Duck Dynasty star's suspension “fascist and Stalinist”; Camille Paglia

For those on another planet or who haven’t seen the show, Duck Dynasty is a sort of ‘reality show’ based on the lives of a real life family from the Louisiana bayous whose success is based on their production of duck hunting accessories.  The stars, the Robertson family, base their lifestyle around hunting and strong Christian conservative attitudes.

It is an immensely popular show with an estimated sixteen million regular viewers.

Patriarch of the show, Phil Robertson has been suspended from it owing to his views on what constitutes sinfulness including homosexuality, as expressed in an interview in GQ.  Some of his comments have been dropped from the article, but according to Katie Pavlich at Townhall included: 

GQ. What, in your mind, is sinful? 

Robertson. “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right. 

“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?

This has caused consternation in GLAAD and other gay rights groups who believe that equality is not enough and demand universal approval.  They have successfully lobbied for his dismissal.

Lesbian libertarian, Camille Paglia has slammed the decision and the groups who demanded it as fascists, labeling it as Stalinist and a violation of free speech: 

“I speak with authority here, because I was openly gay before the ‘Stonewall Rebellion,’ when it cost you something to be so,” said Paglia. “And I personally feel as a libertarian that people have the right to free thought and free speech.” 

It’s unlikely that you need any background, but Phil Robertson Became the target of GLAAD and other one-track advocates for gay rights after his remarks in a GQ article reflecting personal views on the depravity of homosexuality and other Biblical sins went viral. A&E responded to GLAAD pressure by indefinitely banning him from appearing in future episodes of “Duck Dynasty.” 

That, according to Paglia, was a “fascist,” freedom-squelching move. 

“In a democratic country, people have the right to be homophobic as they have the right to support homosexuality – as I 100 percent do. If people are basing their views against gays on the Bible, again they have a right to religious freedom there … to express yourself in a magazine in an interview. This is the level of punitive PC, utterly fascist, utterly Stalinist, okay? – that my liberal colleagues in the Democratic party and on college campuses have supported and promoted over the last several decades. It’s the whole legacy of the free-speech 1960s that have been lost by my own party.” 

Don’t look under any rocks for more ideological liberals to join Paglia in the Robertsons’ defense. Then again – the Duck Commander clan likely doesn’t need it. A Facebook page protesting A&E’s decision to yank Phil had received 800,000 “likes” by late Thursday – only a few hours after it first went online.

For A&E, this is not a matter of freedom of speech; they have the right to hire and fire as they wish, on any pretext.

The real fascists in this are those who wish to muzzle any form of opinion that disagrees with their own, or disapproves of the cause they are advocating.  Unfortunately, it appears that they are winning.