As I talk with gun owners from around the country, I would have to say that the Robertsons are both typical and atypical of American gun owners. The Robertsons poverty-to-privilege narrative is clearly exceptional, and their fame remarkable. However, the family's deep appreciation for hunting, the outdoors, family, and "redneck" living is certainly not--and neither is their faith. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, "Americans who are most likely to own guns or share a household with a person who owns a gun include members of the Tea Party (63%), white evangelical Protestants (58%), and Republicans (60%). Americans who are least likely to own guns or share a household with a person who owns a gun include Democrats (34%), Catholics (32%), Northeasterners (27%), and non-white Americans (23%)" (http://publicreligion.org/research/2012/08/august-2012-prri-rns-survey/#.ViAJhZRHarU). The Robertsons certainly fit into several of these categories.
I referred above to the Robertson family's "privilege," but they would almost certainly prefer the term, "blessing." In their view, the position they now find themselves in is not simply the result of winning the economic lottery: They have been given a calling, and they now have responsiblities to the One who provided that calling.
In a recent edition of the popular magazine Guns & Ammo (November 2015), Willie and Jase Robertson were asked, "What are the top three things that you'd credit your family's success to?" (p. 75). Willie replied,"Faith for sure, our family's willingness to stick together and our incredible good looks . .. (laughs). Perhaps the third thing we've been blessed with is the gift of storytelling" (p. 76). Jase's answer: "God is number one. The best part of the show has been exposing people to Christianity through our prayer at the end of every episode. Phil has gone on to baptize hundreds of people into the faith. It makes us humble and proud" (p. 76). Jase goes on to tell a story about his uncle Si, also an outspoken Christian: "When Si took the director of the first 'Duck Dynasty' show on a tour of the river,Si told theman, 'Technically, you're not directing this. God is" (p. 76). These two Robertson men clearly believe that the platform they've been given is a divine gift, and one they intend to use.
Phil Robertson in particular takes his newfound platform very seriously, unapologetically using it to comment on matters of faith, politics, and values. One finds Phil Robertson commenting on everything from ISIS ()http://youtu.be/qhYbxCRcLCM) to homosexuality (http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/12/18/phil-robertson-suspended-after-comments-about-homosexuality/). The Bible plays a central role in how Phil interprets society and its woes.
He is unmoved by controversy, or even by the disciplinary attempts of A&E. Phil Robertson is like Donald Trump: he speaks his mind with little to no regard for the well-patrolled borders of political correctness.
Jase also seems to share Phil's concern that the Bible be given a central place in American politics. In response to the question, "What do the Robertson's look for in a presidential candidate?" Willie: "Obviously the 2nd Ammendment is big to us, and their spiritual platform. When you read the forefathers, our country was founded on those two principles" (p. 74). Jase, similarly, linked faith and politics: "I think it was George Washington who said, 'It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible" (p. 74). As far as I can tell, the Robertson men share a common conviction about the Bible, namely that it provides a clear standard by which to judge society and the government charged with its care. The Bible provides a guide, not only for the lives of individuals but also for American society. This conviction is further grounded in a particular interpretation of America's founding fathers, whom they see as ideological allies.
Whenever I interview people, I usually ask what guns symbolize to them. While my own minimalist public profile all but guarantees that I will never get to ask the Robertson's that question directly, the aforementioned interview in the November 2015 version of Guns & Ammo may give us a glimpse into how Jase and Willie might answer this question. Both were asked, "What does the 2nd Ammendment mean to you?" Willie, the businessman of the family, responded with a typical nod to family and industry: "We are a family that hunts and works in the gun business. It's our life and our livelihood. We've always been about the 2nd Ammendment" (p. 64). Jase's response actually provided the interview's first reference to guns as tools of self-defense against human violence, a topic rarely broached in the television series: "The Second Amendment means freedom to me, freedom to provide for your family and protect yourselves from evil" (p. 64). The freedom to bear arms is tied to one's responsibilities to family and self.
For Willie and Jase, guns are also clearly related to family history, legacy, and patriotism. When asked about their first guns, they not only provided answers (a .410 shotgun), they told stories. Willie:"Our first guns were a couple of family guns. We didn't have a lot of money, so we only had a 16 gauge and Dad had bought me a .410" (p. 62). After a jovial argument about for who actually owned the gun, a number of stories spilled out about how Willie damaged the gun as a child, and how (after sawing off the damaged part), it became a snake-slayer (pp. 63-64).
The Robertson family is in many ways typical of gun owners in America. In other ways, however, they are exceptional. At day's end, one thing is clear: They represent one of the most public examples of a family that is entirely comfortable at the intersection of faith and firearms.
No comments:
Post a Comment