This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I know little about Phil Robertson or Duck Dynasty, but this is controversy where there isn't any. So he says homosexuality is a sin and wrong? Within the tenets of his faith, this is true ("'Duck Dynasty' star off show after calling homosexuality a sin," Tribune, Dec. 18).

This same faith, while not always practiced correctly, is built on the idea that all people are sinners. I'm aware that his tone was very inflammatory, but Robertson is a professional provocateur. We encourage him to act that way. If you look past his tone, what he said is that people in the LGBT community are just like everyone else.

We're not all going to agree on anything, but we have to accept that people will live their lives in ways we don't like and say things we don't like. Acceptance requires eye rolling from both sides.

Let's not worry about what other people are doing in the privacy of their own homes or what opinions they have. Think instead about why GQ focused on this facet of his personality. When the time comes to boycott, be sure to include the magazines, blogs and news agencies that profit so much from keeping us divided and bitter.

David Blessing

Dallas, Texas