This will be another random blog post, to complement the other two I’ve posted recently.
First: Reginald Finley has posted the entire archive of The Infidel Guy show on his new website. There’s over six hundred shows, including many with top-notch scientists, philosophers and authors. This is a Christmas gift to the secular community.
Second, I’ll repost a note I wrote on my facebook page called “Duck Dynasty Disaster”:
Phil Robertson, star of Duck Dynasty, recently made some comments about homosexuality (and also some racial remarks) that got him in hot water. To my astonishment, I’m seeing people on my facebook feed defending this guy and his “free speech.” I’ve got news for you folks: Having free speech doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want without being criticized. The rest of us, who also have free speech, can use this right to free speech to criticize other people for what they say. Also, the right to freedom of speech basically just means you can say what you want (short of libel or threats of violence) without the government pursuing you and without other people being violent towards you for what you’ve said. Phil Robertson is not in prison for what he said, and no mob came after him. His network dropped him. That’s something they have every right to do. They are a profit seeking business looking to do what will benefit them the most. Citing “free speech” as a reason not to fire him makes about as much sense as a waitress telling a customer to “Shove it!” and then citing free speech to her boss to save her job. Try to be more logical, folks. And for those who don’t know, Phil Robertson didn’t simply say, “I disagree with homosexuality for biblical reasons,” which probably would not have landed him in trouble. Here’s what he said:
“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical…
“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once… Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field. … They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’ — not a word!
“Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues…” [NOTE: As Jon Stewart noted, the blues were invented pre-welfare. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?].
