"If they want to be accepted (by mainstream America) as couples and daddies....

He's talking about what the country will accept, not about he himself will accept.

But he's correct. The country is not going to accept gay couples as parents if the perception is that gay couples are more into having a good time (as seen through flamboyant clothes) than raising their kids or maintaining stable relationships.

Raising a child or maintaining a long term relationship is an entirely different matter from going out to parties and bars and trying to get laid. Going to parties and bars is what young people do and it calls for a certain flamboyance (for any sexual orientation). That's what that crazy dress is for--to attract persons of your favorite sex.

However for kids or a relationship, it's a pretty damn good idea to put yourself in the background. Your relationship or your kids ought to come first. Your kids don't want to see you in your flowery disco shirt and bell bottoms and chain with cocaine spoon--the uniform of my day. And your partner probably doesn't want to either. That's because they don't really want you to go out and attract people of your favorite sex. They want you to stay home--with them. That's how families usually are.

And that's what the article was about. Once monogamy supposedly ruled the land and children supposedly came first. That was certainly the ruling idea at the time, whatever the reality was. People in those days were supposed to put up with unhappy marriages for the sake of the kids. It wasn't all great, it wasn't perfect, but at least there was some thought for the kids.

Now freedom appears to come first and children second. The kids are now supposed to put up with things for the sake of the parents. Things like having nine or ten grandparents or meeting Dad's boyfriend. That's quite a change from the old days and it's worth commenting on and noting and maybe even worth laughing about.

But just to note these things isn't saying let's all go back to monogamy, or let's outlaw gay marriage. It's only asking for a little perspective.

...for a national primary. The winners will spend months twiddling their thumbs before the campaign actually begins. In the meantime they'll be attacked and derided in the press and people will grow bored and dissatisfied with them.

The primaries ought to be moved up to June, closer to the conventions. This would also help stop the campaigns from starting so damn early.

..and note that it's dated March 2003

http://www.theonion.com/content/point/this_war_will_destabilize_the

Point:

This War Will Destabilize The Entire Mideast Region And Set Off A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism

Counterpoint:

No, It Won't

I don't believe I ever read a clearer expression of the neocon point of view than this.

...somebody did an arty fashion show. What is the world coming to?

Death and violence were made into fashion statements a long time ago. Goth is about making people look like dead vampires and punk is about making people look scary. So what else is new?

...will zoom the comic. And it does it in a way that is less pixelated than enlarging it in a photo editor.

I believe Firefox does the same thing, however I'm not absolutely certain about that.

In any case, in this day of broadband there is no reason why comics should not be larger. It would serve the comics and the readers better.

It's a little bit scary to think I can now be lambasted in the letters section myself.

But I think I'll just take the troll's attitude: if people are talking about ME, then WHAT"S THE PROBLEM???!!!

HAHAHAHA!

Maybe it's more of a question of how open your mind is to alternative viewpoints. Too many bloggers are simply not open to even the hint of other viewpoints. Too many bloggers seem to see blogging as some sort of war and appear to regard even moderate differences as some sort of attack on them.

Banning comments because they're offensive too often turns into a tactic of banning comments just to label them as offensive. And that's a pretty nasty thing to do. The fact that it happens A LOT is one reason blogs have gotten a fairly well deserved reputation as unpleasant spew vents for narrow minded cliques.

Once you start filtering out comments, there's always a risk that what you're really filtering out is something you don't want to hear, but maybe should.

"Misogyny" is a good case in point. Maybe somebody is saying something because they don't like women. Or maybe they're saying it because they don't agree with some aspect of your thinking. Are you sure you can always tell the difference? Neither one might be a pleasant experience, so you might be tempted to ban both.

...he's got nothing.