Faith & Freedom Coalition Applauds A&E Network Decision on Duck Dynasty
Says A&E “Belatedly Came to their Senses” after “Nearly Destroying the Most Valuable Franchise on Cable Television”
The Faith & Freedom Coalition today applauded the decision by A&E Networks to reverse its suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star and family patriarch Phil Robertson after he made remarks in an interview with GQ magazine expressing his Christian faith and belief in the Bible. A&E suspended Robertson last week for the comments, eliciting a firestorm of protest from faith-based supporters of the family.
“A&E Networks belatedly came to their senses,” said Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of Faith & Freedom Coalition. “Their rash suspension of Mr. Robertson threatened to destroy the most valuable franchise on cable television and alienate 40 million evangelical Christians in the process. While Mr. Robertson used some admittedly ill-advised language in the interview, he said nothing that justified this punishment. He simply quoted the Bible in answering a question about his faith. We applaud A&E for taking this step and hope the network will never again take the bizarre step of sanctioning someone for expressing their Christian faith.”
Noting the network announced its decision late on the Friday prior to New Year’s, he nevertheless welcomed the measure. “Better late than never,” said Reed.
Faith & Freedom Coalition had previously launched a grassroots campaign in support of Mr. Robertson and “Duck Dynasty,” encouraging its 700,000 members and supporters to contact A&E and demand his reinstatement. The campaign included online banner ads, over 300,000 blast emails and phone calls to FFC members, and ads on Facebook and Twitter.
Faith & Freedom Coalition is a grassroots public policy organization with over 800,000 members and activists in 400 local chapters and 32 state affiliates, working to advance sound public policy that strengthens the family and promotes common-sense, time-honored values.