It's good that Mark Vonnegut sticks up for his father. Kurt Vonnegut has been around the block a few times, and as such, is entitled to spout whatever controversial nonsense he might choose to, as Mark argues in an op-ed. But, he also writes...

At no point did he say that blowing yourself up in a crowd of people was a good thing to do.

Maybe not, but here's what he did say, according to David Nason in the Australian.

What about terrorists? Do you understand where they're coming from? Do you regard them as soldiers too?" I ask.

Vonnegut's reply is startling. "I regard them as very brave people, yes," he says without a moment's hesitation.

When the eighty three year old Vonnegut directs that type of perhaps intentionally provocative nonsense into the public arena, no one, including his son, should be all that surprised when it is just as publicly assailed.