Garrison Keillor's column this week is about the conviction of Jose Padilla. Like many other liberals, Keillor bemoans the fact that Padilla was convicted for conspiracy to commit murder, among other things. It is his contention that Padilla was convicted on the flimsiest of charges, and that if Padilla could be convicted, he could be next. Well, worry not, Mr. Keillor, I doubt that you have done anything to warrant similar attention by our legal system.

Padilla was held as an enemy combatant before being officially charged and subsequently convicted. Unlike Mr. Keillor, Padilla is obviously an enemy to our country, despite being a U.S. citizen. Padilla stands out as a soldier in the service of the enemy — indeed, if we were engaged in a more traditional war, Padilla would likely have been wearing the uniform of the enemy. His conviction on conspiracy charges, while falling short of what the prosecution would have liked to see him convicted of, will keep a dangerous enemy off the streets and keep him from further plotting actions against us.

Mr. Keillor, on the other hand, is not guilty of any such thing. Freedom of Speech guarantees his right to speak freely, and if he is worried about the columns he has written, he should put those worries aside. We know that the only thing Garrison Keillor is guilty of is writing columns extolling the virtues of his liberal viewpoint, as well as performing some silly skits and songs designed to take advantage of the fact that heartland residents of his generation do not realize that their Democratic Party has been hijacked by a younger, more misguided sort of liberal. We know that he is not plotting a dirty-bomb attack or some other form of terrorism; he is simply an old curmudgeon who has succumbed to the "Hate Bush" syndrome which is so prevalent on the left.

So, write on Mr. Keillor. Continue spreading your liberal propaganda disguised as charming musings from an old heartlander. There's no law against writing silly, misguided columns.