Killing the Duck that Laid the Golden Eggs

1 CommentHomosexuality, Religious Freedom, , , , ,

You may have seen the news this week that A&E has indefinitely suspended Phil Robertson from filming the hit reality show ‘Duck Dynasty.’

Phil made comments in an interview with GQ calling homosexuality a sin and referencing scripture. His discussion was graphic and doesn’t win a lot of points for tact, but then again, if you watch the show, you know Phil Robertson doesn’t always beat around the bush.

Of course, when GLAAD and others read Phil’s comments, they immediately put in calls to A&E, who airs the show. A&E responded with a statement that read in part:

“[Phil’s] personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.”

Here’s the problem. Say what you will, but Phil Robertson was articulating his deeply-held religious convictions concerning sexual sin (if you read the interview, you know he doesn’t limit the discussion to homosexuality). A&E even says in its statement that these are Phil Robertson’s “personal views” and not those of the network. They could have left it at that; they could have simply said, “Phil believes what he believes; we disagree, but what he believes is his business.” Television networks do that all the time when stars say or do things that are controversial. Instead they fired him.

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From FRC: The Fallout of a “Post-Nuclear” U.S. Senate

Current Events, Judicial Confirmations,

You may recall last month when the United States Senate invoked “the nuclear option” changing the Senate’s rules, making it possible for a simple majority of senators to confirm President Obama’s executive and judicial nominees.

As you know, these nominations are for lifetime appointments to some of our nation’s most powerful courts. So it stands to reason we would want them filled by people a large consensus of our lawmakers agree are qualified for the job, right? Not under the new system.

Family Research Council has articulated very succinctly what the fallout is proving to be in this “post-nuclear” United States Senate:

Senator Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) party got a bench for Christmas — a federal one. That’s the unfortunate effect of the Left’s latest power grab, which yesterday yielded its first prize: a radical appointment to the D.C. Circuit Court. Two months ago, the nomination of Patricia Millett, an anti-Christian, anti-marriage ideologue, was a nonstarter under the chamber’s historic 60-vote threshold. That all changed before Thanksgiving when the Left steamrolled the Senate’s rules and unleashed the majority on a confirmation system that, until recently, gave both parties a say in the process. Now, in this “post-nuclear” world, the Senate that most Americans complained was moving too slowly is suddenly shifting into high gear to give the President’s picks lifetime jobs.

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U.S. Military Unique in All the World

Current Events,

The U.S. Military is, without a doubt, unique. It is the first military in the history of the world capable of deploying to almost any country on any inhabited continent in a matter of days or hours.

In the wake of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, that became a U.S. priority: Put military personnel anywhere at a moment’s notice and in record time. That’s why we keep ships at sea 24 hours a day, and that’s why we have so many military bases scattered all over the world. The idea was we should be able to aid our allies and stop our enemies before the fighting reaches our shores.

This week, however, Associated Press has highlighted how that rapid deployment capability is being used for something else: Humanitarian aid in the Philippines.

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