Editor's Note: Dan Gainor, MRC's Vice President for Business and Culture addressed the recent suspension of "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson in the following statement to Variety today:
TV networks might claim they support free speech, but the suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson shows that to be an utter lie. They only support free speech they agree with. Foul comments by MSNBC’s Martin Bashir take weeks to resolve, but utter your Christian beliefs in an inartful way and you are instantly suspended by A&E. This is just the latest example of media outlets bowing to the militant LGBT agenda that would remove all voices for traditional marriage from TV. [statement continues after page break]
This isn’t a surprise. A&E created a show that tried to make fun of rustic rubes and discovered it had inadvertently created a show that celebrated non-Hollywood values of faith, family and freedom. It didn't mean to create a pro-family show. Just as in sitcoms like Beverly Hillbillies, the ‘rubes’ outsmarted the city folk. Now that it can’t hide that fact, it wants to punish the very stars it helped celebrate.
Remember, A&E has never been comfortable with the Robertson’s faith. Back in April, Phil Robertson said the network had even tried deleting mention of ‘Jesus’ from the family prayer.”
