The family behind A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” which was exposed earlier today by this blog as being nothing more than a fraud and not at all the “good ole boys” they pretend to be rallied around its patriarch Thursday, one day after the network suspended Phil Robertson over slur remarks he made about gays and blacks in GQ magazine.
“While some of Phil’s unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are grounded in the teachings of the Bible. Phil is a Godly man who follows what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Phil would never incite or encourage hate. “We are disappointed that Phil has been placed on hiatus for expressing his faith, which is his constitutionally protected right. We have had a successful working relationship with A&E but, as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty,”
Robertson did have his freedom of speech. He said what he said and was allowed to. But being given a free pass and not suffering the ramifications of what he said is not his Constitutional right especially when it has to do with business. Your employer, in this case A&E has the right to decide whether your publicly stated ideas gibe with their corporate culture. virtually all modern employee agreements state that your digital conduct can cost you your job. so this man’s first amendment rights are protected. He isn’t protected by his employer’s culture and public reputation. Rights come with responsibilities. Responsibilities come with consequences. His children who are all college educated and well off and only dress-up and play “simple folk” on television could tell him that.
