Sadly, we must open the new year with another story about the ravings of an apparent bigot, homophobe and promoter of preying on underage girls who, amazingly, is used as an icon by those who desperately need to rationalize their own biases.
Phil Robertson, the “Duck Dynasty” patriarch who landed in hot water late last year by using — and many believe misusing — the Bible to support opposition to gay marriage and racism, is creating headlines again because of remarks he made in 2009 urging adult men to court and marry 15 or 16 year old girls because they will “pick their ducks” and not their pockets.
In a speech to the “Sportsmen’s Ministry” in Georgia in 2009, Robertson — who at age 20 married his underage girlfriend to avoid going to prison for statutory rape — tells an audience that they should look for underage girls who can cook and “know how to pick your ducks” because if they marry adult women “the only picking that’s going to take place is your pocket.”
Robertson knows how to mess around with underage girls. His future wife was 14 when she got pregnant by him — he was 20 — and he married her at 16 to keep the state of Louisiana from tossing him into prison for statutory rape.
He later abused his wife and children and went to jail more than once before giving up the bottle, claiming he “found God” and repented. But his conversion in life apparently did not stop him from advising other adult men to prey on young women.
A Nexis search of newspaper and magazine articles shows Robertson, in recent years, has advocated lowering the age of consent in Louisiana to 14. Doing so would allow girls as young as 15 to engage in sexual activity with older men without legal reprisal. Women as young as 15 could also marry without needing their parents’ permission.
In more than one story, Robertson says the Bible “advocates” marriage by women at very young ages.
Interestingly, the video was first placed on YouTube by one of the companies controlled by the millionaire Robertsons, who got rich in the duck call business. It was later removed but has surfaced again.
Some claim that Robertson was “just being an entertainer” from the pulpit and that people in the audience “were laughing” at his remarks.
Others do not find remarks that promote preying on underage girls “entertaining” and have a hard time accepting Robertson’s homophobia and bigotry excusable as the purported “word of God.”
“Phil Robertson,” says Piers Morgan of CNN, “is a victim of his own repulsively racist, homophobic bigotry.”
Among those who defend Robertson is Bristol Palin, daughter of failed Alasksa governor and unsuccessful vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Palin calls criticism of Robertson “hypocritical,” an interesting comment by a woman who got pregnant at 17 and didn’t marry the on-again, off-again boyfriend who fathered the child.
Bristol Palin comes by her hypocrisy genetically. Sarah Palin, her mother, who preaches moral values but is more liberal when it comes to sexual activity, had a history of one-night stands with basketball players while working as a television sports reporter and had an affair with her husband’s now former business partner.
Which raises the question: Is Robertson’s empire is really built on faith, as he claims, or simply carefully-manufactured rationalizations of biases, immoral activity and lies?
8 thoughts on “Phil Robertson: A 'man of God' or a sexual predator?”
Thanks for posting this. It’s astounding that this hasn’t hit the airwaves and gives lie to the myth of liberal bias.
Why don’t you do something positive with your article instead of throwing stones. Could you withstand what you and countless others are doing to him? Wow! I just don’t get how you can justify contributing to destroying someones life. But you don’t have to answer to me. You have to answer to God. Think about what you are doing before it’s to late. New reports such as this are so biased it’s ridiculous. This article is disgusting and I am offended.
Doug, your shots at Sarah Palin are unfair, and a bit surprising coming from a seasoned and respected reporter. These charges were made over two years ago by a biased stalker trying to sell his exposé book on Mrs. Palin, and then spread by the National Enquirer. You present as facts accusations that have been denied by those involved, and promptly rejected by the mainstream press. Even the liberal New York Times dismissed these rumors as “caustic, unsubstantiated gossip”. If you wish to rehash these unfounded and damaging rumors for some reason, at least acknowledge that they are just that – unfounded rumors from a biased source.
Tom
Sorry Tom but the hypocrisy of Sarah Palin is long documented and continues even today.
Basketball star Glen Rice confirmed a one-night stand with Palin and both it and her six-month affair with her husband’s business partner were documented in the book by reporter and best selling author Joe McGinnis in his book, Others, including members of the family of Palin’s extra-marital lover, also confirmed the affair.
Her emergence as a defender of a questionable reality TV star like Phil Robertson made her past transgressions noteworthy again and showcases a blatant hypocrisy by a former Alaska governor who resigned in the middle of her first term in office to cash in on her sudden celebrity.
I also didn’t mention, but have reported elsewhere before, that Palin — mother of a daughter who gave birth of a child out of wedlock — also eloped with her husband Todd when she, herself, was pregnant.
Interesting behavior from someone who claims to be such a staunch supporter of “family values.” But I’m used to the hypocrisy of politicians. It has long been my job to expose them.
It is interesting that Palin, as she so often does, made a lot of noise about suing McGinnis over the reports in his book about reports of her sexual behavior. She never did. According to some close to her she was told by her attorneys that such a suit did not have a chance because “truth is an absolute defense” for McGinnis and truth, as happens so often in her case, was not on her side. 🙂
Hi Doug,
Joe McGinnis is the very biased, stalking author I was referring to. He has been widely discredited by the mainstream press, who dropped this story like a hot potato. Even the so called confirmation from Glen Rice was reported by McGinnis, and Palin’s husband’s business partner strongly denied the charges. The liberal press would have been all over this story like flies on honey if it had ANY verifiable basis, but they ran instead.
In any case, I’m not trying to defend Mrs. Palin – I don’t know what she did, and neither do you. My point is simply that presenting these accusations as fact rather than alleged, claimed, or rumored, is a disservice to your readers. The story is dubious at best and a balanced presentation would have been more fair.
As for Palin’s daughter, yes she had sex as an unmarried teenager. You are free to condemn that if you like, assuming you are guilt free, but you’ll need to condemn the majority of the USA population as well. I don’t know a single person who married as a virgin. Picking on one girl to discredit her mother’s morals seems a bit of a stretch to me.
Doug, I’m all for exposing hypocrisy, provided there is a sound basis. When there is not, some hedging and balanced disclosure is appropriate.
Tom
Sorry, the “liberal press” stereotype doesn’t work with me. I’ve heard that overused cliche tried too many times before. You are quoting conservative blogs primarily with your charges about McGinnis. I know Joe. I’ve covered campaigns with him, I trust him and his judgement. His “stalking” as you claim was simply renting a house next door to the Palins while he researched his book, conducted interviews with those close to her and did his job. In my opinion your accusations are just the same kinds of bias that I have heard over and over from the rabid right and I am inclined to dismiss such claim as bias. My story stands and I will continue to cover the hypoccrisy of Palin and her ilk as often as possible.
No problem Doug, I respect your position. I appreciate your allowing me to present an opposing view.
Tom
So Pam, let me see if I understand you correctly, you don’t think it’s disgusting for men to pursue under age girls, as advocated by Phil Robertson, but instead you are offended by this article for exposing this ugly truth about Phil Robertson. Wow Pam, I’m amazed by your uncanny ability to worship a reality tv star. Not only were you able to pretend Robertson wasn’t guilty of any wrong doing, you also managed to make him the innocent victim as well! You’re a real piece of work Pam. Oh and one last thing, new reports such as this are not biased or ridiculous simply for exposing the unflattering truth about your favorite reality tv star! You aren’t really offended by this article, Pam, the truth often hurts, and you just can’t handle it!
Comments are closed.