Juan Williams Fired from NPR

Definitely an overreaction. Juan Wiliams is one of the few people they have on Fox that usually tries to be logical and more or less make sense and is not as conservative as many of their commentators.

His statement, while regrettable, is one that how many million Americans probably agree with -- 50 million? 100 million? More? The relevance of that fact is debatable, but my point is simply that what he voiced shouldn't have shocked and awed anybody.

Obviously, he should have kept his opinion to himself and talked in generalities about "other people" feeling that way to make his point. Lesson learned.

 

Octavia Nasr disagrees.

 

A moving van, no less.

 

My thoughts:

Bill O'Reilly misused the word "dilemma"

You can't judge millions of people by the actions of the extremists.

A black man saying he is afraid when he sees how someone is dressed is so laughably insensitive that he deserves what he gets.

 

Not an overreaction at all.

Just an excuse to get rid of someone they didn't like to begin with.

 

Printdust, I have never heard of a journalist saying on the air Christians made him/her uncomfortable, and I'm sure if anyone had, you'd have let us all know about it. Whether or not Williams should've been canned is a very debatable issue on which reasonable folks can, will and should disagree. Why drag the usual crap into it?

 

Just another case of the white man tryin to keep a brotha down!

 

So because he's black, and actually knows what it feels like to be judged as such, it is somehow LESS appropriate for him to make that comment? Wow.

I guess we better leave it to white men who've never been "profiled" to make the judgment calls on things like this.

 

You know what bugs me about this? Appearances.

Juan Williams says something mildly politically incorrect.

George Soros is an NPR benefactor, with a recent contribution of more than $1 million.

The right is going to make a connection between Williams not toeing the line and being axed and Soros' money, whether it's there or not. And worse, maybe there IS a connection, who the hell knows?

And that bugs me.

 

And right in the middle of the pledge drive, no less.

 

This is not an overreaction, but instead an excuse. The problem is the way it was said makes it difficult to overlook. I mean, I'm not going to lie--most people would be nervous in that situation. I feel nervous (as do most people) if I stop at a gas station with bars on the windows and pink/lime green houses around. So fire me!

I just think in today's society, this is a normal reaction, but it's one of those, "I'm just saying what we're all thinking."

 

Juan Williams is in the opinion business. By doing his job, he can be either right or wrong, one or the other, in rapid succession and it contributes to the overall discussion.

NPR is in the business -- and takes taxpayer money in the service of -- presenting "all" sides of issues. Except in this case, when it abandons its true media role because it doesn't agree with an analyst's take.

Given the two networks' alleged respective reputations, you might expect judgmental Fox News to be dumping a commentator for something he/she said on NPR. But no, it's the tolerant liberal enterprise that cannot tolerate some words coming out of someone's mouth.

At least Juan Williams has learned a little more about the two operations from which he drew those paychecks.