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I don't watch the show, saw it for about 10 minutes, turned it off and wondered "what's the big deal?" To each his own, I guess. Which brings me to Phil Robertson, patriarch of the show who recently said some real inflammatory things about sexual choices. He got suspended from the show by A&E. I don't agree with him, but it came out of his mouth, not mine.

Voltaire once wrote the following: "I may not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death you're right to say it." Paired with that idiom is the American value and amendment of freedom of speech.

Now, we all understand with freedom comes responsibility and consequences, but in America we've gotten to the point where freedom of speech really means: "only if you think and talk like me."

If people want to say homophobic and racist things, let them, and if there are consequences they will emerge naturally, not in the contrived forced way that we artificially create. Isn't that what being American and freedom of speech is really about?

Exactly. So many people are outraged over what he said. He didn't use any offensive language, he simply stated his beliefs. He's allowed to say that, and A&E has every right to let him go for it. People seem to think freedom of speech covers protection from your employer, when it doesn't.

I'll just chime in to say that I enjoy Drew's writing in general - read his stuff all the time on Deadspin.

Might want to read his article on there with some stuff that didn't make it into the main GQ piece:

http://deadspin.com/the-devil-and-phil-r...1485612609

Also...

(12-20-2013 09:29 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  Exactly. So many people are outraged over what he said. He didn't use any offensive language, he simply stated his beliefs. He's allowed to say that, and A&E has every right to let him go for it. People seem to think freedom of speech covers protection from your employer, when it doesn't.

Yep.

The freedom to say something does not mean you are immune to the consequences and outcomes of what you say.

Just ask your wife, she'll clarify that for you. Haha

I did the same thing as BC, I watch 20 minutes of the show last night for the first time.

I didn't get it.

I too have only made it through about 10 minutes of a show. Don't see what the big deal is. And who really cares about the opinion of a character in a reality show?

Reality shows are about as real as the wizard of oz. My daughter dated a character for awhile who played in a reality show. It was a show about a gal and here dating life. He told me his role was to play the bad boy, and all shows were scripted. Funny tidbit - His mom was minister at a church in Buffalo, NY and she hated his playing that role on the show.

My wife made it to the final 15 for a reality show of 12 people several years back. I didn't want her to do it at all but she is her own person so I backed her on it. She was an extra in several big movies back in the day and modeled in Chicago. In the end she was cut from the show because she was married. Her best friend from high school made the show and it was awful. Just about ruined her life as she was portrayed as the "*****" which she is but in a tropical location with all the booze you can drink. I am sure they can make anyone look bad. Eventually my wife realized I was right all along (first and only time).

By the way, I have never seen duck dynasty but I feel like I live it every day working in the town I do. I should watch it for research on how to deal with the parents.

(First time Poster on the WMU side of things) But anyway:

I posted this on another thread over on the Huskies Board, and nobody really responded to it:

Everyone has a right to voice their opinion. People can say whatever they want, and that's fine - IDGAF. That said, I do understand why some are upset that he was suspended, but in a pro-gay country, you can't expect A&E not to suspend him. He represents their company, and if the company owners do not want their employees representing their company in that way (especially if it's a contract-agreement), then they have a right to suspend him. This definitely goes further than morals, and freedom of speech. It has to do with Money, sponsors, and other things of the sort.

I don't really know if it was the correct decision to suspend him in terms of money, but it may have been in the 'owners of A&E' best interest if they strongly disagrees with Phil. If Phil is somebody they don't want on their network, then can you really blame them? Maybe they aren't trying to filter out his words like everybody else is trying to say, but maybe they just don't want THAT on their channel.

And a question I pose: Is it ok that he uses his first amendment right for his opinion on gay relations, but not racial slurs? Had he been saying things negatively of black people, this would have been taken to a totally different extreme.

Maybe I'm just being stupid, but maybe someone can explain to me their opinion on what I think, and why what I think is wrong. I don't mind changing how I view this, but I just want a logical explanation to why I am wrong.


EDIT:

This picture pretty much sums up what I'm trying to say:

It certainty within their rights to suspend him, no doubt about it. What I find objectionable is the idea that as a society we talk about rights, tolerance and acceptance, yet when someone expresses an objectionable opinion, we demonize them, and are anything but tolerant.

While I don't agree with a word he says with respect to GLBT issues, he has the right to express an opinion. And with the right is to expect consequences. But this whole notion of forcing group think upon people, and the quashing of divergent thinking, is more dangerous to our collective well being than the original objectionable opinion is to begin with.

WOTS is Obama loves the show saying he watches it all the time on Air Force 1, has met the peeps and even gave them cuff links as a gift.

Oops.

(12-21-2013 08:53 AM)gobaseline Wrote:  WOTS is Obama loves the show saying he watches it all the time on Air Force 1, has met the peeps and even gave them cuff links as a gift.

Oops.

What street do you live on? Not seeing that info anywhere but your post.

(12-21-2013 08:29 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  It certainty within their rights to suspend him, no doubt about it. What I find objectionable is the idea that as a society we talk about rights, tolerance and acceptance, yet when someone expresses an objectionable opinion, we demonize them, and are anything but tolerant.

While I don't agree with a word he says with respect to GLBT issues, he has the right to express an opinion. And with the right is to expect consequences. But this whole notion of forcing group think upon people, and the quashing of divergent thinking, is more dangerous to our collective well being than the original objectionable opinion is to begin with.

While I agree with what your saying, I question whether A&E is trying to force the opinion and make everyone agree with them. I haven't read into the story all that much, but didn't all they do was Suspend (maybe fine) him from the show?

(12-21-2013 08:53 AM)gobaseline Wrote:  WOTS is Obama loves the show saying he watches it all the time on Air Force 1, has met the peeps and even gave them cuff links as a gift.

Oops.

So?

(12-21-2013 10:25 AM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 08:29 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  It certainty within their rights to suspend him, no doubt about it. What I find objectionable is the idea that as a society we talk about rights, tolerance and acceptance, yet when someone expresses an objectionable opinion, we demonize them, and are anything but tolerant.

While I don't agree with a word he says with respect to GLBT issues, he has the right to express an opinion. And with the right is to expect consequences. But this whole notion of forcing group think upon people, and the quashing of divergent thinking, is more dangerous to our collective well being than the original objectionable opinion is to begin with.

While I agree with what your saying, I question whether A&E is trying to force the opinion and make everyone agree with them. I haven't read into the story all that much, but didn't all they do was Suspend (maybe fine) him from the show?

Let the natural consequences of the market decide.

(12-21-2013 10:29 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 10:25 AM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 08:29 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  It certainty within their rights to suspend him, no doubt about it. What I find objectionable is the idea that as a society we talk about rights, tolerance and acceptance, yet when someone expresses an objectionable opinion, we demonize them, and are anything but tolerant.

While I don't agree with a word he says with respect to GLBT issues, he has the right to express an opinion. And with the right is to expect consequences. But this whole notion of forcing group think upon people, and the quashing of divergent thinking, is more dangerous to our collective well being than the original objectionable opinion is to begin with.

While I agree with what your saying, I question whether A&E is trying to force the opinion and make everyone agree with them. I haven't read into the story all that much, but didn't all they do was Suspend (maybe fine) him from the show?

Let the natural consequences of the market decide.

But why can't they not want that on their channel? Maybe they aren't trying to filter out his words like everybody else is trying to say, but maybe they just don't want to have someone that they disagree with on their channel. Like... 'it's my car, I don't care if you think it should be green, I don't like green, and I want it to be red," type of thing. Inconsiderate, but yah.

(12-21-2013 10:12 AM)chipfan Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 08:53 AM)gobaseline Wrote:  WOTS is Obama loves the show saying he watches it all the time on Air Force 1, has met the peeps and even gave them cuff links as a gift.

Oops.

What street do you live on? Not seeing that info anywhere but your post.

So the news has not made it to the MP streets yet

President Obama Loves "Duck Dynasty"
Obama says family on Duck Dynasty seems like ‘pretty fun bunch’ etc etc

(12-21-2013 10:33 AM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 10:29 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 10:25 AM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 08:29 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  It certainty within their rights to suspend him, no doubt about it. What I find objectionable is the idea that as a society we talk about rights, tolerance and acceptance, yet when someone expresses an objectionable opinion, we demonize them, and are anything but tolerant.

While I don't agree with a word he says with respect to GLBT issues, he has the right to express an opinion. And with the right is to expect consequences. But this whole notion of forcing group think upon people, and the quashing of divergent thinking, is more dangerous to our collective well being than the original objectionable opinion is to begin with.

While I agree with what your saying, I question whether A&E is trying to force the opinion and make everyone agree with them. I haven't read into the story all that much, but didn't all they do was Suspend (maybe fine) him from the show?

Let the natural consequences of the market decide.

But why can't they not want that on their channel? Maybe they aren't trying to filter out his words like everybody else is trying to say, but maybe they just don't want to have someone that they disagree with on their channel. Like... 'it's my car, I don't care if you think it should be green, I don't like green, and I want it to be red," type of thing. Inconsiderate, but yah.

Don't watch the show, don't care about the duck hunters, don't care if they suspend him or not. I am simply discussing the larger societal ethos toward censoring any speech we don't like. EOD.

One of Phil's comments was this.

"I just don't get it. A man has a choice between a vaGGGina and a man's anus. There's so much more you can do with a vaGGGina. Just ain't logical."

Yeah, it's crude, but hard to disagree with.

(12-21-2013 04:35 PM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  One of Phil's comments was this.

"I just don't get it. A man has a choice between a vaGGGina and a man's anus. There's so much more you can do with a vaGGGina. Just ain't logical."

Yeah, it's crude, but hard to disagree with.

Hmm.. I guess it depends on whether or not you believe it's a 'choice.'

I see that Phil Robertson has been unsuspended. As usual, money talks. Either way, I had no problem with his right to say anything he wants to say, even something that seems so crude. As I noted earlier, the bigger threat is not from crude comments, but from repressing peoples opinions. After all, tolerance goes both ways.