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The following letters are in response to recent op-ed columns by Garrison Keillor.

Re: the June 9 letter "Keillor lacks artistry, wit."

I could not disagree more with the letter writer's comments about Garrison Keillor. To be sure, Keillor has strong opinions — as does the letter-writer, I might add. But uninteresting? Unentertaining? Unenlightening? Please.

Allow me a prediction: Should the Star (saints preserve us) follow this advice and drop Keillor, there will be "a giant sucking sound" of Star readers heading north toward Lake Wobegon.

Garrison Keillor's column is the high point of our weekly readings of the Star's op-ed pages. (And we listen to his radio program each week.)

Keillor is witty, gets down to the basics in most of his columns. He is not an "opinionated liberal bigot," whatever that is, as stated by one of your readers.

If you do not like Keillor's columns, then the answer is simple — don't read them. I apply that simple axiom to any of the other columnists who I do not wish to read.

Re: the June 9 letter "Keillor lacks artistry, wit."

The letter writer requests that Garrison Keillor be removed from the Star's editorial pages, apparently because this person does not agree with his political leanings, accusing him of being "opinionated" and a "bigoted liberal." It seems bigotry applies only to opposing viewpoints.

First Dave Barry disappeared, then, sadly, Molly Ivins left us. I wondered if there were any writers out there who could fill the void. Keillor comes close and many times has provided the only real laughs of my morning. I find him to be an excellent and creative writer.

Please, please, please keep him right where he is. Or expand his contributions or add more writers to provide some badly needed wit and humor.

A national columnist and a local individual have both made negative comments about the Rolling Thunder ceremony held in the Washington, D.C., capitol on Memorial Day.

Rolling Thunder spends hundreds of thousands of dollars from supporters to fund homeless veterans, support women's crisis centers, educate the public about veterans' issues and fund retrieval missions in Southeast Asia for MIAs and POWs and the remains of those killed in action.

In addition, Rolling Thunder sponsors many pieces of legislation on behalf of active military members and veterans. On Memorial Day, many thousands of motorcyclists give up their weekend and, like me, travel thousands of miles to show our support for Rolling Thunder's mission.

I'm dismayed that anyone would feel put upon because they were inconvenienced for seven hours on one day in the year. As participants, we know that we ride for those who can't.