sending 100 special force troops to Uganda and surrounding nations to help advise and aid the hunt for Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Limbaugh is of the belief that the LRA is a Christian movement and thus Obama is sending troops to "take out and kill" Christians. Also, this means that Obama is supporting the Muslims of Sudan who the LRA are fighting [all inaccurate by the way]. Some of what Limbaugh had to say is below (before taking callers):

"Now, up until today, most Americans have never heard of the combat Lord’s Resistance Army. And here we are at war with them. Have you ever heard of Lord’s Resistance Army, Dawn? How about you, Brian? Snerdley, have you? You never heard of Lord’s Resistance Army? Well, proves my contention, most Americans have never heard of it, and here we are at war with them. Lord’s Resistance Army are Christians. It means God. I was only kidding. Lord’s Resistance Army are Christians. They are fighting the Muslims in Sudan. And Obama has sent troops, United States troops to remove them from the battlefield, which means kill them. That’s what the lingo means, “to help regional forces remove from the battlefield,” meaning capture or kill. [...]

Lord’s Resistance Army objectives. I have them here. “To remove dictatorship and stop the oppression of our people.” Now, again Lord’s Resistance Army is who Obama sent troops to help nations wipe out. The objectives of the Lord’s Resistance Army, what they’re trying to accomplish with their military action in these countries is the following: “To remove dictatorship and stop the oppression of our people; to fight for the immediate restoration of the competitive multiparty democracy in Uganda; to see an end to gross violation of human rights and dignity of Ugandans; to ensure the restoration of peace and security in Uganda, to ensure unity, sovereignty, and economic prosperity beneficial to all Ugandans, and to bring to an end the repressive policy of deliberate marginalization of groups of people who may not agree with the LRA ideology.” Those are the objectives of the group that we are fighting, or who are being fought and we are joining in the effort to remove them from the battlefield."*

I see many flaws in his broadcast and here are but a few:

1. Obama is funding the death and capture of a Christian Movement: The LRA has base in Christianity, that is a true fact, but it is also based in mysticism. Kony believes himself to be a spirit medium after following the guidance of Alice Lakwena. Lakwena started the Holy Spirit Movement which once Kony defeated Lakwena he changed the name to the LRA. Lakwena was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and became a self-proclaimed profit. She believed that the Holy Spirit was within her and God would help the Acholi people defeat the unrighteous government of the President Musevini through the means of a bush war. Lakwena distanced herself from Kony because she believed that the Holy Spirit does not warrant killing civilians or prisoners of war. Once Kony took over the Holy Spirit Movement and changed the name to the LRA he used the spirits that possessed him to guide him on his path of furthering Acholi rights and casting out witchcraft and spiritualism to take power of Uganda. It is difficult to understand the complete ideology of the LRA because it is hard to tell if they want political power or to terrorize and brutalize civilian populations for their own personal gain. Kony and the LRA claim to follow the Ten Commandments because they believe it is the law that governs all people on Earth. That being said Kony has been quoted saying that due to the laws in the Ten Commandments nobody will accept people who steal, nobody could accept to and take someone else's wife and nobody can accept to innocently kill. All of these acts that are found illegal by the Ten Commandments are acts that Kony and the LRA have successfully completed in the twenty years of genocide they waged in Uganda. How is that Christian?

P.S. - the LRA isn't fighting 'the Muslims' as Limbaugh said. The are terrorizing the Central African Republic right now and Kony is said to be hiding on the Congo/South Sudan border.

2. Limbaugh is supporting the LRA's objectives: Limbaugh is supporting the objectives and doctrine of the LRA without knowing how it is implemented. Throughout history there has been doctrines and theories that sounds great in the first place, but in actuality either do not work or are not good for society. Look at communism, great in theory, but because it is manipulated by man it turns into an oppressive government force. It seems like Limbaugh is trying to justify that the ideas of the LRA are positive just by their doctrine and it seems like a cyclical debate similar to whether the topics covered in The Prince are immoral or not. Everything in paper form is for interpretation and if Limbaugh is interpreting the doctrine of the LRA on paper then he is entitled to his own opinion. However, it is an opinion - not fact. When you look at how the LRA upholds and carries out their doctrine it is an appalling feat of brutality and callousness. Why would the International Criminal Courts have a warrant for Kony's arrest since 2007 if his doctrine was moralistic?

3. Limbaugh doesn't even know the basic facts about the LRA: Limbaugh did not and does not know the atrocities that Kony has caused around Central Africa til the end of the show. Upon hearing the news he said it was his/their obligation to do research about the issue. I find it difficult (or not difficult if I'm speaking with bias) to hear that a talk show anchor went on air to speak about a very delicate humanitarian issue before doing research. The LRA started terrorizing northern Uganda in 1987 and the fighting did not end until late 2006. For twenty years the LRA destroyed villages, communities and cultures, stole children in the middle of the night to create child soldiers and wives for their generals, raped and killed young girls and women, and cut off hands, arms, ears, lips, tongues and noses as a form of punishment and torture. These are just a handful of the heinous crimes that the LRA and Kony forced upon the people of northern Uganda. All Limbaugh would have had to do was Google search "Lord's Resistance Army" to find more truths about their 'Christian' efforts.

I think what makes me the most sad and discouraged is that Limbaugh has one of the most broadcasted shows in America. He has a wide listening audience who might have not heard of the LRA before this broadcast. To paint the picture that the United States Government is waging a war against 1,000 Christian soldiers trying to better Uganda is not the truth. It is false reporting and a flat out lie. To misrepresent the facts is something that happens in the media, but this gross misrepresentation needs to be corrected.

*Full transcript can be found on Rush Limbaugh's website.