Rush and More Rush

__In our society, more and more, people are running around offended by syllables, even. People are afraid to say anything. Rush Limbaugh

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What is it with Rush Limbaugh? It's weeks after we published this interview and you're still screaming about it. I count it screaming when, no matter how neatly typed the letter it contains the sentence, "Cancel my subscription." Here's Doug Phillips of Tucson, who was "shocked and disgusted" to see the Final Exam with Limbaugh:

This man is a racist. He is a bigot. He is a cruel bullyâ¿¿.He is the worst kind of celebrity because he uses his notoriety to encourage, cruelty, hatred and the destruction of civility in our country. To treat this villain as a normal person is to ignore all of the past abuses of women, minorities, and gays that have occurred in this country for so long."

Doug has an ally in Xavier Baeza of San Francisco:

Imagine my dismay upon reading the Final Exam with Brad Garrett found in the July 2007 issue. Surely, your photo editor could have introduced Mr. Garrett to a shower, comb, and razor before he posed for the accompanying pictures. And then to follow-up this month with a drug addict, draft dodging, Viagra smuggling moron extolling the virtues of Republican entrepreneurialism, exceeds the bounds of your magazine's journalistic endeavor. Maybe, Rush Limbaugh should explain how tournament cars aren't some form of corporate welfare. Or better yet, he can lobby for the exclusion of those who are afflicted with Parkinson's from golf as their trembling is only an attempt to sand bag their handicap.

The inclusion of such declasse items above only serves to undermine the standard which your magazine's parent company strives so hard to maintain. I am sorry to say, I will never read your magazine again. And that is too bad, because it seems to have so much to offer the golfer-reader.>

Then last week Jesse J. Lewis, a columnist for the Birmingham Times, called it "One of the ten dumbest interviews in 07" because it was both "racist and divisive.

I just happen to think that golf is moving in the right direction by involving people from all walks of life, whether Democrats, Republicans, Asians, what have you. For them to come forward with an article of this nature and if the trend should continue, this would definitely have a negative effect on the golfing industry.

We hear you. Just as we hear the screaming from the other side of the aisle when we mention Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Paul Casey, Martha Burk, the war in Iraq, Barack Obamaâ¿¿.people who with inadequate grooming or foreigners (read: Geoff Ogilvy, Australian), who dare to talk about the U.S. Presidential election!

Here's our point of view. We're inclusive. If you play golf, if you love golf, if you're great at it or just really passionate about it, no matter who you are, we may write about you. We don't think that's divisive. Nor does it mean that we agree with everything you say, especially if you have a radio show in which you frequently air arrogant and intolerant views.

Most of all, we understand that it can be annoying when people we judge to be complete idiots love the same game we do. On the other hand, sometimes, in a small way, it's reassuring.

--Bob Carney

(Photo: Ben Van Hook)