That leftward NPR fired him for a politically incorrect comment isn’t surprising. So why ironic? Because our government has done everything it can to make us afraid of those of the Muslim faith. Yes, it’s couched in terms of Islamic terrorists, Iran, etc. But ultimately, excluding the handful of homegrown, right wing terrorists like Tim McVey and converted American radicals, they’re primarily Mid Eastern Muslims who we need to watch out for. Or so they imply in veiled words so as not to overtly racially profile. So when someone actually states the fear tactics have worked on him, it’s political irony at its best to be publicly shocked that it worked.
As National Public Radio weathered a storm of criticism Thursday for its decision to fire news analyst Juan Williams for his comments about Muslims, Fox News moved aggressively to turn the controversy to its advantage by signing Williams to an expanded role at the cable news network.
[…]
“Juan has been a staunch defender of liberal viewpoints since his tenure began at Fox News in 1997,” [Fox’s Roger] Ailes said in a statement, adding a jab at NPR: “He’s an honest man whose freedom of speech is protected by Fox News on a daily basis.”Meanwhile, conservative leaders lambasted NPR for firing Williams and called for cutting public funding for the media organization. By midafternoon Thursday, more than 4,900 comments had been posted on NPR.org, including many from people who said the media organization was bowing to political correctness and unfairly punishing Williams for expressing his personal opinions.
“In one arrogant move the NPR exposed itself for the leftist thought police they really are,” read one typical post. “After this November elections I hope one of the first things the new Congress does is to defund this poor excuse for public radio.”
Here’s what Williams said on Bill O’Reilly’s show last night:
“I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot….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.
Nice rant RickM – you avoided the main issue. There is no reason the government should be giving taxpayer money to NPR.
The sloppy termination of Juan Williams has brought this waste of money to a head and started a new defunding Tsunami.
Citizens and politicians are clamoring for the plug to be pulled. If it does not happen during the lameduck session, it will happen once the new Congressional session begins.
And when the bird-brain NPR CEO Vivian Schiller is fired for her slander of Williams – well, that will be icing on the cake.
Thanks jbenson2. I’m rather proud of that rant.
Government funding (all 5% of it) the main issue? Maybe in your opinion. That’s a response to the main issue about how “unfair” and how JW’s “free speech rights have been violated.”
I’ll tell you what, I’ll go along with defunding NPR if you go along with Fox News being removed from the front row in the White House Press Room. They are, afterall, a wing (the right one) of the Republican Party.
RickM
Your assertion that the “main issue” was the termination was unfair and a violation of free speech is a straw dog.
Let NPR show how wonderfully successful they are by standing on their own without the crutch from the taxpayers.
It will be super to see them bump up their shilling to hours and hours and hours.