Reject Rush For Valentine's Day!

The 1st Amendment of the Constitution may protect professional hate-monger Rush Limbaugh's right to use his national radio show as a platform to broadcast the kind of divisive, vile, racist, misogynist, homophobic opinionated nonsense that endears him to many Republicans; but that doesn't mean you have to support it this Valentine's Day.

By the way, Valentine's Day IS this Saturday for those of you who may have procrastinated or forgotten; woe unto those of you in relationships who do not make at least some kind of romantic gesture, purchase or plan.

Remember this Monday the 16th is President's day so many of you will have a extra day off, so if you drop the ball on Valentine's Day it could be a really long weekend - or maybe a long month.

Anyway, if you do plan on doing something special for that special someone this Saturday, please follow the sage advice of Daily Kos contributor Leslie Salzillo and make a statement by NOT using or buying the goods or services of the six companies that depend on Valentine's Day revenue who still advertise on Rush Limbaugh's radio show.

The Facebook group known as "Boycott Rush Limbaugh's Sponsors to Shut Him Down" (93,000 followers strong and growing...) are a part of a growing grass roots movement dedicated to targeting the companies whose ad dollars support Limbaugh's show.

Six of those companies depend on Valentine's Day for a sizable chunk of their yearly profits, so by simply exercising your right to spend your hard-earned dollars where you want; you can help send them a message.

And the message is simple: companies that want to appeal to a diverse mainstream American audience have an ethical responsibility not to support a man makes a living habitually distorting truth and demeaning women, people of color, immigrants, members of the LBGT community and, well, pretty much anyone who doesn't look, think, act, talk and vote exactly like Rush Limbaugh.

Simple right? Here are the six companies:

1) 1-800 FLOWERS  2) PRO FLOWERS  3) VERMONT TEDDY BEAR  4) PAJAMAGRAM
5)  SHARI'S BERRIES  6) SHANE CO

The movement to target Limbaugh's sponsors as well as the stations and media companies responsible for carrying his show are having a definite measurable impact as a growing list of radio stations bow to public pressure to drop his show.

Fortunately the Internet is vast and there also are plenty of places you can buy flowers, a teddy bear or pajamas that don't associate their brand with someone with such an undisguised contempt for women and minorities.
  
If you feel the same way, you can also add your name to this Change.org petition to ClearChannel, iHeartRadio and Cumulus - the major broadcasters of Limbaugh's 'Hate Radio'.

Valentine's Day should be about love, so don't support someone who enriches himself by peddling ignorance, fear and bigotry. Cupid don't play that.