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“Sadly, A&E is in danger of destroying one of the most-valuable franchises in the television industry and offending 40 million Americans in the process,” Reed said. “If its management is smart, they will move swiftly to repair the damage before it is too late.”
By Todd Beamon, Newsmax — Conservative political activist Ralph Reed on Thursday called on the 800,000 members of the Faith & Freedom Coalition to boycott the A&E Network until “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson is reinstated to the program.“Phil Robertson’s suspension is a brazen act of anti-Christian bigotry,” Reed, the coalition's chairman, said in a statement.
Robertson was placed on indefinite suspension by the cable network on Wednesday after he compared homosexuality to having sex with animals in a published magazine interview.
But Robertson has since received broad support from conservatives and Republican politicians ranging from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
In the interview, Robertson "never represented his views and values as being those of A&E or the producers of 'Duck Dynasty,' " Reed said. "He was specifically asked about his views on sin and God’s best plan for humanity — and he answered honestly, forthrightly, even directly.
"His comments were based on his faith in God, not animus directed at gays or others who might be different from him," Reed added.
"To suspend Robertson under these circumstances is sanctioning him for holding Christian faith and beliefs — and it is a sign of a broader intolerance, bigotry, and discrimination against Christians that has no place in America."
The coalition's boycott efforts will also include telephone calls, email blasts, mailings, and text messages. Member are urged to write A&E executives to protest the suspension.
Reed said that he, too, wrote network officials over the matter.
"Sadly, A&E is in danger of destroying one of the most-valuable franchises in the television industry and offending 40 million Americans in the process," Reed said. "If its management is smart, they will move swiftly to repair the damage before it is too late." » Full Article
Related Stories/Newsmax:
» Limbaugh: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Flap Signals Backlash on Political Correctness
» ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Phil Robertson Suspended Over Anti-Gay Comments
» Newsmax
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