Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander

extremely worried about our country’s youth. Remember the scene from Duck Dynasty when I joined my grandson on a date with his girlfriend in my boat? I told him, “Son, no hands below the neck.” What was I trying to tell him? My greatest fear is for one of my grandchildren to come up and tell me they have herpes. Don’t you think it a little ironic that what follows sexual immorality is herpes, chlamydia, AIDS, syphilis, and gonorrhea? How could something as much fun as sex all of the sudden bring these horrible diseases upon us? Doctors have been researching these diseases for centuries, but they can’t cure most of them. They can’t get rid of most of them. What do you call that? You call that the consequences of disobeying the Almighty.
    Look, you’re married to a woman and she doesn’t have AIDS, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, or any of the rest of them. Here’s the good news: you don’t have it and she doesn’t have it. Guess who is never going to get it if you keep your sex right there? The only way it can be transmitted to you or your spouse is if you go out and disobey what the Almighty says. When it’s one woman and one man, you won’t catch this stuff. But if you disobey God, His wrath will be poured out upon you. It’s not a coincidence that horrible diseases follow immoral conduct—it’s the consequences that follow when you break God’s laws.
    During the 1960s, I was involved in a lot of the sins I’m talking about. Remember, before I was converted when I was twenty-eight, I was running with the depraved crowd. I’ve been there and done that. I’m sorry to say it, but my generation gave itself over to sinful desires and sexual impurities. Thankfully, it’s not too late to save our next generation.
    What in the world ever happened to the United States of America, folks? Our country is so different from the nation that was founded more than two hundred years ago. I’m absolutely convinced that the reason America went so far and so fast is that our founders were God-fearing men. It was godly from the start. Our founding fathers fled the wickedness of Europe and came to America to build a nation built on principles, morals, and their beliefs in Jesus Christ. They drew upon their faith and biblical ideals to actually construct the framing documents of our great country.
    The irony of it all is that we’re right back to what they ran from 237 years ago. We’re right back to old King George. Our forefathers’ greatest fear was that the very thing they revolted against would come full circle and we’d be right back to where they started. When Webster was asked what the greatest thing that ever passed through his mind was, he said it was his accountability to God. I agree with him wholeheartedly. I’m not going askew from the principles on which the United States was built;I’m right there with our founding fathers. I’m a patriot and a Christian, and I’m moving forth with what they started. But now it’s gotten to where I’m some kind of nut or Bible beater.
    I say, so be it. I’ll still go across the country spreading God’s Word, like I’ve done since I was twenty-eight. I may be only one man reading Scripture and quotes, carrying his Bible, and blowing duck calls to crowds, but, hey, it has to start somewhere. It’s what makes me happy, happy, happy.

LETTERS FROM THE FAMILY
A NOTE FROM ALAN
    Out of the many memorable lines and quotes I have heard from my dad through the years, the one that always seems to stand out the most is “Son, don’t ever tell people how good or great you are at something; let them tell you.” For a man who has achieved his own level of greatness in the eyes of so many, those words were both prophetic and wise. To be the best at anything, one has to have a lot of confidence and a certain amount of ego and drive. But one must also have humility to make a life-changing impact on people. I realize now that that is what Dad was teaching me all those years ago. Of course, to become a legend, one that other people admire and want to emulate, you also have to add faith and dedication to what you love. A good woman doesn’t hurt either.
    My mom has always been Dad’s biggest cheerleader, fromwhen he was a high school quarterback to when he became a Christian to when he faithfully plunged into this dream that is now known as Duck Commander. Her humility and dedication held them together when he was not the man he needed to be, and now she keeps him