Effectively Confronting The Speech And Religion Nazis
In the initial hours after the Phil Roberts/Duck Dynasty controversy erupted, it looked as if the counterculture was going to score yet another grand-slam against any who would dare to contravene their twisted orthodoxy. To their dismay however, Americans are proving they have had quite enough of the sanctimony and hypocrisy of the left and the counterculture, and are not in the mood for any more of it.
Real America is understandably abuzz over the Phil Robertson Controversy. Robertson, the patriarch of the Arts and Entertainment Network series “Duck Dynasty,” has been accused of every possible crime against humanity ever since word of his interview with GQ magazine, containing his blunt assessment of homosexuality as sin, became known to the public. According to the homosexual advocacy, along with their parakeets among the media elite, Robertson was expressing “hate and intolerance” (their standard characterization of any disagreement with their lifestyle choices). Furthermore, in a clear expression of their real regard for “tolerance,” they insist that he and his kind should be banished from the public airwaves.
As if on cue, the rest of the entertainment industry stepped up to the plate and concurred with what was intended to be a universal condemnation of Robertson. In the initial hours after the controversy erupted, it looked as if the counterculture was going to score yet another grand-slam against any who would dare to contravene their twisted orthodoxy. To their dismay however, Americans are proving they have had quite enough of the sanctimony and hypocrisy of the left and the counterculture, and are not in the mood for any more of it.
Liberal calls for Robertson’s ouster from Duck Dynasty, already the biggest hit series in the history of cable television, were quickly overwhelmed by an outcry from the general public, many of whom not only agree with Robertson’s assessment of the homosexual lifestyle, they also recognize the horrendous danger posed by liberal activists who would forcibly stifle any opposition. Despite assertions that Robertson had operated out of personal malice towards the “gay” community, most of his commentary on the subject was merely a reflection of that which is plainly expressed in the Scriptures. And this is particularly telling, since on an increasing basis, it the writings of the prophets and Apostles which the counterculture seeks to marginalize and ultimately eradicate.
While this latest clash has received enormous attention, first because the left wrongly calculated that it could quickly deal a death blow to any opposition, and then because mainstream America so thoroughly and effectively rebuffed the assault, it is hardly an isolated case. Nor should its real ramifications be misinterpreted. On numerous fronts of the culture war, liberals have successfully employed their jaundiced version of “tolerance,” or the bogus contention of “separation of Church and state,” in their efforts to stamp out any belief system that might be adverse to their own. Worse yet, on far too many occasions, responses from Americans of traditional values and morality have been insipid at best, or even accommodating to the leftist worldview. Consequently, the onslaught has enjoyed successes that it never deserved, either from a strategic or philosophical standpoint.
It is perhaps appropriate that the Roberts/Duck Dynasty firestorm ensued shortly before Christmas, since it can then be weighed against the backdrop of annual caterwauling by leftist/countercultural forces seeking to erase the advent of the Savior from human recognition. Even a mild degree of scrutiny reveals a full fledged war on traditional America, seasonally centering on the observance that most Americans regard as among the holiest of the year.
Beginning with the 1962 Warren Court ban on prayer in public school, liberals have pressed relentlessly against the vast majority of the American population who ascribe in any sense to the Christian faith. Currently, Americans are regularly admonished that even the term “Merry Christmas” can be an unacceptable affront to those who do not recognize the event or its annual commemoration. On this basis, retailers have found themselves embroiled in debates of whether or not clerks should be allowed to exchange greetings with customers containing any mention of Christmas.
Among the most outlandish repercussions of this deliberately distorted mindset was an edict issued by an “equal opportunity officer” of the Camp Shelby Army Base in Mississippi, claiming that the annual “Christmas football tournament” must be renamed a “holiday tournament.” According to the “equal opportunity” officer, the word “Christmas” might be offensive to some, and on that basis was prohibited. This sorry episode evokes numerous questions about the condition of the United States military, beginning with the purpose of an equal opportunity “officer” in a service that was once dedicated to fighting and winning wars in which the nation might be engaged. Secondly, that such an individual could, in an official position, deviate from the real needs of a military unit into the mire of “political correctness,” exhibiting such ignorance of the Constitution and the First Amendment, suggests that the military is in great need of internal investigations in order to clear such muddled thinking from its ranks.
A similarly abhorrent episode occurred in the Charlie Norwood Veterans’ Medical Center in Augusta Georgia, where Christmas carols mentioning the birth of Jesus were banned. Considering the spiritual needs of so many in hospitals, whose conditions vary from dire to terminal, can such a policy be justified on any reasonable basis? Across America in schools, government offices, and even in the private marketplace, this effort continues, disingenuously claiming the mantle of the Bill of Rights, while actually being far more reflective of the most ominous and oppressive anti-Christian and anti-American philosophies.
Despite initial expectations that Phil Robertson could be rendered into another example of the dangers of running afoul of the liberal orthodoxy, he is rising above all of the rancor, remaining on message and refusing to back down or accept any of the verdicts of his accusers. Duck Dynasty merchandise is flying off the shelves, vocal public support is resounding from coast to coast, and even in the event that A&E refuses to see the light, other avenues are opening for the Robertson family to continue their heartfelt connection with real America. Rather than becoming an unwitting tool of the left, to be invoked as a means of intimidating others into compliance, the Robertsons are emerging as role models for an American resiliency and resurgence.
Christopher G. Adamo is a lifelong conservative from the American Heartland. He has been involved in grassroots and state-level politics for many years, seeking to restore and uphold the Judeo-Christian principles on which our Nation was founded. His book, "Rules for Defeating Radicals," is the "Go To" guide for effectively confronting and overcoming the dirty tricks of the political left. It is available at Amazon.
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