#Don'tPluckTheDuck

This week A&E television made one of the dumbest business moves in the history of broadcast media. They have likely lost the most-profitable, most-watched, most-followed, and most-loved non-fiction cable television prime time show in the history of cable television.

Duck Dynasty scored nearly 12 million viewers for its season premiere in 2013 (beating everything else on television that night,) and for it's Christmas special which aired a few weeks removed from the end of the season it brought back another 9 million viewers. Season five is scheduled to begin in January of 2014.

Unless they've gone and done the nearly inconceivable--alienated and ended their most successful partnership in the history of their network.

For starters they are not super analytical thinkers that take the time to examine the longer term impact of their actions. They also were evidently super easy to intimidate by the activist group GLAAD. The same sexual activist group who takes the art of defamation to new heights.

GLAAD (The Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) in fact has made a lot of money off of defaming nearly everyone it ever speaks critically of. As an organization they are so thin skinned they even refused to appear on Megyn Kelly's broadcast this week in a side by side segment with one of the personalities they regularly defame.

In short A&E's biggest problem in how they handled the "problem" Phil Robertson can be summed up in one word: "pluck."

It's an incredible word for the purpose of this discussion, largely because all four of its main definitions apply to the "problem" of Phil Robertson.

pluck (a verb) - 1. to take hold of something and quickly remove it from its place.

Describing the exact action that caused most of the distress that A&E executives are now feeling, they believed they could pluck Phil Robertson--the patriarch--from the television show that is designed around him and his family and that there would be no consequence. Oddly now this definition is what the Robertson family may also invoke. For they have confirmed that their love of family is stronger than the love of fame or dollar.

This is the element of character that Phil has consistently shown throughout his public life--saying, being, and living things that appear grotesquely politically incorrect--while never caring a lick about the need to justify his actions to the "yuppies" that would wish him to change. This is a character trait that escapes the spineless at GLAAD, and the feckless at A&E, but it is one of the definable character traits that endeared Phil Robertson--in particular--to the American people. Phil Robertson is the closest manifestation the American public has had since John Wayne of what genuine manhood looks like. Masculine, confident, tough, winsome, and kind--these are not the traits that our culture wishes its boys to grow up becoming, but they are the traits of what real men exhibit nonetheless.

It's a modern day miracle that PETA wasn't on the Robertson case long before GLAAD, for the pure consumption of game, fowl, and bullfrog that "The Duck" feasts on week after week. At least they have been wise enough to understand that America loves the Robertsons and criticisms along these lines might only increase the fascination of such living.

pluck (a verb) - 2. quickly or suddenly remove someone from a dangerous or unpleasant situation.

This was what A&E believed they had accomplished for their operation. But in doing so Duck Commander gear has sold out across the nation. In doing so more than 10 million supporters of the Robertsons have aligned themselves through social media. In doing so the network caused the sons of Phil Robertson, to step forward and demonstrate true moral courage, honor their father, their faith, and their God, and announce to the watching world that they all might put themselves on permanent hiatus from A&E.

The management of A&E thought their decision through so poorly and in such a rushed manner they didn't even attempt the math. In America there are all of possibly 9 million people who actively engage in homosexual behavior and lifestyles. Duck Dynasty turned out more than that for just one season premiere. So why cave to activists who don't even represent all of that 9 million's interest? Why especially when tens of millions of faithful viewers revived your fledgling pathetic little network simply because they love this warm-hearted, caring, loving, and funny Bible thumping family?

Genesis 13:13

Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

Psalms 12:8 The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Doonesbury Cartoon for Feb/08/2013

Isaiah 3:9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

2 Peter 2:13b Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

2 Peter 2

1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5. if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
6. if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
7. and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8. (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
9. if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
10. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
11. yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
12. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape...

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