To: A&E Network
Bigotry doesn't belong on television
Racism and anti-gay bigotry are unacceptable. The religious right doesn't speak for most Christians or most viewers. A&E must stand strong and keep Phil Robertson off Duck Dynasty.
Why is this important?
Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the family featured on the hit TV show Duck Dynasty, just went on a racist and anti-gay tirade comparing homosexuality to bestiality and saying that African Americans were "godly" and "happy" during segregation.
A&E Network, which produces Duck Dynasty, responded by putting Phil Robertson on indefinite hiatus, but now they're coming under attack from the religious right.
Already Sarah Palin, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and the National Organization for Marriage are claiming that he's being unfairly persecuted for his religious beliefs.
Sadly, this is becoming a huge media story dominated by anti-gay conservatives, and A&E is being accused of being anti-Christian -- when the reality is that most Christians and most viewers are appalled by Robertson's hateful rhetoric.
Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech--but not everyone is entitled to a TV show as a platform. It's up to viewers like us to raise our voices and express our outrage when TV stations--like A&E--provide a venue for people with hateful speech.