The Power of Parenthood

Someone remarked to me recently that the word "conservative" simply means "parent." This man was not religious--he is in fact a nihilist as far as I can tell--but he has three children.

An exchange between Craig Ferguson, a late-night talk show host, and fellow talk show host Bill Maher, illustrates what this man was talking about.

CBS
Late Late Show

May 3, 2005

34:00

Bill Maher: "I think that there is no perspective. People have no perspective, especially about crime. You know, zero tolerance. You know, of course, nobody ever wants to see a child, you know, diddled. That’s just plain wrong. But even the people who are testifying against him, they’re saying that he serviced them. They didn’t service him."

Craig Ferguson: "You don’t have kids, do you, Bill?"

Maher: "No."

Ferguson: "No. I have a son. It makes me crazy, this thing, this Michael Jackson thing. It drives me, the idea of someone touching my kid, I would go, I nearly swore there. I’d go crazy."

Maher: "Very wrong. But, you know, I remember when I was a kid. I was savagely beaten once by bullies in the schoolyard. Savagely beaten. If I had a choice between being savagely beaten and being gently masturbated by a pop star. It’s just me."

Ferguson: "The always controversial Bill Maher, everybody."

Maher: "What? That’s it?"

Ferguson: "Bill Maher. We’ll be right back with Rain Pryor."

Ferguson cut Maher off because he was so disgusted with how out of touch with reality Maher was. Maher is a smart guy, but as becomes clearer every day, smarter doesn't mean better.