I was surprised to the the "American Forces Network" on the list of Limbaugh's advertisers, since that is a brand name for the "United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service". This is a service, run by and paid for by the Department of Defense, which provides US TV and radio broadcasts for transmission on our bases abroad, and our Navy ships at sea. I checked on their website, http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/.... , which says this:
"AFN RADIO stations operating at overseas bases offer a combination of AFN RADIO-distributed national programming from California like The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Jim Rome Show, Alan Colmes and the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40. Contact your local station about when certain programs may be aired on their transmitters."
So, the US government and the DOD are using our tax dollars to bring Rush's tirades to the troops in Afganistan, the Middle East, Germany, Korea, and so on.
To be fair about it, they also carry Ed Schultz' radio program. It's not a problem for AFRTS to carry conservative talk radio, so long as they carry liberals, too. But the problem with carrying Rush is his statements about women, which are in total contradiction to the Army's policy on sexual harassment.
Chapter 7 of the Army's Manual on the Prevention of sexual harassment is available at http://www.sexualassault.army.mil/.... It states:
7–3. Policy
a. The policy of the Army is that sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated. Army leadership at all levels will be committed to creating and maintaining an environment conducive to maximum productivity and respect for human dignity. Sexual harassment destroys teamwork and negatively affects combat readiness. The Army bases its success on mission accomplishment. Successful mission accomplishment can be achieved only in an environment free of sexual harassment for all personnel.
b. The prevention of sexual harassment is the responsibility of every Soldier and DA civilian. Leaders set the standard for Soldiers and DA civilians to follow.
It also states:
7.6 b. Hostile environment. A hostile environment occurs when Soldiers or civilians are subjected to offensive, unwanted and unsolicited comments, or behaviors of a sexual nature. If these behaviors unreasonably interfere with their performance, regardless of whether the harasser and the victim are in the same workplace, then the environment is classified as hostile. A hostile environment brings the topic of sex or gender differences into the workplace in any one of a number of forms. It does not necessarily include the more blatant acts of ―quid pro quo‖; it normally includes nonviolent, gender-biased sexual behaviors (for example, the use of derogatory gender-biased terms, comments about body parts, suggestive pictures, explicit jokes and unwanted touching).
It is impossible to imagine more derogatory gender-biased terms that those used by Limbaugh in relation to Ms. Fluke, and, if AFRTS continues to carry Limbaugh's show in the current circumstances, it carries a strong message to the troops that this sort of conduct and language is acceptable.
It's time to write your Congressmen, Senators, Secretary Panetta, and the President about this.
