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.
This will go down as a great day in the history books. NPR will lose its taxpayer funding early next year. Donations will begin drying up immediately.
The idiots in NPR management have no idea how badly they have screwed the pooch.
I suppose CNN really screwed up when CNN fired Rick Sanchez for publicly being an idiot.
Oh wait, no one really cared.
I for one applaud them for taking a stand. Why should I trust / believe who shapes his opinion and analysis depending on the network hes on? If he wants to be a propaganda mouthpiece for Fox, let them pay his paycheck.
It just keeps getting worse for NPR.
NPR CEO Vivian Schiller said Juan William’s feelings about Muslims are between him and “his psychiatrist or his publicist.”
Ouch! Do I hear a lawsuit in the near future?
She later said she spoke hastily.
In wake of NPR’s wacko decision, Fox News has presented Juan Williams with a new three-year contract for nearly $2 million.
Juan Williams will be a rich man if he decides to write a book about the NPR fiasco.
#4 Sounds appropriate. Get him over to the propaganda network where he belongs and leave the real reporting to the professionals.
leave the real reporting to the professionals who are managed by a bunch of buffoons.
It is sad indeed. Despite a somewhat leftist slant, NPR has been the best overall news source out there for a long, long time.
Or course, I would have fired Williams for being so stupid as to have agreed to appear on O’Reilly’s show to begin with. Anyone that desperate doesn’t belong in a serious news organization. Never mind that what he actually said was pretty much common sense.
Prediction: In two weeks, nobody will remember it ever happened.
Prediction: In two weeks, nobody will remember it ever happened.
Well, Juan Williams will certainly remember it. And Fox’s huge audience will remember it.
@#6 “Propaganda” network welcomed him and other from the Left to express their opinion (countered by Right opinion galore, but still allowed the Left opinion to be heard).
“Non-propaganda-radio” has no Right opinion expressed in any way shape or form and even fires this man for mildly right of center statement off their own radio waves.
I am sorry, but you don’t need to be very bright to see which one is more tolerant and which one reflects Communist Propaganda views…
It sounds to me like Juan got a better offer from Fox and needed an easy way to exit his contract with NPR.
“Because our government has done everything it can to make us afraid of those of the Muslim faith.”
Actually, Muslim’s haven’t done much to help themselves. Even when they start to get people to believe that Islam is a religion of peace. Some will want to show a Picture of Mohamed, and they come out of the wood work calling for his head.
Liberals say we should respect their Religion and not show it. But they don’t give a damn about Christianity beside a few nut jobs. Most Christians call for boycotts when they’re offend not to kill someone. Liberals raise a stink about that even.
#11 It sounds to me like Juan got a better offer from Fox and needed an easy way to exit his contract with NPR.
Based on the obviously low IQ of NPR management, they might have played as suckers and walked right into it without realizing what hit them. Now they are trying to cover their rear ends and pick up the remains caused by a major self-inflicted wound.
As Bobbo would say:
“Silly NPR”
LOL They called Juan “the Obama-Ass-Kisser” Williams a “bigot”.
NPR has clearly moved from having a liberal slant to having a political addenda. This is a terrible thing. We must be able to hear informed, educated opinion regardless of what we think of it; especially from a publically supported source. Although conservative, I listen to NPR daily hoping that it’s at least trustworthy. With NPR’s self-censorship I believe it’s no longer credible or worth public support. I hope this creates a firestorm resulting in positive change, for our country is in desperate need of it.
Hmmm… I wonder what the reaction would have been if Williams had said that every time he sees a Catholic priest he “worries” whether the man is a pedophile? I expect he’d still be out of NPR but with no plum job offer from Fox. If Williams didn’t expect that O’Reilly, who recently made idiotic comments about Muslims on The View, might bring up a controversial subject or two during their discussion and prepare possible responses, he isn’t much of a reporter. Overall, this smells like a set-up. Great career move for Williams, especially if NPR comes under the sort of rote attack it usually does when Republicans’ star is on the rise.
Pom, you’re right on. He was parading as journalist. He was acting as an opinion-ist. He has been performing unprofessionally for ages. I enjoyed his viewpoint at times, but thought he was getting to be a bit of a megalomaniac
Pom is shocked, shocked, shocked I tell you; when he heard Juan Williams say “But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”
No one in their right mind would ever think that, would they? To point out a human feeling shared by thousands is a violation of NPR standards.
Where were the high and mighty NPR standards when their affiliate employee Sarah Spitz said on KCRW that she wished death on Rush Limbaugh? That’s not worthy of firing?
Yup, this issue is going to haunt the cretins who run NPR for a long time.
What if someone publicly stated that they are afraid of finding themselves in a company of blacks? I wonder if a thought of that crossed Mr. Williams mind. That said, the political correctness in this country is absolutely sickening.
Please put us out of your misery!
Just make it quick and painless!
NOT
FU/NPR
#21 I’m afraid they showed on Fox that Jackson had said that he had exactly that problem. As a black I’m sure he was most upset by it; to be nervous of being out on the street and being afraid of being mugged by a black but the numbers explained the reaction.
The real issue is Williams is a good Dem. but he appears on Fox to uphold the Dem view and allow for lively debate. Frankly on the radio program he’s an analyst which means he gives opinions.
This network has a ocean of video of people making over the top statements of the vilest sort that didn’t get fired and saying Williams needed mental help was pretty much the kind of cheap shot this network is known for.
The name suggests these people should be above reproach and champion the impartial dissemination of information. That they are the kind of people I’d like to get my news from. Instead they are ultra partisans who do an ax job on everybody they don’t like and it seems they don’t like a lot more people than they like.
One of their reporters was recorded saying she wanted to narrow the Democratic base. That is throw out the moderates. Looks like this is part of the game plan in action.
I bet the White House looked this over and then everybody thought “With friends like these who needs enemies?”
Unlike the NPR I think it is useful to learn the views of as many people as I can nor do I think they are all crazy just because they disagree with me.
I have gone to Muslim web sites and read the posts to see what they really think. I didn’t post jack because I didn’t belong in the discussion. I went away with a better understanding of their views.
Dave: “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.”
Dave, I don’t know how you missed it, but on September 11, 2001, 24 Muslin terrorists high-jacked 4 jets, flying 3 of them into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. The fourth, which had targeted the White House, crashed into a field when the passengers fought for control of the plane. 3,000 Americans were killed.
I suspect that, unlike you, Williams knew of these events, which was why Muslims on a plane scare him.
Look, I’m not a bigot but I’m scared of the blacks.
They might pop a cap in me.
#14 “LOL They called Juan “the Obama-Ass-Kisser” Williams a “bigot”.”
Juan was a big Hillary supporter during the primaries. Maybe he has been hit by the Obama Hopie Changie bus.
Williams should try and get a job with Fox.
So: George Soros donates enough money to hire 100 new political reporters for NPR.
Then: Soros sets up a million dollar campaign against Fox News.
Now: George Soros fires – ooops! – NPR fires a well known liberal for expressing his opinion on Fox News?
Soon: NPR changes name to GSR.
I can’t remember the last time I listened to NPR. They seem to be a conduit for liberal thoughts and you can’t count on them to be objective on anything. Sort of like a funhouse mirror image of Fox. BTW, I don’t watch Fox, either except -maybe a couple times a month- I’ll turn on Glen Beck just to see his latest conspiracy theory.
On the other hand: I would hate to see public radio (please note I did not say NPR) defunded. When I get home (so seldom) I enjoy turning on local KJZZ and listening to jazz music no commercial station could afford to support. Many public radio stations are operated by universities as a public service and/or educational endeavor. I’d hate to see that end.
If Juan was on O’Reilly for himself, he should not have been fired. If he was on as a representative of NPR, then its up to NPR and my only “hope” would be that NPR’s expectations were fairly made known to its employees. All employees or only the on air personalities?
I’ve posted before about what I see as the POSSIBLE coming Muslim threat. Will the Muslim religion be moderated in the USA’s melting pot of freedom, even as our freedoms are leaking away from us slowly from the fear of external threats of all sorts?
It could, it might not. Is the risk worth our so called values?
Do you recognize that “groups of people” act differently, often opposite to, what even the near unanimity of people within that group might personally choose?
Where is Sociologist Lynn when we need her? When a nun leaves the church, has she divorced Jesus?
Alfie, What’s it all about?: Your attempts at humor are quite endearing. Please keep it up, its much better than your attempts at good Christian charity.
Speaking of Muslims and their loving religion, I saw Richard Dawkin’s “Faith Schools Menace” about Religious Schools in England/Oxford and their zombiefication of their students. They all do it of course, but the worst is the Muslims.
Rewarding to watch him talk with a Muslim Principal who said: “There is no disagreement between Islam and Science because both come from Allah. At this school we encourage all students to use their critical faculties to explore science and all that it has to offer.”
Then Dawkins asked the students and found out that 100% without exception thought that Darwinian Evolution was just a theory and wrong, and for some reason that salt water and fresh water cannot mix: “they just pass thru one another.”
I imagine their ecumenical views are similarly varied?
Hah, Hah.
Silly Murderous Hoomans.
They tried to get Mara Liasson to stop going on Fox News, telling her to watch the network for 30 days. Now they found a pretext for firing Juan Williams, Mara had better watch out.