I want to shine a spotlight on someone in my life who taught me right from wrong. Someone who taught me how be strong and figure things out for myself. Someone who taught me how to be a man: my dad. My dad is the type of guy who would give a stranger the shirt off his back if they were in need, and now he’s doing everything in his power to help estranged pundit Bill O’Reilly.
Despite the fact no one asked him to, it’s inspiring.
That’s right, even though O’Reilly has a small army of publicists, staff, and lawyers to speak up for him, my ‘pa is working overtime to set things straight. And O’Reilly doesn’t even know him!
My father is a man of grit. The kind of man who stayed up late watching John Wayne movies while smoking menthol cigarettes, and who would sometimes let me watch with him. Most would say that defending an alleged sexual abuser with tens (hundreds!?) of millions of dollars is an insane hill to die on, but my dad is STEPPING UP.
And, yes, he’s already gotten started. My dad has done things like complaining that, “Bill didn’t even get a goodbye show, that’s not justice” on Facebook since day one!
I can’t help but be reminded of the time on a cub scout camping trip when one of the scoutmasters forgot the equipment for the raingutter regatta in their garage back at home. My tenacious father volunteered to hike back the three miles to the van and then drive an hour back to town to fetch it. He saved the whole weekend.
What he’s doing today is just lot like that, but for a possibly-abusive right wing TV and radio host to whom he owes nothing.
Wow!
Related: Everyone Who Voted for Trump Who Isn’t My Dad Is Dead to Me
OK, I’ll be honest, I’m not totally crazy about Bill O’Reilly and what his show taught my aging father. And I’m especially not crazy what he might have done to his female subordinates …
BUT! Whenever I watch my dad get in a tussle about how advertisers only pulled out of The Factor, “because of hearsay and dirty lies,” I can’t help but think back to when he helped stand up to the middle school bullies who spread hurtful rumors that I sucked a dog’s dick. (I never had sex with a dog BTW!)
Look, my dad is a hero. And sure, it’s a crime to sexually harass people.
But is it a crime to love your dad?