Monday, December 23, 2013

Which Penalty Flag I'm Only Throwing On Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson!

After multiple seasons of not watching the reality tv show, I recently started watching the show during this current season after seeing multiple reports about the Robertson family's faith and organic evangelism.

The recently interview for GQ has gotten Phil Robertson in hot water due to comments being made about his faith regarding homosexuality predominantly and there has been pure media neglect and omission over other comments made during the same interview.

Anyone's faith or lack of it is not my place to attack or defend unless it seeks to have an undue influence upon my family, neighborhood, and government and every American adult basically feels this same way.

Mr. Robertson's comments about his past life and history with African-American's in Louisiana are not upon my radar as well.  But within his comments about either those he had contact with or those he believes that request and receive governmental assistance, I found an area that warranted a penalty in my opinion.

Per the GQ article itself, Mr. Robertson is reported to have said, "Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/television/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson#ixzz2o4HdbxfP

Any comments that give the impression that people have a sense of entitlement about government assistance based only upon race is extremely nearsighted and undermines the fact that Mr. Robertson has a graduate degree in education and was a star quarterback whose quitting football opened the door for Terry Bradshaw to eventually become a hall of fame quarterback.

Based upon the revelation of his young adult accomplishments and exposure to the larger world through attending college, I am throwing the flag that only a sincere apology will overcome although I will not wait for one.

Never while watching the show did I ever feel that the family is racist in any way although the number of African-Americans that have been seen within camera shots is virtually nonexistent.  I have seen no more than 4 African-Americans within all the episodes I have seen.

Yet I do feel that Mr. Robertson's comments are more politically driven than anything else based upon his southern lifestyle.

Any southern resident that likely votes for the GOP will share his political views regardless of appearing on television regularly or not.  My belief that Mr. Robertson generally votes for the GOP is suddenly confirmed to me by the same GQ article mentioning that a tv within his home is tuned to Fox News while being muted.

The simple truth about governmental assistance is that there are more non African-Americans that receive governmental assistance while the pure percentage of the group by race within American is clearly potentially higher for African-Americans.

There is indeed an eventual addiction beyond a sense of entitlement by any and all individuals and corporations alike receiving government assistance over multiple years.  Still again, his statement remains politically or economically ignorant at best.

Bottom line, I did not begin watching "Duck Dynasty" for its political comments and until I am led to believe there is hostility towards African-Americans, I will most likely continue to watch it.

Quite frankly upon hearing about the brewing controversy, I was more inclined to ask what did Uncle Si have to say about race given that he is a Vietnam War veteran and has traveled more as a result.  The patriarch's comments about politics and/or race did not seem to make sense to me then and I am still trying to find the logic within his words.

But it is par for the course as most people on any reality tv show will eventually say something that makes you shake your head in astonishment and simply have a smh moment.

I am simply waiting for an apology Mr. Robertson and willing to remain a viewer based upon my own faith that attracted me initially to watch the show!