I've got a good father.

A long time ago, before it started raining, before reality television took over, before Oprah Winfrey became just Oprah, and before there was anyone on the talk show circuit besides her and Phil Donahue - A long long time ago, Oprah had a guest on the show and he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. He was there to explain his side of their behaviour and their biases. He was offensive and rude and generally horrifying.

I remember asking my Dad why Oprah would do that to herself, put herself in the position of being in the same room with such a horrible person, someone who disrespected her and would have liked to hurt her just for fun. I asked him why Oprah would give this man a platform to say such awful things.

My Dad said that Oprah was smart for letting him do that. He said by letting the KKK talk, she was letting the world see for themselves just how wrong and awful they were. He said that telling the world they were awful could never be as effective as letting them show their true selves where everyone could see.

Another thing my Dad said to me at that age was that I was allowed to love anyone I wanted to love as long as they were good to me and made me happy. He said I could marry a white man or a black woman or any variation thereof and that he would love that person too, so long as they were good to me and made me happy.

My Dad is an awfully awfully smart man.

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