British man arrested for making jokes about Mandela on the internet.

[Beriallord]

I don't think its a coincidence that the same group of commies that want to take away free speech rights would also like to take away our guns.

 

About the worst offense recently I can think of in the USA about a clear attack on free speech rights is what A&E did to Phil Robertson about his comments about homosexuals. The guy is an old hillbilly, and makes no bones about it, what do people expect someone like him to say? Yes there are people like that in the USA, and they don't really care that its 2013, and have no intentions of ever "getting with the times". Which probably has a whole lot to do with why people even watch the show.

 

The butthurt reprisal was then taken even further by a restaurant chain called Cracker Barrel that removed all the Duck Dynasty products from the shelves.

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/cracker-barrel-apologizes-says-it-is-selling-all-duck-dynasty-products

 

If anyone has ever eaten in a Cracker Barrel, its a country store, with southern cooking, a place that mostly White people, who are mostly Christians frequent. I'm not saying gay people don't eat there, but they aren't exactly at any risk of offending anyone by leaving Phil Robertson merchandise on the shelves. And the ones who are offended should honestly go pound sand. But who they did succeed in offending are free speech advocates, who made their voices heard, and this battle was won because enough people said something.

 

People in the USA are getting increasingly irritated with all the PC bullcrap. To the point where there is going to be a serious social revolution here soon, and the ones towing the PC line are going to quickly find out exactly how small of a minority they really are.

Edited December 23, 2013 by Beriallord

[Tidus44]

Phil Robertson is not some down-home, salt of the earth, old hillbilly. He has degrees in physical education and a masters degree in education; he also runs a multi-million dollar company that sells hunting equipment. He is far from being what he portrays on TV. What he is, in fact, is a corporate shill, a sell-out for money who has no moral problem doing anything including portraying a stereotypical redneck on TV so he can sell more of his companies products and become richer.

Duck Dynasty has no more basis in reality than any other scripted, directed and set up TV show – all of them are acting, and all are multi-millionaires who will do whatever to get richer, including creating controversy to increase attention to them self.

As for the show’s popularity? It’s all about feeling good at the expense of someone else. The dumber they act the more popular the show becomes because people get to feel intellectually superior watching a bunch of sell outs act like they are as dumb as a bag of hammers.

 

The suggestion that A&E has attacked free speech is indicative of how people have no concept, no appreciation and no understanding of rights and freedoms. One right and freedom does not supersede another right or freedom.

A&E has the right and the freedom of association as much as Phil Robertson has the right to freedom of expression. Robertson was not told to shut up or to stop believing whatever, he wasn’t censored or arrested or anything terrible and can still go out and say and believe whatever it is he wants to say and believe; he just isn’t going to do it while a representative of A&E. And he certainly wasn’t interviewed because he is an interesting person or because he has anything intelligent to say; he was interviewed because he is a TV personality on a show that holds some popularity, and no matter where he goes or what he does, that is all that he is - a TV personality who is under the employ of a company that sets the rules of employment.

 

And when it comes right down to it why in heck does anyone even care what Phil Robertson says or believes or even what happens between him and his employer? He is just another religious zealot who crudely expressed a biased, bigoted opinion and because he just happens to have some attention at the moment he thinks that what he says or believes counts for something to anyone other than his own insignificant and closed little world. He isn’t a hero or someone to look up to, he’s just another closed minded fool who didn’t pass up the opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

A&E is just an entertainment company that is trying to sell a product and run their business in a manner that maximizes profits and if that means slapping the hand of some dim bulb employee who can’t keep their mouth shut and avoid controversy, then that’s between them and the employee, it isn’t about rights and freedoms.

 

Yes, people are getting tired of the PC commie crap but they are also getting tired of the counter PC commie crap, particularly those who think that only certain rights and freedoms count and who misrepresent the facts and just out and out lie to generate controversy and animosity.

[MajKrAzAm]

Boy I sure love this tv show about swamp billies and hunting, I love how they are simple folk who like to hunt and pray and OH MY GOD WHO COULD HAVE GUESSED A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN REDNECK COULD DISLIKE HOMOS.

[colourwheel]

Just a short comment about Phil Robertson.... He does indeed have the right to make any comments he wishes, his 1st amendment rights have not been violated at all... But just like anything and everything has consequence to what you say or what you do in the public spotlight on record... Just imagine if Phil was caught on the record bashing Christians and making rude comments about everyone from the south.... A&E is just a business and like any business has the right to make the business decisions popular or unpopular to protect the integrity of their investments and advertisers (you know the way the network makes their money?)... This is just capitalism at work....

Edited December 23, 2013 by colourwheel

[JimboUK]

People have a right to to free speech but private companies aren't under any obligation to provide a platform for it, it's not often I agree with Colourwheel but this is indeed "capitalism at work".

[HeyYou]

A&E wasn't providing the platform. They are reacting to an interview.

 

Sure, they have the right to decline to continue to employ Phil. The rest of the clan also has the right to decline to continue the series on A&E, without Phil. Will be interesting to see how that one plays out. Will money triumph over "morals"?

 

As for Phil, he may have degrees, he may be educated, but, that does not make him any less of a Redneck.

[colourwheel]

Martin bashir last month was forced to resign MSNBC after a comment he made suggesting someone should defecate in Sarah Palin's mouth after a comment Palin made "trying" to compare the national debt to slavery. Sure, Sarah Palin maybe a world class "idiot" and a "dimwitted bimbo" or even America's "resident dunce" but even suggesting she deserves defecation was a little bit over board... (defecation was used as punishment for slaves where as one slave was force to defecate in another slaves mouth)

The point is when you're in the public spot light anything you say on the record will be up to scrutiny regardless of ones personal background or beliefs.

Phil Robertson is no exception to this even as a person who stars on a popular TV show. It's just safe to say no matter how deeply you have hatred for something or someone based on personal beliefs it's sometimes just wise to remain mute on on certain subjects, especially if you are a TV personality....

Edited December 27, 2013 by colourwheel

[Harbringe]

 

Martin bashir last month was forced to resign MSNBC after a comment he made suggesting someone should defecate in Sarah Palin's mouth after a comment Palin made "trying" to compare the national debt to slavery. Sure, Sarah Palin maybe a world class "idiot" and a "dimwitted bimbo" or even America's "resident dunce" but even suggesting she deserves defecation was a little bit over board... (defecation was used as punishment for slaves where as one slave was force to defecate in another slaves mouth)

The point is when you're in the public spot light anything you say on the record will be up to scrutiny regardless of ones personal background or beliefs.

Phil Robertson is no exception to this even as a person who stars on a popular TV show. It's just safe to say no matter how deeply you have hatred for something or someone based on personal beliefs it's sometimes just wise to remain mute on on certain subjects, especially if you are a TV personality....

 

 

 

No its not the same for these 2 examples , Phil Robertson was asked by another show what his opinion was on a certain matter , its not like on his own show he was using the show itself as a means of propagation for those views , which is what Martin Bashir did on his own show on MSNBC . Two entirely different things . Agree or disagree with what Phil Robertson said , it really comes down to is someone allowed to ask the question and is the respondent allowed to give an honest answer as he or she see's it . If not then certain questions will never be asked and honest answers will never be found and that's the problem with political correctness.

[colourwheel]

Well I guess A&E reversed their decision to suspend Phil Robertson from the Duck Dynasty TV show today. I guess A&E is quite comfortable to run on a platform of personalities who share bigotry towards people who are homosexual... Makes one wonder if they made the right decision or not.... Not like I really watched any A&E programing either way But I could possibly see a lot of people who are homosexual might just stop watching A&E all together....

Edited December 28, 2013 by colourwheel

[Flintlockecole]

I do not often come to this part of the forum for various reasons I'd rather not list. I myself do not own a TV unless you count my computer monitor for I could care less what people dumb themselves down with these days. Now I actually had to go looking into this subject of this Phil fellow. So he make several anti-homosexual comments at a church or something or other and everyone is outraged? My question is why in the world is everyone getting all angry about things that do not concern them or better yet why are people giving two s***s about it? By the Bill of Rights his right to say whatever the hell he wants to is protected by it regardless if it hurts someone porcelain feelings or whatever stirs up the modern folk as I call them.

 

Personally speaking I couldn't care for what he has said or what he will say in the future. It doesn't effect me and I'm quite sure it doesn't effect any of you in the least bit for the fellow is a Television personality, not someone who'll knock on your door and hit you with a big stick several times over and really give you something to cry about.

 

I've decided to post the first amendment of the Bill of Rights for those not familiar with it.

 

 

Bill of Rights

Amendment I

 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances