The American Spectator

Reader Mail

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I was born in 1947 and grew up in a small lumber mill town in western Oregon. We did not have a television until I was in the 3rd or 4th grade. I was entertained for hours by listening to the radio. I sat spellbound and listened to the adventures of "The Lone Ranger," or "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon," and had nightmares after listening to "Crimebusters"!

Imagine my delight when I discovered "Prairie Home Companion" back in the early 1980s! I listened, you might say, religiously for a number of years. It was great fun, innocent and happy, to listen to the adventures of those folks that hailed from Lake Woebegone. I even knew the words to the Powder Milk biscuit jingle by heart!

Imagine how disappointing it was over time to realize that Mr. Keillor was using the radio program as his bully pulpit to weave in his politics.

Needless to say, it has been many years since I have listened to "Prairie Home Companion." I will pass on the new movie version as well.

p>It is too bad that Mr. Keillor took advantage of our trust. br> -- Roy W. Patterson br> San Jose, California /p>

Lawrence Henry is dead-on with his take on Garrison Keillor. I have never been a Democrat and by the time Ronald Reagan, no, by the time Jimmy Carter was halfway through his term I realized that I am a Conservative Republican. This did not stop me from listening to NPR religiously and never missing "A Prairie Home Companion." Why, I even saw the show live when it appeared in Nashville in the mid-1980s! All of that changed when Bill Clinton entered the White House.

p>Garrison Keillor became unfunny very quickly when he began using his show as a vehicle for political commentary and spewing vitriol toward Conservatives and Republicans. I do not know what it was about the Clintons that balkanized our country and gave celebrities the idea, as Mr. Henry says, that they have political opinions and wisdom that we would all like to hear. Mr. Keillor denigrates the God-given talents he has with his mean words and contempt for half the American voting public. Because of the Garrison Keillors on public radio and television, I quit giving money to support them years ago. Since I also do not waste my money watching movies and television programs starring celebrities who hate me because doing so only gives them more wealth to attack my beliefs, I'll not be seeing Keillor's movie, either. As the poet said, "I'm so over him." br> -- Claudia Morris br> Augusta, Georgia

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