I never liked Mr. Keillor´s brand of "humor". Now I can say I don´t like Mr. Keillor either. And how could someone write about such an important topic and resort to stupid stereotypes?

This isn't the first time Keillor has written ugly things about gay marriage. He's spoken out pretty clearly against it.

See this from 2005: http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/deskofgk/2005/old_scout/07/05.shtml

And this interview:

I ask Keillor if there any other positions Democrats should jettison.

“I think that gay marriage is also an issue that does no good for us and I want to see us divest ourselves of this,” Keillor says. “The symbolism of gay people marrying is terribly potent, terrible powerful, and we ignore this at our peril in our party."

Yes friends, it's sad yet true: Garrison Keillor has jumped the shark.

Oh Garrison, because this "jumping the shark" is a phrase first used in the 90s instead of the 50s, please allow me to explain it for you.

When something that was once mildly amusing and charming (like you) becomes sad and embarrassing (like you) because of some pathetic attempt to garner attention after its natural life span of interest has passed, we say that thing has Jumped the Shark.

Of course once something previously found mildly amusing and charming jumps the shark we can only think back on those earlier feelings with a sense of shame and regret. Which is how I will henceforth think about you.

Is Keillor so addle-brained he thinks adultery got invented recently? My mother worked in an illegal abortion clinic in WWII - many, many women whose husband were overseas found themselves preggers. The demand for abortion was great.

My mother was married three times, my Dad twice. All before the Beatles came to America. I have relations I have never met.

I don't find his piece anti-gay. And I do not think it hypocritical to wish things were true even if we cannot do them ourselves. I don't think it is totally crazy to believe your parent were perfect, unless they weren't - like mine; then you are in need of therapy.

I just cannot figure out what happened to Keillor to convince him he grew up in a black and white TV show.

appear to have gathered here to roast Garrison.

Well, fruck you all. Keillor's gentle, reasonable comments were his to make, and I support them.

the first time he has written about gay marriage, but

This isn't the first time Keillor has written ugly things about gay marriage. He's spoken out pretty clearly against it.

Clearly the most moronic thing I've read all day. Because, what Garrison wrote was not ugly, except to people who are ugly themselves.

I've thought that for a long time. Brings out the wingnuts.

It cost us the 2004 election. Without that issue on the ballot in Ohio, Kerry would have won.

So, quit bitching, folks. Keillor is right.

How's your third marriage working out, you slimy hypocrite?

The POINT of the piece is this: "WELCOME! Welcome, gay parents, to the fellowship of parents! (We don't take ourselves too seriously...)"

He doesn't say "And now gay marriage MIGHT produce a whole new string of hyphenated relatives." He says it WILL. Its not scary or hideous... its just more of the same shake-your-head change and confusion that our society has evolved us into. Straight folks have seen the flamers and the fastidious ones and the froofy stuff, it doesn't scare 'em any more than the rest of the changes that have come along the pike in the last half-century or so - Rock and Roll, jeans hanging down to show what used to be underwear, piercings, tattoos... multi-culturalism in schools... "serial monogomy"... what have you. All people-stuff. All human. All "us".

"You're here, you're queer... our family's having a barbecue this Saturday, would you bring some potato salad?"

Just one thing though... if you aspire to be parents, to wear the most important mantle that humans can have - that of perpetuating the species - then keep in mind that in addition to parenting being a *privilege*, its also a responsibility you are *choosing* to accept. Keep up your part of that equation and then other's will be happy to bring the potato salad to YOUR first barbecue.

Taking care of the kids is what it takes to get respect as a parent. Yes its "stating the obvious". But there you have it. Its just how we roll...

Now I can well believe that gays are excessively fed up with others telling them how to live their lives. And making your freedom of choice abundantly clear to others has become something of a standard practice (and really something of a necessity so that your concerns, aspirations, etc. don't get swept aside as many other minorities' do).

And.. its WORKING! Progress is being made... glacially slow progress or so it must seem. But it is progress. Don't overlook the gains that are being illustrated right here in Keillor's essay in some knee-jerk rush to fight what you may think seems like more of the same bigotry that you've regretfully had to put up with far too long and far too often.

When you have always had to swing a hammer to get your point across, you learn to treat everything like a nail. But you may want to check your tool-belt and consider if there's an opportunity here to brush up on your skill with another tool, another approach.

Keillor says that the manner of his raising was good for kids. Just like going to art museums. This does not imply that if a child doesn't go to art museums, that they are being harmed. By saying something is "good", that doesn't mean it is "best" or even "better than". Its just good.

What about his parenting was good? Keillor implies three possibilities. Was it that he had mixed-gender parents? Was it that his parents were MARRIED? Was it that his parents STAYED married? He doesn't say. If you're going to get upset at some perceived insult to your lifestyle, shouldn't you really be SURE that you WERE insulted?

If ANY human wants to be a parent, they need to realize, recognize and accept to their core that they WILL have to examine their lifestyle and make sure that it is suitably nurturing for any child they are responsible for if they want to do a good job of being a parent. Gay or straight; young or old; American or German or Ugandan; Muslim or Christian or Atheist.

Yes, if you are excessively flamboyant in your current lifestyle - whether that means buying expensive cars, carousing at bars until wee hours every night, sleeping with anyone and everyone, going on the road and following your home-town baseball team on every road trip or marching in gay pride parades ... whatever - you may (not "must" but "may") have to temper those behaviors.. to bring those choices "under control" for the benefit of those you have chosen to nurture.

Welcome to the community of parents. You get to make choices that you may not truly like. Deal with it... just like the rest of us.

Now can you pass that corn bread along here? Thank you, kindly.