So today in the news, it seems that everyone online is talking about Phil Robertson (ya know the backwoods guy who looks like a red neck Osama Bin Laden) and his comments about homosexuals (and might I add) African American people (since they both involve me and these comments are coming from a heterosexual Caucasian man and his thoughts on the matter) . Of course, he said nothing that I wouldn’t expect from someone in his demographic. I wasn’t surprised. If you didn’t hear about his comments that later suspended him from his TV show, he claimed homosexuality later leads to bestiality, that vagina is better than anus (is he saying this from experience?) and went on to further say black folks were happy during segregation and weren’t as unhappy as people say they were blah blah blah ( a bunch of ignorant talk) I will post the article here read it later: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/19/showbiz/duck-dynasty-suspension/ .
Last time I checked, I had a boyfriend and no way desired to have sex with my dog and even though I was born during a different time, I can safely say that African Americans are better off now than they were during the Jim Crow laws. People now are jumping on the bandwagon and saying that good ol Phil’s freedom of speech rights are being violated because he was basically taken off air because of his comments. It’s gotten so politically heated that Sarah Palin is jumping in to offer her support to allow Phil Robertson to say what he feels. So… here’s me… expressing my freedom of speech about Phil Robertson’s freedom of speech (it’s the American way) :
I could care less about what Phil Robertson thinks about homosexuals. Yes he has the right to express what he says but , when you are a public figure (ie. on televison) you are representing a brand. It’s like if you are work (Mcdonalds, the Gap, or maybe you work customer service at AT&T or something) and you say something offensive to a customer, well.. your job may be on the line. You have freedom of speech to say you don’t like this that or the other for whatever reason; but if the Brand doesn’t represent your thoughts or actions and you put their reputation on the line, they have the right to let you go.
Now the problem I find is that people have a hard time understanding how to express their beliefs without expressing bigotry. This is because they haven’t been taught nor felt the need to do so because it’s only recently that the world has moved from isolated societies to a melting pot of human thought because of the internet and cable TV. So with that, let’s define bigotry or what a bigot is:
big·ot
noun \ˈbi-gət\
: a person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc. : a bigoted person; especially : a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group (such as a racial or religious group)
Full Definition of BIGOT
: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance— big·ot·ed adjective— big·ot·ed·ly adverbExamples of BIGOT
- He was labeled a bigot after making some offensive comments.
- <an incorrigible bigot who hasn’t entertained a new thought in years>
- “It’s scandalous,” he said, in the tones once used by Colonel Blimp, Britain’s best-loved bigot, who adorned the pages of the Evening Standard throughout the 1930s. —Nicholas Fraser, Harper’s, September 1996
- [+]more
Origin of BIGOT
French, hypocrite, bigotFirst Known Use: 1660Related to BIGOT
- Synonyms
- dogmatist, dogmatizer, partisan (also partizan), sectarian
See bigot defined for English-language learners »
Now a lot of people may not think what they are saying is out of hate. In fact, they believe they are just expressing their beliefs out of love (I would hate to see how they talk to people they actually hate) . But his comments about his belief went as far as much as saying, “I’m right and whatever you are is wrong” goes into being a bigot. Once you say “you’re wrong….” you have cast a judgement. The better way is to say, “ I believe in Christianity so homosexuality isn’t for me, I don’t understand it, but I don’t judge those who do it.” Even the Pope took a way better respectful way to express his religious belief regarding homosexuals.
I don’t expect a heterosexual, practicing Christian to understand homosexuality. I’m surprised if they do! But you can not hide bigotry behind religious belief. People are members of a particular religion to consult the “divine” to be better people. When you take your belief to express your distaste for something you are not…especially if it relates to a group of people to basically belittle them then don’t be surprised that they don’t just “bend over and take it” but decide to fuck you over instead . Your freedom ends where my mine begins. Phil Roberston is welcome to believe whatever god he wants, talk about how its made him a good straight man, and how he loves keeping Christ in Christmas. I could care less. That’s his freedom. If he wants to express bigotry and get support, then he should own his brand, start a blog, get on Youtube.com and gather like-minded bigots together (*cough KKK) . But hey, I don’t watch the show any how. He doesn’t represent me or any group I’m in. He represents …the good old south Bible believing Christians. If anybody should know how to “not judge” and have “unconditional love” is should be Christians. Ah well, the struggle continues.
