Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Rush's ranting, raving can be an old tiresome song

RUSH-ING to judgment.

I was really looking forward to playing golf this past Memorial Day. It had been a long time since I had the chance to get out without the phone ringing or some other such thing to ruin what little concentration I have left. The holiday was a perfect opportunity for John Moran Jr. and me to see whether we still had some of the stuff that made us famous! Let me save you the suspense. John still has it -- I don't.

There is always a cost attendant to having fun. I realized what price I'd have to pay when I got into the car for the ride out to the golf course. Rush Limbaugh was on the radio and I couldn't believe what he was saying. That in itself is not unusual because I find the master mouth hard to believe on most occasions. It was so outrageous, though, that I had to listen. By the time I reached the appointed place, you can imagine my state of mind. Even the serenity of the links could not calm me down.

Rush was pandering to some of his callers by explaining how ludicrous Georgia's governor, Zell Miller, was for trying to provide every one of the Peach State's new babies each year with a tape or CD full of classical music. Miller's thought, of course, is that music is good for the soul, so classical music -- the highest and best application of that medium -- could only help little babies as they sense their way into the world of human beings.

Whether Miller is right or wrong is not the point. After all, studies have shown that the plants on this planet thrive when they are nurtured with good music and, without the melodies, often never make it to full bloom. If it works in the plant kingdom, goes the theory, why should we not try it in the animal world?

Miller weighed the cost of the plan -- about one tax dollar per newborn -- against the potential good that could come from giving baby a chance to grow with his soul nurtured as well as his physical well-being. And while some have ridiculed him for his idea, I say at least it is an idea. In this world where babies are shooting babies at school, new ideas are exactly what we need because the old ones are no longer working!

In any event, Rush did his typical "liberal" bashing thing by blaming all the ills of society on those who think beyond the confines of yesterday's solution to today's problems. The idea, he said, that government should intercede in the raising of children by giving a classical CD to a newborn's family was taking the idea of Big Brother too far.

Of course, Miller did not say the government was going to make parents play the recording, only that it would be available should they want to do so. That is a tacit recognition of a fact we all know but refuse to utter publicly -- people, for myriad reasons, do not have the time, inclination, knowledge or ability to even think about providing classical or any other music to their newborns. Heck, many of them don't have a clue where to get a tape should they even want to give junior a chance!

So, if for $1 a child, society can invest an up-and-coming citizen with good thoughts instead of bad, then who are we to say "no"? I'll bet that kid who destroyed a high school in Oregon didn't listen to classical music -- maybe gangsta rap, but nothing so pleasing as Bach or Mozart.

Rush continued ranting against the evils of liberals wanting to take our tax dollars and insert government in the place of parents, which pleased his ditto-headed callers no end. After all, give that man an audience and who cares about the message? Which is exactly the opposite of what he should be doing. With as many listeners as he claims to have, Rush could do some good by opening their eyes and ears to new ideas to solve some very difficult problems. Instead, he continues to choose the big-bucks route that says slamming political adversaries is the road to ratings heaven and million-dollar paydays.

I am not so sure that he'll get his way this time. Miller is pretty popular in Georgia, so my guess is that the people might go along with his plan. The worst that happens is that the $100,000-a-year cost brings no results. Well, we'd be no worse off than we already are. Kids are growing up every day to be the killers, rapists, robbers and ne'er-do-wells of tomorrow. That's without the music or any other creative idea to help break the cycle of violence pervading the youth in our cities.

Instead of pooh-poohing the idea, Rush and others who command national audiences -- no matter how small or how stupid they may be -- should be challenging leaders across the country to either follow governors such as Miller or come up with better ideas of their own.

You can see how riled up I got before I reached the first tee. And just when I thought that Rush would never change, he fooled me. I turned the radio on again the next day on my way to work and motor mouth restored my faith. He single-handedly explained to everyone within earshot who the liberals really are.

But I can't tell you that today.

Check out Friday's Las Vegas Sun to see just who Rush believes is responsible for what's wrong with America.

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