Juan Williams Fired from NPR

I know you think this comment is oh so clever, but it's really oh so ignorant.

Do you have a Federal Building anywhere near you? Guess what? You're not allowed to park in front of one.

I guarantee you that if I parked my car in front of the Federal Building in downtown Chicago, the GSA cops who guard the building would be rightfully concerned.

So, now that your witty comparison has fallen flat, maybe you'll comment on the specifics of this case.

 

Only the Obama Department of Agriculture will fire someone more quickly with less consideration for the person's personal history.

At least he didn't have to pull over & text in his resignation:

 

NPR in full meltdown mode.

CEO has to apologize to Juan for saying he should have expressed his views to his psychiatrist, not Bill O'Reilly.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/10/21/130728202/npr-ceo-williams-views-of-muslims-should-stay-between-himself-and-his-psychiatrist

So, what's her punishment?

 

Chew on this...
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/2010/01/media_bias_against_christianit/all.html

 

If you're talking about Joe Miller, check yourself. I don't know what the female form of nepotism is, but there has never, in recent American politics, been a more nepotistic appointment than Murkowski appointing his daughter. And the fact that a pro-choice, very moderate Republican such as Lisa Murkowski has even the prayer of a chance in Alaska -- **in a write-in campaign** -- tells you just how terrible a candidate Miller has been and is and will be. This guy is up there with Christine O'Donnell in terms of gaffe-a-riffic, except he doesn't have the charisma or visual appeal that O'Donnell has.

 

If you're talking about Joe Miller, check yourself. Miller is HARDLY the choice of the Republican establishment. He's a potential trainwreck.

I don't know what the female form of nepotism is, but there has never, in recent American politics, been a more nepotistic appointment than Murkowski appointing his daughter. And the fact that a pro-choice, very moderate Republican such as Lisa Murkowski has even the prayer of a chance in Alaska -- **in a write-in campaign** -- tells you just how terrible a candidate Miller has been and is and will be. This guy is up there with Christine O'Donnell in terms of gaffe-a-riffic, except he doesn't have the charisma or visual appeal that O'Donnell has.

 

No clue what your post means, but Mickey and Minnie are extremely unhappy.

 

Williams receives three-year deal from Fox News Channel worth nearly $2 million, L.A. Times reports.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-juan-williams-20101022,0,4294425.story

 

I like the whole notion, suggested here, that a news analyst should "keep his opinions to himself." Fascinating.

 

Where did I say he's the choice of the establishment? I think it's hilarious, though, that Miss Constitution herself found time to tweet about Juan Williams' situation but was nowhere to be found when a blogger/reporter from her own state was arrested for doing his job.

I don't listen to NPR. Never have. I read a couple of their stories online every now and then, but until today, I'd never heard of Juan Williams. But my point stands: this, to me, looks like it was the best excuse NPR had to get rid of a guy they've been trying to get rid of for a while now. And if that's the case and Williams knew he was on a tight-rope, then he got what was coming to him.

And like I said, generally, if you have to start a statement with, "I'm not a (blank)," that means what you're about to say is going to make you look like a (blank). Williams' "I've written books on civil rights so I can't be a bigot" defense is akin to saying, "I work with a black guy so I can't be a racist."

 

I think there's something really odd about some of the reactions here.

Most of you will lament the loss of any newspaper job. You'll rip the management of the newspaper.

But when an untenured college professor gets fired for explaining Catholic doctrine or when Juan Williams -- a fellow Journalist -- gets canned for being honest about his feelings, they had it coming to them.

I'm sorry, but that's not very compassionate and it surprises me.

 

Yankee, my point, in a nutshell:

Regardless of whether or not Williams actually feels that way, he was incredibly stupid to express it in such a manner, especially because the point that (I think) he was trying to make could have been expressed in a much better manner. And regardless of whether or not I agree with NPR's firing of him, I don't think they're trampling his First Amendment rights by doing so. They are his employer. He went on another network, got engaged in a debate, said something remarkably stupid, NPR didn't like it, and it fired him.

That's NPR's right as his employer. It's a risk I and every other newspaper journalist have faced when going on a radio or TV show as a guest.

Maybe he shouldn't have been fired. But he's not the First Amendment martyr conservatives are making him out to be.