"What a Wanker!" Dept.

From Eschaton's "Wanker of Day" comes a link to a story where Creator's Syndicate is sending out a Cease and Desist letter to a website for "unauthorized use of a link" to a Bill O'Reilly column.

But the wanker I want to mention is Sgt falafel himself -- his column is on the flap from not so long ago over "Buster the Bunny"; specifically on the episode where Buster went to Vermont to learn about making maple syrup and met (gasp!) a family headed by lesbians. There was all the hoo-hah about "secret homosexual agendas" and the like. Bill says in response to Rep Barney Franks' complaints about the comments of the secretary of education (Margaret Spellings):

Well, yeah, Barn, that's correct. Many Americans believe that little kids should have a childhood and not be subjected to any kind of sexuality. I don't want to be offensive here, but who in their right mind wants to explain Norma and Barbara's lifestyle to their 4-year-old? Give the kids a break, OK?

I'm sure this is a waste of time, but can someone explain to me how two of these three sentences deal with sexuality and the other doesn't?

1) This is Frank and Mary. They are a happy, loving couple with two kids.
2) This is Joan and Wanda. They are a happy, loving couple with two kids.
3) This is William and Mark. They are a happy, loving couple with two kids.

Or better yet, could someone explain to Bill why they don't? If you merely present them as a fact why do you need to "explain Norma and Barbara's lifestyle?" Do you explain to your 4-year-old about how Frank and Mary express their sexuality? If your 4-year-old has a little buddy that only has a mommy, do you explain how his daddy was a boozer and abuser and so mommy dumped him, or do you just say "some people don't have two parents" and let them figure out the rest when they're old enough to deal with it?

Sigh... I'm old enough to remember when divorcees were scandalous, or at least remember that they had been scandalous and were only gradually gaining acceptance. Maybe I'll live to be old enough to see unisex couples gain the same sort of uneasy acceptance as a fact of life as divorcees had when I was a kid, and know that one day soon, people will just shrug and go, "So?" when they see one.