RUSH: Livingston, New Jersey. Hi, Lucy. Great to have you on the program.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. Thank you for accepting my call.
RUSH: You are welcome.
CALLER: It’s a great honor to speak with you.
RUSH: Thank you very much.
CALLER: You know, I came to United States in August of last year. I got married and now I live in New Jersey.
RUSH: Where did you come from?
CALLER: I came from Armenia, Yerevan.
RUSH: Yes.
CALLER: You know what, I love United States. I love a lot of things about United States. But what I’m impressed and amazed very much, it’s like freedom of speech, you know. Before when I was living in Yerevan, you know, I have heard about the freedom of speech, about how USA is great, but right now I’m starting to understand it more and more. Americans are very lucky just because they have freedom of speech. Second, because they have Rush Limbaugh who provides them the truth all about politic and economic situation here.
RUSH: I think many people take that for granted. You are wise to understand that.
CALLER: You know, I understand because I have things to compare with, because in country from where I am, freedom of speech is like very dangerous thing. You gonna pay a high price for that, and I —
RUSH: I have to tell you something. Lucy, there are many people in this country who have a great fear that we are headed in that direction. By no means are we there, but there are people in this country who are afraid right now to be overheard —
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: — saying certain things. Afraid it will be reported to somebody or afraid that they’ll be condemned. And there are attacks. I mean I’m attacked for what I say, and a lot of people are, and other people are not. But that’s part of the political process in my case. But freedom of speech is still alive and well in this country, but censorship is all over the place. It’s called political correctness, or in some cases flat-out censorship. Intimidation is constant to try to get people to shut up.
CALLER: But, you know, in Armenia, it’s just dangerous. Journalists can be killed there just because they are speaking truth as you do now.
RUSH: Well, we don’t know of any instances of that, journalists being killed.
CALLER: You know what, I want to say that as long as United States has freedom of speech and as long as here nobody’s above the law, even the president, as long as the elections here are free and fair, the future, I can see the future of United States very bright, you know what I mean?
RUSH: I understand totally what you mean. What I find fascinating about this is that you are a recent arrival from a very oppressive place, so your point of reference, we are the freest anyone could imagine, and we are. There’s no question we are, but people in this country have a different frame of reference or point of reference, and they see the erosion of freedom of speech that you see as something wide open. Is there a National Organization for Women chapter in your country?
CALLER: No.
RUSH: I didn’t think so. Sadly, yeah. Afraid of that.