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1. My father is racist, sexist, homophobic, and has often exhibited a great deal of religious intolerance, particularly when it comes to Jews, Muslims, and many Protestant groups. He's authoritarian, believing himself to be the ultimate authority on everything that happens in his home from dating to political matters.
He's also hard-working and supportive of those of his children who meet his narrowly-defined standards for how a good child should be and act. He's charming with those outside the family and a skilled manipulator who can not only convince people to do what he wants them to do, but also think that it's their idea.
He's a wonderful father if you're straight, conservative, fit neatly into expected gender roles, aren't too ambitious, and don't dare to disagree with him.
2. There is very little I want to carry over from my relationship with my father to my relationship with my children. I'll be happy if they never have any contact whatsoever with him, and they'll certainly be better off as a result.
He does make for a nice guideline in another way: In a difficult situation, all I'll have to do is think of what he would do, and do the opposite.
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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.
~Steven Colbert
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