Juan Williams Fired From NPR for Muslim Remark

[allingeneral]

National Public Radio fired Fox News contributor Juan Williams on Wednesday after a Monday night appearance in which Williams said that it makes him nervous to fly on airplanes with devout Muslims.

Williams was terminated following a discussion with "O'Reilly Factor" host Bill O'Reilly on the dilemma between fighting jihadists and fears about average Muslims.

"I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country," Williams said.

"But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous," Williams said.

[Read more...(and watch the video)]


So, what do you think about this? I'm tired of the "Politically Correct" crap that is ruining this country. Why can't Mr Williams speak his mind without fear of reprisal? What ever happened to the days when an honest man can "Call'em like he sees'em"?

[chfaunce]

Personally, I'm on the fence about this one.

I think the bottom line, in this case maybe unfortunately, is that regardless of our Constitutionally protected right to free speech, our actions have consequences. It's also important to remember that NPR is a membership organization, and the majority of it's funding comes from those member orgs. Letting him go was probably just a result of a risk analysis. It was a pretty stupid thing to say.

Yeah, the outcome was probably a bit harsh, but all things considered I'm not surprised.

[Chasbo00]

[allingeneral]

It was a pretty stupid thing to say.

I had to get on a plane for my job on September 19 2001. Do you think I was worried? HELL YES I WAS! I still think about it every time I board a plane and see someone of seemingly Muslim roots, let alone if they're dressed in a burka or other Muslim-esque clothing. Juan was just stating what thousands of people think, daily.

I've got your back, Juan.

[chfaunce]

It was a pretty stupid thing to say.

I had to get on a plane for my job on September 19 2001. Do you think I was worried? HELL YES I WAS! I still think about it every time I board a plane and see someone of seemingly Muslim roots, let alone if they're dressed in a burka or other Muslim-esque clothing. Juan was just stating what thousands of people think, daily.

I've got your back, Juan.

The difference is that you're not broadcasting that across public airwaves. Now, I know that a lot of people are intimidated by people that 'look like Muslims'. Me, not so much - I suspect that future attacks will come from people that look a lot like us. They're not going to stand out.

It's one thing to think something; it's another to think something and let it rip on the radio (ok, satellite radio excluded) and not expect there to be a consequence. As with everything, you gotta know your audience.

It'll be interesting to see if Fox has his back.

[Jim]

I'm with Rick and Juan on this one. Politically correct, my @$$. How do I know what they've got on their mind and what they're capable of? I'd be watchin' that dude like a hawk over a chicken yard.

[chfaunce]

How do I know what they've got on their mind and what they're capable of?

This also would apply to pretty much everyone I see every single day. Skin color and choice of attire are more or less irrelevant.

How do I know what someone who's open carrying has on their mind and what they're capable of? How do I know what black people in hooded sweatshirts have on their mind and what they're capable of? How do I know what central American people hanging out at the malls, walking down the street in Springfield, or hanging out in front of 7-11's have on their mind of what they're capable of?

See where this is going? I could go on and on here.

[LFS]

The folks at NPR do not like it when their people go off script. Insulting Tea Partiers by posting "tea bagger" videos is ok and doesn't violate any political correctness policies... but speaking ones mind about Muslims is outright unforgivable.

NPR should be defunded, pronto. No more tax money for them.

[Tweaker]

The difference is that you're not broadcasting that across public airwaves. Now, I know that a lot of people are intimidated by people that 'look like Muslims'. Me, not so much - I suspect that future attacks will come from people that look a lot like us. They're not going to stand out.

It's one thing to think something; it's another to think something and let it rip on the radio (ok, satellite radio excluded) and not expect there to be a consequence. As with everything, you gotta know your audience.

It'll be interesting to see if Fox has his back.

Well, I would gladly take a bet on this subject with you, Chauncey. I'll even give you odds. How does 4:1 sound to you? My Jackson to your Lincoln that the next domestic terrorist attack, either foiled or "successful" is carried out by someone with a darker complexion than a caucasian. I get another $5 if they are also male, muslim and between the ages of 25-45. Rick shall serve as arbiter.

If it is yet another left wingnut who has an Algore fixation and owns or quotes his "literature" it is a draw. We are talking about Islamist terrorists here, aren't we?

What say you? Could Mayor Bloombergstein be wrong again, or will it be “Home-grown, maybe a mentally deranged person or somebody with a political agenda that doesn’t like the health care bill…”
http://the-american-catholic.com/2010/0 ... terrorist/

[chfaunce]

Mike, we all know that if you're scared of two things, it's sodomites and brown people. We get it, ok?

[Tweaker]

Again wif da fear and the fail. I actually find, correction (the libs threw him under the bus at the behest of CAIR-Council for American Islamic Relations, and Soros), found Mr. Williams to be extremely skilled at articulating positions and a relatively even handed liberal (granted, his competition is quite pitiful). I neither feared nor hated him.

Are you afeared of putting your money where your mouth is? Are my bigot bux no good here? Are you just jockeying for better odds?

[VBshooter]

I don;t always agree with Juans opinion but he should not be fired for speaking the obvious.. All this Muslim sensitivity is PC crappola gone amuck,,,,,Again!

[smltooner]

I don;t always agree with Juans opinion but he should not be fired for speaking the obvious.. All this Muslim sensitivity is PC crappola gone amuck,,,,,Again!

[allingeneral]

Mike, we all know that if you're scared of two things, it's sodomites and brown people. We get it, ok?

...and people between the age of 25-45

[zephyp]

The folks at NPR do not like it when their people go off script. Insulting Tea Partiers by posting "tea bagger" videos is ok and doesn't violate any political correctness policies... but speaking ones mind about Muslims is outright unforgivable.

NPR should be defunded, pronto. No more tax money for them.

Yes, a big thumbs up on that...I honestly hope Fox picks up Juan on a nice contract...

[SELFDEFENSE]

When NPR's plagarizing Chief Legal Correspondent Nina Totenberg said she hoped Jesse Helms or his grandchildren got AIDS, all she got was chuckles from NPR.
They wanted to get rid of Williams because he appears on FOX and George Soros is donating to NPR and Media Matters to fund media hit squads and NPR is doing its idealogical purging (with our tax money).
His statements are so clearly within a reasonable range of debate that there is no question that it is clearly within the four corners of the First Amendment.
If one has doubt about its legitimacy, then all vestige of Constitutional knowledge is lost.
This is the authortarian Stalinist Left showing itself because they think they can now get away with it in the open.

[WRW]

Personally, I'm on the fence about this one.

I think the bottom line, in this case maybe unfortunately, is that regardless of our Constitutionally protected right to free speech, our actions have consequences. It's also important to remember that NPR is a membership organization, and the majority of it's funding comes from those member orgs. Letting him go was probably just a result of a risk analysis. It was a pretty stupid thing to say.

Yeah, the outcome was probably a bit harsh, but all things considered I'm not surprised.

"All things considered." Berry punny.

I agree. Actions have consequences. You can't speak with no concern for the reaction of your employer...but your employer has to keep in mind that their actions will have consequences as well and this action may well have been a broadside into their own foot. Seems that their funding from the Govt. has been questioned in the past and this incident has brought it back into the limelight. With stories like this hitting the air I would not be unhappy if they had to rely solely on contributions from listeners.

[Jakeiscrazy]

This is stupid. He didn't say anything downing NPR he made a statement about his personal beliefs. No reason to fire someone over that. Furthermore, there seems to be some kinda of massive war against profiling these days. Call me crazy but when I see a guy walking down the street with his pants around his ankles and a gold chain around his neck I am going to automatically see him as more of a threat than the guy in a three piece suit. Could Mister wanna be gangsta be a upstanding citizen with an impeccable record? Maybe, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's not. Dress and act how you wish to be perceived.

[Chasbo00]

I simply don't abide political correctness. I'll admit this may be easier for me as I'm a retired old guy now. But, I just simply no longer put up with PC -- good riddance too, feels great!

[zephyp]

I simply don't abide political correctness. I'll admit this may be easier for me as I'm a retired old guy now. But, I just simply no longer put up with PC -- good riddance too, feels great!

Hey, I'm still hanging in there and I dont play it either...IMHO PC is and will destroy our country unless we make a stand...I had the "privilege" of sitting with a couple of no kidding obamatrons this week and the question was asked "did you have the opportunity to spend OCO funds on this project..." Caught me cold for a couple of seconds until my brain started up...GWOT I thought...OCO = overseas contingency operations, GWOT = global war on terrorism...use of the term GWOT was forbidden...shortly after Jan 2009 I think...