If you know my relationship with my Sister, you will probably know that she asked me not to waste one minute of worry on what I'm about to blog about, and that I would probably blog about it anyway. The good news it's not a letter to my Dad.
One of my blogs eons ago was about a show I truly loved. Duck Dynasty. I think I may have even blogged that I could spend a year in that show or something like that. It was a show I happened upon, came across accidentally. It kinda found me. I loved it. I didn't love it AS much when it went nuts and the whole world started talking about it and you could buy Duck Dynasty crap in every store in this land. And I mean every. The first season was and will always be my favorite. It was the least scripted and the most off the cuff and improv of them all. They have since become incredibly scripted and that to me ruins any show like that. That being said, I supported them. Loved what they stood for, their faith in Jesus, family values, etc. mostly that it still felt like they were wealthy and didn't flaunt it. Well, until you could buy a Duck Dynasty lighter at Casey's. And really, they don't necessarily flaunt it except for being invited to every awards show on the planet for reasons I will never know.
Who cares right? They were multimillionaires before the show they will be after the show. And they were a gold mine for A&E. So honest to God who cares what Phil Robertson thinks about gays? He's entitled to his opinion. He is entitled to speak about it. He's entitled to shout it over mountain tops and wear poster boards to preach it. He can do whatever the hell he wants. And so can A&E, who pay him a delightful appearance fee just to show up places and be present. Money he never needed anyway. But that's not the point. You can't be pissed at A&E for suspending him. Because they are acting on their beliefs. I didn't say it was right. I am saying its contradictory to support his right to say it but not their right to act. I don't think it's a gay, racial, stereotypical move on A&E's part because frankly how many of that demographic watch the damn show?
I can tell you this. My Ernie Johnson's three lessons in life. Phil Robertson is not my family nor does he affect my family in any way. I do not have to sleep with Phil Robertson. And lastly I'm not financing him nor is he me, so therefore, I give two shits less about his feelings about homosexuality. He does not affect me in the least. I don't care what religion you believe in, what God you pray to, what services you attend or what book you follow, I was not put on this earth to judge another human being or preach to them. So that is what I expect in return. If you think I'm going to hell because of my lifestyle, then you are free to think that. Because for the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone cares or how it affects them. I don't want to know what anyone does in the privacy of their home or wherever, so why should anyone be concerned about what I do?
I was not disappointed in his statement. Not at all shocked either. Not even in the least. I am glad he found Jesus and wants to preach his word. The Jesus I believe in never wanted any of this, nor did he judge. I will have my judgement day as will everyone else. And if I stand before God and his son and he tells me that my heart, my compassion, my honesty, my selflessness and all the other things I do for the good of others, meant nothing compared to who I chose to love, well then I've wasted a life time now haven't I? But only I have to deal with those consequences. Not you or anyone else.
His words did not hurt me. In all honesty not many peoples do anymore. A lot of my friends support him and his freedom to speak his opinions. No one respects that more than I. What did hurt? The number of friends that supported the context of his statements. And that's ok too. We are all entitled to believe what we want to believe.
Opinions are like those one things...you know. Everyone has one.
