Now that the Duck Dynasty uproar has subsided, and A&E has “relented,” allowing the star of the show to return after a controversy involving his remarks about gays, African-Americans, and whoever else he supposedly offended, I think it may be time to consider what the real root of the problem may have been. I am a big fan of the concept of the gathering of spiritual advice from the type of leader who is willing to lay down physical concerns to follow the right path. I find the motives of people who stand to make a kajillion dollars from the sales of hats and t-shirts if they say the right thing somewhat dubious. If we, as sensible people, can’t see that “reality” television is the new wrestling, that every move is choreographed, that every word spoken is carefully planned, we are in trouble. An episode of Duck Dynasty is no more “real” than an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. Nothing - and I mean nothing - that happens on these shows, or in interviews related to the shows, is left to chance. These are multi-million dollar enterprises, and a mind-boggling amount of thought is put into the “reality” that is finally presented on your television screen. The things Phil Robertson said, whether they are his true feelings or not, were said because he knew he already had a sea of fans who agreed with him. He was never in any danger of losing anything. If his network was not in on the plan, I guarantee he had another scheme cooking. Spouting an opinion with the support of millions of people is not courageous. Courage is the willingness to say what you feel is right when the odds are against you, not when you know you have a boatload of people who will agree with you.