A Sickness That Knows No Rival!

Born in 1939, at Christian Welfare Hospital (East St. Louis, Illinois) placed me at an Eads' Bridge walk across the Mighty Mississippi River to downtown St. Louis, Missouri; naturally, I have held a warm attachment to the St. Louis Metropolitan area throughout my lifetime. One of those endearments was my fondness for the well publicized 'Voice of St. Louis,' KMOX Radio Station. Of course, my on-going attraction to KMOX was nurtured by the fact that for most of my life KMOX has been the flagship station for Cardinals' baseball games broadcasting.

Aside from the station being the 'Voice of the Redbirds' it fancied one of the best daytime call-in talk/debate program-formats of the era; KMOX proudly stated, "Total Information." Among the many on-air celebrities three individuals standout as particularly skilled talk show moderators; Rex Davis, Anne Keef and Bob Hardy. I personally knew Hardy through Shriner's affiliation. These magicians of the microphone were proficient at presenting both sides of a local or national issue; civic or political and then stepping back with the invitation to listeners to share opinions. Before, during or after the program it was impossible to figure out just where the moderator 'stood' on the subject-matter thoroughly discussed.

This represented a time when a radio station with the clout of 50 thousand watts was a true American treasure standing on the foundation of committed, sincere and honest public service!

Unfortunately, KMOX does NOT reflect those fair public service values today. Oh, I still appreciate them being the 'voice' of my Cardinals, however, I am saddened by their wholesale sell-out to one side of our Nations' political debate. Today, KMOX has all local programming with one exception; syndicated Conservative pundit, Rush Limbaugh. While driving yesterday, I was listening to Mr. Limbaugh. Using the current gun control debate, Limbaugh went on extensive rants stirring divisiveness about President Obama's children having secret service protection and other Americans' less important children are unguarded by guns. Suddenly and without topical segway, Limbaugh shifted gears to offer comments that seemed intended to fulfill someones perverted appetite. Limbaugh said, "Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett told New York Knicks' forward, Carmelo Anthony, in a (basketball game) trash-talking moment, that Carmelo's wife tasted like Honey Oats Cheerios."

KMOX Radio Management and ownership should be ashamed of such language and sexual inference occurring mid-day over its airwaves. Is it pitiful that this once proud radio station ignores this 'smut'  innuendo/connotation language. May my friend, Bob Hardy rest in his Heavenly Peace.