by Steve Timmer

Jun 15, 2012, 10:00 AM

Conservatives dabbling in irony

Not only Katherine Kersten, but John Helmberger, too, is feeling picked on. Remember this from a recent op-ed by Kersten?

Finally, if support for one man/one-woman marriage becomes the social equivalent of racism, people who believe all children need and deserve a mother and father will face persecution in the public square. The state’s massive civil-rights enforcement regime will bear down upon them, effectively silencing them and sometimes even putting their employment at risk.

It isn’t racism, Katie, just garden variety bigotry.

And here’s Helmberger, commenting on General Mills’ announcement that it opposed the gay marriage ban amendment:

“It is very disappointing that General Mills has decided to play PC politics by pandering to a small but powerful interest group that is bent on redefining marriage, the core institution of society,” said John Helmberger, chairman of Minnesota for Marriage, the group pushing the amendment.

Helmberger continues, saying that it is ironic that a company that makes breakfast cereal for children would take an action like this:

“Marriage is in the interest of children, because it is society’s best way to help children experience the ideal environment where they are raised by their mother and father,” Helmberger said. “It’s ironic and regrettable that a corporation that makes billions marketing cereal to parents of children would take the position that marriage should be redefined.”

Yes, John, what is this world coming to?

I am not even going to bother to debate the accuracy of Helmberger’s remarks, which Father Bob Pierson did rather well recently. But Helmberger is obviously wounded at the thought of being stabbed in the back by Baron von Redberry. He calls it, in fact, ironic. By that’s not ironic.

What will be ironic is when we adopt anti-bullying laws to protect the Helmbergers and Kerstens of the world.

Update: Although this was published a couple of weeks ago now, I just saw it. It is a defense of gay marriage by Professor Mark Osler, a law professor at St. Thomas College of Law.