Through his bid to become an NFL team owner, Rush Limbaugh was seriously schooled by the NFL in the law of unintended consequences. The lesson plan for this particular class breaks down into three parts, as follows:

Part 1

There is freedom of speech in America. You are free to say virtually anything you want, in virtually any forum you want, at virtually any time you want.

This is all followed closely by:

Part 2

Other people are free to disagree with you. They are free to be offended by your remarks. They are free to distance themselves from you because of your remarks. And they are free to refuse to do business with you because of your remarks.

Like everything else in life, freedom of speech comes with a few strings attached. Yes, you can say virtually anything you want, in virtually any forum you want, at virtually any time you want.

But you do so at your own risk.

Freedom of speech is an art. You have to make sure you balance Lesson 1 with Lesson 2, or bad things happen.

Rush let his mouth get out of control, and it cost him. And he’s upset. And he’s letting it be known that he’s upset. Which brings us to the most powerful and most valuable of the three parts of our lesson plan:

Part 3

You own what you say. If you say something inflammatory, or racist, or just plain stupid, it’s your own fault. Not Obama’s fault. Not the NFL’s fault. Not the fault of the other guys who were going to be your partners.

Yours.

You own it. Every word of it. And if you don’t like the outcome of saying those things, then don’t say them.

And that’s the deal.

Class dismissed.

© 2009, Mac Williams. All rights reserved.

• Limbaugh And The NFL