Pondering,,, (Pt 2)

Let's put the religious rhetoric aside for the moment, because if one looks at the facts of this debacle it has nothing to do with religion. 

We all know that A&E is a company, a LLC to be exact.  It is a joint venture between Hearst Corporation and Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.  As a corporation, A&E has interests that it wishes to protect; just as Hobby Lobby does.  Robertson's comments affected those interests.

Robertson, as an employee and representative of A&E,  is subject to certain guidelines (whether implicitly or explicitly); he is ultimately responsible for how he represents himself.  For example,  in 2010 Mark Hurd, Chairman and CEO of HP, resigned from the company at the request of the company’s Board of Directors as a result of inappropriate behavior in which he engaged that violated HP’s Standards of Business Conduct.  In 2012, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn resigned after the retailer's board launched an investigation into his personal conduct.  And who can forget the Martha Stewart in 2002.  For our sake here, it doesn't matter what the conduct was, just that said conduct was against company policy. J

Although Robertson is an employee of A&E, like the CEOs mentioned about he is a frontline person, a celebrity.  With that status he is held to a different standard of “free speech” than an ordinary citizen.  Robertson has the right to stand on stage and hate on minorities, but as an employee of A&E there are repercussions; suspension or even losing one's job comes mind.  Mr. average Joe Blow on the other hand, may go to an Open-Mic, do a spoken word piece slamming a minority group, worst case might get his ass kicked.

Plain and simple this is about A&E protecting their brand and financial interests.  Is Robertson being thrown in jail or prosecuted for his remarks?  No.  His remarks are his own personal views, which he has every right to believe, no matter how ill-informed they might be.

"Just so you know, we're on the good side with y'all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."  Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, March 10, 2003