Duck Dynasty’s suspended patriarch – A Call to Arms?

Sidewinder

Well-Known Member
A&E, an American cable channel, suspended Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson over his calling homosexuality sinful, as he quoted the bible, in a GQ magazine interview. I do not share Robertson’s beliefs, but isn’t he entitled to some form of freedom of speech? By suspending Roberson, A&E punished a Christian guy for being a Christian and expressing his beliefs; also, he wasn’t even on the Duck Dynasty reality TV show. On the other hand, A&E frequently promotes shows that encourage juvenile violence, drugs and sexual promiscuity.

What does Duck Dynasty mean to me? I live in London, but my US residence is in a Virginian town, whose Appalachian people could easily fit the Duck Dynasty stereotype, people who grew up dirt poor but with pride, pioneer spirit and self-reliance. When I roam London gun shops filled with Purdies, H&Hs and Merkels, and when I hunt on the continent or in Africa, I sometimes feel a sense of elitism and arrogance in the atmosphere. However, not in Appalachia, where my bearded gunsmith makes rifles milled on WWII machinery that will outshoot the average high-end rifle. Growing up with guns, the average Appalachian hunter has served his country, hunts really hard, and shoots extremely well.

A&E’s attack on Phil Robertson is an elitist and statist attack on a common man, who could very well be any British farmer stalking Somerset or the Highlands. A campaign in the States is underway to boycott A&E.

Regards,
Glenn

PS: My apologies if I offended anyone as I am not degrading British hunters or London gun shops. Possibly my choice of words are wrong. I was just using the London gun shop with the Maserati out front, Lion canned hunts and now these new hunting theme parks in the states as pinnacles of elitism. When I see the extraordinary prices for some rifles and parts in this country (which the common man / farmer cannot afford), and the difficulty obtaining permits, it appears the sport caters to a select few. It wasn’t quite so in the past when taxes and regulation were less? My point is the very statism that was imported to Britain from the continent, is now being imported to America. Duck Dynasty has been attacked by the elitist left for sometime, first for their love of guns and hunting, and now for their Christian beliefs, both of which are shared by many in rural America, and were once a part of rural Britain.

"If I could only get my way!"
 

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thought I was following your thread with the expression of confusion over the suspension on the apparent hypocrisy of condemning one view while appearing to condone other views that are perhaps less palatable......then you lost me by swerving into an attack on UK gunshops and name calling :-|

I think...'whats your point....really' is what I am thinking...you want UK folks to support your boycott while calling us elitist and arrogant?
way to go on winning hearts and minds....
 
thought I was following your thread with the expression of confusion over the suspension on the apparent hypocrisy of condemning one view while appearing to condone other views that are perhaps less palatable......then you lost me by swerving into an attack on UK gunshops and name calling :-|

I think...'whats your point....really' is what I am thinking...you want UK folks to support your boycott while calling us elitist and arrogant?
way to go on winning hearts and minds....

Hunting and owning a gun in Europe is generally an elitist sport. It used to be different. The same elitism and statism imported from the EU, that's destroying this country is now destroying America. I am not calling Brits elitist by no means, but the London shops filled with their overpriced stuff that the common hunter can not afford. It looks like you are arguing just for the sake of arguing.
 
I think there are two different issues here, the first one which is appalling is the discrimination against Phill Robertson on the grounds of his religious beliefs, you cannot favour one group rights over another & he is as entitled to his views/beliefs & his right to express them as Gays are to theirs.
2nd is your chip about the elietists section of people in Britain & Europe which you say you haven't experienced in the US, & while I agree there is a huge degree of snobbery in many within the shooting field in Europe it is also a great leveller & dose exsist in the US & that is a totally separate issue which you cannot attach to this incident IMHO.
 
Sorry Sidewinder.
That very first sentence above is very wrong.
Anyone can hunt or shoot now. Its true that hunting in particular was for the Toffs. Nowadays anyone can do it,not that many want to.
The prats we call Anti's are often on a crusade against the Eletes as they see them.Farriers,plumbers,gamekeepers etc can all hunt now. Admittedly that was not always the case.

Bryan.
 
Im elite ---- Wooooo.

Can someone please tell my bank manager that!
Also my employer could do with knowing as I will be discussing contracts with him shortly.
Whilst we are at it...someone let my Mrs know this also as she seems to over look it.
 
Hunting and owning a gun in Europe is generally an elitist sport. It used to be different. The same elitism and statism imported from the EU, that's destroying this country is now destroying America. I am not calling Brits elitist by no means, but the London shops filled with their overpriced stuff that the common hunter can not afford. It looks like you are arguing just for the sake of arguing.

Got that ass backward. Used to be just for the toffs e.g. no shooting on a Sunday as Sunday was the working man's day off...
London is overpriced not only about guns.
 
It's not that long ago that us mere men would not be able to afford to go pheasant shooting or deer stalking. Peasants have always had guns for controlling vermin and other less legitimate reasons. It's relatively new that with our massive rise in disposable income we can now spend it perusing these leisure activities. The land and the game tended to belong to wealthy landowners, who met with other wealthy landowners and shot each other's game.

America was very different from it's relatively recent occupation (native Americans anyone?). They built it on a culture of everyone having guns and going out to hunt. You can never see some of the peg systems working here. Working men had guns.

The cultures are poles apart.

I think the reaction to the comments in the OP are daft - we should all be entitled to our own views.
 
When I roam London gun shops filled with Purdies, H&Hs and Merkels,

There's a London gunshop with a range of Merkels? Where? I need to pay it a visit! Now that said, the fact is that there are hardly any "ordinary" gunshops in London anymore because they can't make enough money to stay in business given the overheads and limited clientele. We London hunters are by necessity mostly hobbyists and just don't buy enough stuff regularly enough, so they have to rely on big ticket sales. If you go to Ray Ward's in Knightsbridge, you'll see that they have a surprisingly large range of falconry accessories. Also that there are a lot of Lamborghinis parked outside with Gulf number plates. You can't blame Ray Ward's, they need to make a living, and that's what their clientele wants. What it tells you is that London is a giant money-magnet and not very representative of the UK as a whole. It's a different country from Cumbria for example. It may as well be Singapore or Brisbane.

It's not just gunshops of course. Everything's bloody expensive here.
 
I can't help but feel slightly offended by this. You live in London and go to London shops and think you can call all the shooting people in the UK elitist? **** off back to America an lets hope none of our elitist attitude follows you across the Atlantic.

As for duck dynasty. I have never seen it, couldn't care less about it or anyone on it. I am only readin this thread because I am having a poo and there aren't any magazines in here.
 
I can't help but feel slightly offended by this. You live in London and go to London shops and think you can call all the shooting people in the UK elitist? **** off back to America an lets hope none of our elitist attitude follows you across the Atlantic.

As for duck dynasty. I have never seen it, couldn't care less about it or anyone on it. I am only readin this thread because I am having a poo and there aren't any magazines in here.

ha ha! I thought i was the only one who forumed on the crapper!!
 
I can't help but feel slightly offended by this. You live in London and go to London shops and think you can call all the shooting people in the UK elitist? **** off back to America an lets hope none of our elitist attitude follows you across the Atlantic.

As for duck dynasty. I have never seen it, couldn't care less about it or anyone on it. I am only readin this thread because I am having a poo and there aren't any magazines in here.

I think some of you people really misunderstand me, as I never meant that UK hunters were elitist. If paying at least £20,000 VATto buy a Purdy to fund the statist agenda is not the embodiment of elitism,then I don’t not know what is. Britain once had an empire, and it wasn’tcreated paying homage to Brussels. Keepin mind I am also British.
 
No historical context means a p*ss poor post! Elitist? When a Purdey was £100.00 a COACHBUILT Rolls-Royce was £600....in that period just before World War I. Now a COACHBUILT Rolls-Royce, or a top end Ferrari or Lambourghini today is what? And a Purdey? Still roughly one sixth of the price of the latter. So the same proportion. And as for Boss? Even the King of England didn't want to make himself afford a Boss! George V's famous quote on Boss is worth searching out. So top end guns have always been elitist.
 
A&E, an American cable channel, suspended Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson over his calling homosexuality sinful, as he quoted the bible, in a GQ magazine interview. I do not share Robertson’s beliefs, but isn’t he entitled to some form of freedom of speech? By suspending Roberson, A&E punished a Christian guy for being a Christian and expressing his beliefs; also, he wasn’t even on the Duck Dynasty reality TV show. On the other hand, A&E frequently promotes shows that encourage juvenile violence, drugs and sexual promiscuity.
Phil is an employee of A&E and was being interviewed about the show (his work).

if any employee whilst representing the company he worked for espoused such views the punishment would be the same if not worse.
 
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