This why I love Jon Carroll: 10/16 column

[EFerrari]

Jon Carroll

Monday, October 16, 2006


So Bevan Dufty, who is gay and a San Francisco supervisor, is sharing a house with a woman named Rebecca Goldfader, and together they are raising a child named Sidney. For some reason, this situation enraged normally sensible radio talk show host Pete Wilson, who called it an "experiment," partly because Dufty and Goldfader are not in a romantic relationship.

Here's the breaking-news non-flash: It's all an experiment. Every adventure in parenting is trial and error, generally performed by people totally unqualified for the task. I think of myself at 23, which is how old I was when my first daughter was born, and I think: Would I entrust an infant to this man? Absolutely not. I remember him well. He was barely sentient. He meant well, usually, but he was deeply ignorant.

My wife and I used books written by alleged experts, much as one would use a car repair manual, except children are not cars and sometimes the "correct" approach doesn't work and then what? Oh, let's ask a 23-year-old idiot! He'll know!

And of course, expert opinions change over time. When my wife was a child, her mother was told to let her cry, that a child needs to know that she cannot manipulate her parents that way. By the time I got around to having a kid, the conventional wisdom had changed. Nurture was in. If she cried, I picked her up -- until one day I got tired of it, so I didn't. Inconsistent parenting! Sends the wrong message! Woe is me!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/10/16/DDG6PKE7CO1.DTL

[wryter2000]

1. Pete Wilson

If he's "normally sensible," he's jumped the shark lately. The other day, he was taking calls from people saying that calling all Muslims terrorists was racist. His answer? "Why is it racist to call someone who attacks you a terrorist?"

He's the reason I can't watch the local ABC news here. As far as I can tell, his reporting is standard, but I can't stand the sound of his voice. (My officemate plays him at work. That's why I'm stuck with him to a certain extent.)

When I first started playing AAR, my officmate expressed surprise because she thought Ron lets-invade-Iraq Owen and Pete Wilson were liberal. Now she's heard Randi.

Oh, and the great folks at local CBS covered this. They reported on the odd circumstance of a radio talk show host also anchoring the news. "Hmmmm," was about all they said on the subject.

[truedelphi]

2. Before every fascist sentiment this guy has ever pronounced

He ALWAYS says "Now I'm not a Republican by any way that you'd look at it"

In the last year, now that it is obvious that the Bush agenda is not that accepted
in California, PW has been a little more listenable. But he still frames many an issue in terms of the Democrats (Don't like your tax bill. Well, why do Democrats not get the tax issue?" And you can substitute any issue into that, immigration, ecology, the gay issue, anything. It is all the Dems' fault.)

He seems clueless that the Repukes hold ownership to the Supreme Court, the executive branch, the Congress, and because of right wing talking heads like him, the media. But i'm sure he is not clueless - he is complicit.

[wryter2000]

3. I'm glad I'm not imagining it

I never listened to this network before my officemate started playing it. I've been appalled at some of the things that are supposedly "mainstream." I disabused her of the notion that those guys are liberal pretty fast.

Hey, did you hear how they covered the pre-war demonstrations? Day after day decrying what a few of the protesters were doing with hardly a mention that we were getting ready to invade another country. It was disgusting.

[EFerrari]

4. I can't listen to any of our local stuff, none of it.

Gavin Newsom is drinking with underaged girls in bars but this idiot picks on PARENTS.

That's too much for me any day of the week.

[Auggie]

8. What irks me is that this is a private, family matter.

What right does Wilson have to comment on it? Jumping the shark nails it.

[Sapphocrat]

5. It's the Ronn Owen Syndrome.

(Owen of KGO radio, I mean). Wilson & Owen swear they're not tighty-righties, and they're both oh-so-accepting of gay folks... but the longer they talk, the more they show their true colors.

As to who's worse, I'd say Owen, as he's got a longtime, public feud going with Bernie Ward.

[EFerrari]

6. Dinosaurs.

There are some things that Time really does mend.

:evilgrin:

[wryter2000]

7. Owen is definitely worse

I just don't have to avoid him on the nightly news.

[swimmernsecretsea]

9. Thanks for posting this!

I'd thought about doing it but got so busy. Well put, Jon!

PS: Pete, I'd think about retiring, if I were you.