RUSH: Matthew in Raleigh, North Carolina. We have an 11-year-old on the phone. Matthew, it’s great to have you with us. How are you this afternoon?
CALLER: Oh, hello, Mr. Rush, Mr. Limbaugh. I’m here to tell you… I’m 11 years old, and I go to an extremely liberal private school in Raleigh, North Carolina.
RUSH: (chuckling)
CALLER: No, I mean, like… No, it’s terrible. So I’m being targeted —
RUSH: No, no. No, Matthew. I’m just… You’re 11 years old and you’re talking about this the way adults do. I find it charming. I think it’s great.
CALLER: I’m a huge Trump supporter, and I’m very outward about it. I like how he’s going to close the borders. I like how he’s gonna obliterate ISIS. Well, a few days ago — people are still charging me — the teacher wrote on the board, “Beside Martin Luther King, who are some visionaries who are in the world?” People wrote down Abraham Lincoln. People wrote down Rosa Parks. People wrote down Pope Francis. And I wrote down Donald Trump. And the next day, the teacher pulled me over and said, “Erase that comment!” And I was like, “Why?” And she’s like, “What good has he done for this world?”
I’m like, “Well, he’s created his businesses, and he’s built magnificent buildings in many countries in the world, and he’s actually running for president while he’s actually stating his ideas.” And I was… And she made me erase it. I’m thinking like, “Wait, why is…? I thought I had freedom of speech. I mean, an anchor baby gets citizenship. Why don’t I?” I kind of got mad after that. And people are targeting me, they’re saying, “Donald Trump’s sucks and you do too,” and I really don’t know what to do.
RUSH: (chuckles) Matthew, part of me is saying, “Join the club.” (laughing and clapping) Join the club. I have a lot of people telling me that I suck, too, and that I don’t know what I’m doing. But in all seriousness, you lumped Trump in with Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln, and your teacher told you to erase Trump because your teacher didn’t think Trump was qualified to be mentioned in the company of those other people, right?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: And you stood up for Trump, and you tried to explain to her why, in your mind, Trump should be listed with those people.
CALLER: Well, she forced me to erase it because I didn’t want to disobey the teacher. But, I mean, I don’t exactly like backing down that much and I was kind of disturbed by that.
RUSH: Well, wait a minute, now. You say you don’t like backing down, but you didn’t want to disobey the teacher.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: In that circumstance, you did the right thing. She is the authority of the classroom, and, Matthew, in all truth, you do not have freedom of speech in there.
CALLER: I know.
RUSH: Your teacher with abridge your freedom of speech all day.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: The government cannot, but your teacher can. You know, when you get a job and you go to work for… You know, when you become the CEO of Apple —
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: — the board of directors might try to tell you what you can and can’t say or what have you. You did the right thing. You have to respect the authority figure. As long as you’re able to not let that teacher convince you you’re wrong. If you really believe what you were doing, then in your heart, it stays there, and you’re just doing what you have to do. It’s a great life lesson. You’re doing what you have to do. She owns that classroom.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Obviously, it’s a learning exercise for you. You can learn a lot from it, and among those things is how to stay steadfastly devoted to what you believe, because this is gonna happen to you like it happens to everybody, many times. Sometimes many times a day, sometimes many times a week, but you’re gonna have a lot of people as you grow up telling you you’re wrong or you don’t know what you’re talking about or how can you say that. And in this case you have a teacher, the ultimate authority figure, telling you. So you have to —
CALLER: And like 50 other kids behind me, like… I mean, I can take on one on one, but when there’s… But after I put that comment and everything, they were like snipping at my back.
RUSH: Matthew, hey, let me tell you something. Can I explain that to you, too?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: All that means is that they’re jealous as heck of you. They already know you stand head and shoulders above them, and so the teacher coming down on you made them feel bigger, and they just couldn’t help themselves in going nah-nah-nah-nah-nah. But you’re obviously an advanced human being.
CALLER: Thank you, Mr. Limbaugh. That’s an honor.
RUSH: Well, it’s an honor to have you in the audience, and there’s no question about that. You’re very, very mature. Your parents gotta be so proud of you. You just continue to stay — I can’t believe I’m saying this to an 11-year-old — you just stay dedicated to what you truly believe, understanding that all kinds of people are gonna insult you or tell you you’re wrong. And some of them you’re gonna have to kowtow to like the authority figure of a teacher, but others — in all cases let it go in one ear and out the other. Behave as you must, depending on who is insulting you or commanding you. Like you would your parents. I mean, your parents are your authority figures at home. Right? Or do you tell them what to do?
CALLER: Yes. I’ve read your book. Our library doesn’t have your series, but it has Chelsea Clinton’s series. And I really do like your book, I really love it, it’s one of the best series I’ve ever read.
RUSH: Chelsea Clinton’s.
CALLER: And I had it right next to me, I was reading it upstairs a few days ago.
RUSH: Does your teacher happen to know that you know who I am?
CALLER: Yes, she does.
RUSH: Well, that explains it.
CALLER: I’m not sure.
RUSH: Well, of course that’s some of it, no doubt. Matthew, I have to go here. I’m a little bit long on time.
CALLER: Okay. Bye. It’s an honor meeting you. Thank you for letting me on your show. Bye.
RUSH: The pleasure is all mine. You hang in there, Matthew. Hang in there.