The Unbiased Media

You know, as I indicated in my last post, there are far more important issues than "Duck Dynasty" for the media to be in a tither about.  Don't get me wrong ... free speech, religious freedom, left wing fascism ... these are all important subjects.  But with the economy a wreck (yes I said wreck), the glorious "market" inflated to the point where if someone sticks a tiny pin in it it will make The Depression look like a garden party, the Obamacare train wreck, the new nuclear Iran, etc., it does seem that there are more immediate issues.  But, for whatever reason, the media just won't let go of the Phil Robertson story.

In that spirit, I will dedicate one more post to this subject.  This one is not really about Phil's right as an American to say what he pleases and believe whatever he wants and being oppressed for it by a very vocal, fascist minority who has the ears of our weak corporate "leaders" and politicians.  Nope.  This is about our ever diligent media geniuses who are going out of their way to portray this incident as a violent act against the LGBT community (did you look that term up yet?) AND minorities!  Read this report:

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/12/20/many-question-under-armours-ties-to-duck-dynasty-amid-controversy/

Here's a segment of that article:

"This week, A&E suspended Robertson, the reality show’s patriarch, for comments he made about gays and blacks to GQ Magazine."

Now let's look at this little comment from a different reference point ... mine.

I don't remember EVER reading about Phil making any racist comments, which of course the reporter meant when she threw in "and blacks".  I also don't remember A&E ever stating that Phil was being suspended for "racist remarks".  So, I went to the GQ article and here is what I found (directly from the interview)"

Phil On Growing Up in Pre-Civil-Rights-Era Louisiana
“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... 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?currentPage=1

On using this as a reason for A&E's suspension of Robertson, I checked as many sites as I could looking for one single statement by the network regarding Robertson's "black" comments and I could not find one (if you can, please let me know and I'll post it).  I did find a whole bunch such as this one:

"Phil Robertson was placed “under hiatus from filming indefinitely” A&E said in a statement Wednesday according to Deadline. “His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supports (sic) and champions of the LGBT community,” the statement said.

Read more: 'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Robertson Suspended for Anti-Gay Remarks | TIME.com http://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/18/duck-dynasty-star-suspended-for-anti-gay-remarks/#ixzz2oKXgheGo

So, I think we can pretty much agree that Mr Robertson's statements, while I think naive, were definitely not racist.  So why would our ever honest and vigilant media try to portray this as a LGBT AND race issue?  Well, very simply because our liberal media is trying to bury Phil.  There's really not enough of a "LGBT" base out there to carry this particular vendetta, but if you throw in the race card, then just bar the door.

Of course, you can't really accuse this man of being a racist, so you begin by obliquely implying that somehow there was a link to A&E's reaction and racism.  Then, as you gradually increase this myth by mentioning it over and over, it spreads into "social" media and from there it becomes the de facto "truth".  Now, Robertson doesn't just believe that homosexuality is wrong based on his religious beliefs.  No sir!  Now he is a major racist.

This is how the media manipulates our perceptions and focuses the national debate, none of which is really the purpose of any news organization.  Really, with the exception of editorials or dedicated political programming, the job of a news organization is to report the news factually and truthfully, without coloring it with their opinion.  Well, at least that is what I expect.  How about you?

Nonsense such as this merely fans the flames of racism and perhaps even more importantly, damages the image and reputation of a fine man.  If this can happen to Phil, it could just as easily happen to you.


UPDATE:  I wrote the above the day before Christmas.  Since then, look at where this has gone ...

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/jackson-duck-star-white-privilege-101533.html