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4A Daily News – Tuesday, December 31, 2013 Opinion Duck Dynasty dystopia DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Dystopia is an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. While I realize that fans of the popular A&E network entertainment series would probably disagree with this assignation, it seems like such a place considering the opinions and statements made by family patriarch Phil Robertson. As you may know, Phil attacked both African Americans and LGBT people in a recent GQ magazine interview – saying that African Americans were happier under Jim Crow laws, and equating being gay with bestiality and promiscuity. While Phil has the right to express his asinine views I was heartened when A&E suspended him from future episodes out of respect for insulted viewers. Although I don't watch the show I was aghast when viewers came to his defense in droves claiming that his free speech rights were abridged and they would boycott the network over the decision. It was particularly astounding to me that in this holiday season with great concerns over unemployment, homelessness, and the economy the suspension of a TV personality would rise to such a fevered pitch. That is until I realized that this is about far more than that after considering viewer demographics. Viewers of the show are pre- dominantly white, middle and low income, live in southern and western states, and share rural, conservative values with the principal characters. As such many fans of the show are opposed to gay marriages and continuation of efforts that redress racial discrimination. The Duck Dynasty tempest was more a visceral reaction to a series of recent losses from their perspective starting with reversal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the overturn of California Proposition 8, and the federal court refusal to accept or even hear an emergency appeal to reinstitute Utah's ban on gay marriage. In response A&E sheepishly reinstated Phil this week as it began reeling from the dramatic loss in viewership that could result from a threatened network boycott and the loss of advertising and merchandising revenue from the program as other cast members refused to continue filming without their patriarch. As a for-profit enterprise it is abundantly clear that the almightly dollar is of greater value to A&E than the principles of morality, truthfulness, or respect that compelled their initial response. Although even this is generous to them as they were probably more concerned about the loss of LGBT and African American viewers had they failed to act, until they realized that far greater losses would be incurred tion on the basis of sexual preferby conservative viewers taking ence or affiliation. While conserPhil Robertson's views as a cause vatives can claim a win with the inconsequential reinstatement of celeb for free speech. Phil Robertson to star In this regard I can in Duck Dynasty on only say that conservathe A&E network, tives can sure pick some others with far more pretty awful advocates serious social confor their cause. Considcerns regarding civil er George Zimmerman, rights and tolerance who has been arrested can bask in the light of on domestic violence the dramatic evolution and gun charges more of American conthan once since killing sciousness, legal proTrayvon Martin on Feb. tection, and public 26, 2012, in Sanford, policies affirming the Fla. Rather than the hapless block watch Richard rights of LGBT and African Americans to captain preyed upon by be free of discriminaan aggressive black tion on the job, in the teenager, it appears marketplace, when filmore likely that he is a ing taxes, or exercishot headed gun toting ing their rights to psychopath. Now nary a marry, serve in the year hence they have armed forces, and live the likes of Phil Robertson, with cringeworthy opinions free of condemnation or disrethat only a fundamentalist Chris- spect. tian duck hunter would proRichard Mazzucchi is a retired nounce without concern about research engineer specializing in what others might think. Hopefully with this flap energy efficiency and renewable behind us this might be the last energy. He has travelled gasp of conservatives fighting a extensively and now makes his losing war on the battlefield of home in Los Molinos, where he is American public opinion and striving to manifest a sustainable social policy. There is little rea- and spiritual lifestyle and operate son to believe that we will return a barbecue equipment and to our past penchants of racial supply business. He can be discrimination and discrimina- reached at living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; Email: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Who triumphs in courts, culture, graveyards? The address on "Religion and Public Life in America" by R. R. Reno, editor, First Things, delivered at Hillsdale College last February, deserved more attention than I could devote last week. Overall, his observations and arguments paint a troubling scenario for the defense of religious liberty, when juxtaposed with the determination and sweep of anti-Christian agendas and attacks. When religious liberties vanish, no one has liberty or rights. "Recent court cases and controversies suggest trends unfriendly to religion in public life." Few will likely recall the 2012 Supreme Court case involving HosannaTabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Redford, Michigan. The case title included "v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission" because the EEOC took the side of a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a dismissed teacher for supposed disability discrimination. The school said it could fire an employee under a legal doctrine, "the ministerial exception," which allows a church wide latitude to choose its religious leaders. "[While legal arguments are complex and multi-layered], in this case the Obama administration's lawyers made a shockingly blunt argument: Their brief claimed that there should be no ministerial exception. The Supreme Court rejected this argument in a unanimous 9-0 vote." In the minds of the hard left Obama lawyers, the unique prerogatives associated with religious groups to choose their own leaders are of little merit when the state's agencies see any form of (in their view) discrimination. While church employment, leadership and staffing decisions might not con- form to every conceivable application of fairness, the state must keep its hands off the religious according to first amendment protections: "Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise (of religion)." This is especially concerning "when we remember that the Left is currently pushing to add gay marriage to the list of civil rights." "Concerns about the autonomy of religious institutions are also at work in the Obama administration's tussle with the Catholic Church and her religious allies over the mandate to provide free contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs." I've mentioned this previously but what's crucial to understand is that the Obamacare law, as written, allowed for no religious exceptions. This prompted widespread public outcry, to which Obama's people then allowed that only churches have that right to "opt out of the morally controversial coverage." To religious colleges and charities, an "accommodation" was offered. To churches and their allies, the act of the all-powerful state pronouncing or granting a narrow accommodation, is an act of "accommodating" the supreme authority of the state. "When various states such as Illinois passed laws allowing gay adoptions, they did not 'accommodate' Catholic charities, but instead demanded compliance …" and the Church simply shut down adoption agencies. I imagine atheists, cheering on the state's authority in this issue, will eventually find that same state authority to be despotic when it forces conscience-violating compliance from them in other ways (Mandatory gun ownership? Mandatory military service?). Cardinal Dolan of New York worship,' but unless they accept the secular consensus, explained that (in Mr. they can't inspire their Reno's words) "for-profadherents to form instiit companies are not relitutions to educate and gious in the way that serve society in accorNotre Dame University dance with the princiis religious. Nonetheless, ples of their faith. the religious beliefs of ['Public reason' allows those who own and run religious freedom of businesses in America speech] but when their should be accorded voices contradict the some protection. This secular consensus, idea the Obama administhey're not allowed into tration flatly rejects. By our legislative chamtheir progressive way of Don bers or courtrooms … thinking, economic life should be under the full Polson What is we're seeing today a secular liberand unlimited control of wants to the federal government." The way alism that prohibition expand the Read that again … and of establishment to be very afraid. I see it silence articulate reliAnother way that gious voices and disenreligious liberty is undermined is in the legal doctrine franchise religiously motivated that "political theorists like John voters, and at the same time to Rawls have argued that our laws narrow the scope of free exercise must be based on so-called public so that the new secular morality reason, which is in fact an ambigu- can reign over American society ous, ill-defined concept that gives unimpeded." Two final quick points: Courts privileged status to liberalism." This hyper-rationalism has reared do not exist in a cultural/political its head, perhaps most prominent- vacuum; Reno notes "the rise of ly, in the judicial activism of liber- the Nones (who check 'None' for al judges from California to New religious affiliation)" from 3 perMexico to Utah, who simply reject cent to over 20 percent. They domany arguments on their face, that inate elite academic culture, contend traditional, opposite-sex media, and politics; friction with marriages are harmed by legal religion ensues. The long-term prospects for the acceptance and approval of samesex marriages. Hence, they reject ideological attackers of Christianithe voters' choices because they ty are not hopeful. Graveyards and impute inherently religious con- cemeteries are full of people, their victions as motivations for voting antagonisms and efforts to crush against gay marriage—convic- religion, which has somehow surtions simply dismissed by secular vived, even thrived, over millennia. and atheist fanatics. Reno states the following far Don Polson has called Red Bluff better than I could paraphrase: "In the world envisioned by Obama home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at administration lawyers, churches reached will have freedom as 'houses of donplsn@yahoo.com.