To: Garrison Keillor

You do not know patriotism.

Patriotism is 300,000 bikers spending their time on Memorial Day weekend giving tribute to our fallen soldiers.

Patriotism is these same, as you state “fat men with ponytails,” fighting for our country when our country needed them.

Many of these men lost friends, brothers and sisters in the same name of patriotism that you ridiculed them for.

Shame on you, Mr. Keillor.

While standing and taking in Mary Cassatt’s “The Boating Party,” you should have thanked your lucky stars that these same bikers came to the need of America so you can see this fine painting.

This depressing roar of motorcycles as you so easily state is the roar of the freedom. Freedom can’t be put in a box with a bow and labeled as easily as you would like it.

Freedom is these bikers, many of whom have not only read about facing death, but have faced death for minutes, days and years.

How dare you, Mr. Keillor, dismiss one person’s freedom because it does not condone to your thoughts of freedom?

If you do not care for bikers, fine, but realize those same people you do not care for preserved your right to think that way.

So maybe for your next column you could use your own found freedom to think before you write about things you do not know, such as patriotism, fighting for your country, and the dedicated men and women of our country.