Rush Limbaugh and Some Other Heartless Americans Make Light of the Plight of Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

jonathanturley

15 years ago

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

In recent days, Rush Limbaugh was heard making fun of Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims living in a refugee camp on his radio program. Rush seemed to think it was funny that the refugees had already organized a recycling effort at the camp.

RUSH: Did I really hear this? Did I really hear — Diane Sawyer is in a refugee camp in Japan. Play this again. This is almost like a kindergarten teacher talking to the 4 year olds. That is how old you are in kindergarten, right? Five? Five? Four? All right. This is — some of these people here for days, and look, look, it’s recycling — organized for recycling.

You can read more excerpts from Rush’s disturbing conversation with a caller at the Media Matters post Limbaugh Laughs in the Face of Human Suffering.

Limbaugh wasn’t the only American who made inappropriate comments about the Japanese in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated the island nation of Japan.

Rapper 50 Cent tweeted: “Look this is very serious people I had to evacuate all my hoes from LA, Hawaii and Japan. I had to do it. Lol.”

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried tweeted: “I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, ‘They’ll be another one floating by any minute now’,” and “What does every Japanese person have in their apartment? Flood lights.”

(Note: The 56-year-old comedian was fired by Aflac, an insurance company who used his voice in its ad campaigns.)

Dan Turner, the former press secretary for Governor Haley Barbour, was forced to resign after it was reported that he sent an email with the following message: “Otis Redding posthumously received a gold record for his single, (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay. (Not a big hit in Japan right now.)”

Glenn Beck thinks that God may have punished Japan with the earthquake and tsunami:

What is wrong with these people? There are animals that have shown more humanity than these individuals who seem to think natural disasters are humorous events.

Watch this video of a dog in Japan who stayed by the side of an injured companion after the earthquake and tsunami:

(Note: I read a report that both dogs have been rescued.)

Here’s a video of Tarra and Bella—an elephant and a dog who became best friends at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

The Elephant Sanctuary Web site

The Elephant Sanctuary Youtube Page

Click on the following link to watch a video of Owen, a baby hippopotamus, and Mzee, a 130-year-old Aldabra tortoise. Owen was separated from his family after the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. He adopted Mzee as his “mother.” The ancient tortoise—who had long been a loner—accepted Mzee as his own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Kc2y-geiU

Owen and Mzee Web site

Owen and Mzee slideshow

Two interesting nonfiction children’s books: