BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Independent Parties Juan Williams Fired for Muslim Comment

Fox News contributor, Juan Williams, was fired by NPR for a comment he made on the Bill O'Reilly show. He said that when he gets on a plane and he sees someone dressed in full Muslim garb, he gets nervous.

Did this warrant getting fired? He was expressing a personal opinion and probably a real fear that many Americans have, yet are afraid to admit. Does this make someone a bigot? Or is just that you can't help but associate what you see with something that has happened? What are your thoughts about this firing?

No it doesn't. It could open a wide range of legal suits, but because of PC I doubt anyone would go public with defending it.

We've seen 2 "publicity items" regarding aircrafts flying dangerously and insensitvely close to buildings and bridges, all under the current administrations athority. If someone can get fired for saying what they think, but the white house plane can rehash 911, if you can see through that brown tape you're officially brain washed.

Some time back I felt public speaking would be sensored. People commented, that luckily we don't live in a country that supports this.

Everything in my gut tells me we are entering just that type of era where what's on the news in some form or another will lose either favoritism or fundings, along those lines, if you begin exposing disagreements or (PCC)political correctness criticism.

It may not be in the news, but just walking about many people do feel exactly what Juan Williams expressed openly. As you said, it was his opinion and what's that thing, freedom of speach?

See if they keep control over what people can and can't say, what they (the people in cahrge) do, everything they do, will seem more acceptable, especially while they are working on our young and impressionable.

We weren't a dictactoriship, we still had freedom of speach, to get their agenda moving along again, they need control over the media.

They'll put "their people" in charge in the school systems, by dangling some funding in cash strapped education systems and nudge propsals, what's expected, basically. They'll indicate what and how to word teachings, with spot light visitation by the government's spokespeople and there you'll have the perfect recipe for a sinking sub sandwich. What we'll have instead is a motely mob rule...

It was his comments and his working for Fox News as well as NPR that caused NPR terminate his contract as a News Analyst for NPR. It is unfortnate that Williams is leaving NPR, but his politically objectivity comes into question when he is also a political commentator for Fox News. How can he remain politically unbiased or at least neutral, as NPR tries to be, while also working for a news organization known for its political bias? I regret to see Williams leave NPR, but I believe NPR made the correct decision.

No it doesn't. It could open a wide range of legal suits, but because of PC I doubt anyone would go public with defending it.

We've seen 2 "publicity items" regarding aircrafts flying dangerously and insensitvely close to buildings and bridges, all under the current administrations athority. If someone can get fired for saying what they think, but the white house plane can rehash 911, if you can't see through that brown tape you're officially brain washed.

Some time back I felt public speaking would be sensored. People commented, that luckily we don't live in a country that supports this.

Everything in my gut tells me we are entering just that type of era where what's on the news in some form or another will lose either favoritism or fundings, along those lines, if you begin exposing disagreements or (PCC)political correctness criticism.

It may not be in the news, but just walking about many people do feel exactly what Juan Williams expressed openly. As you said, it was his opinion and what's that thing, freedom of speach?

See if they keep control over what people can and can't say, what they (the people in cahrge) do, everything they do, will seem more acceptable, especially while they are working on our young and impressionable.

We weren't a dictactoriship, we still had freedom of speach, to get their agenda moving along again, they need control over the media.

They'll put "their people" in charge in the school systems, by dangling some funding in cash strapped education systems and nudge propsals, what's expected, basically. They'll indicate what and how to word teachings, with spot light visitation by the government's spokespeople and there you'll have the perfect recipe for a sinking sub sandwich. What we'll have instead is a motely mob rule...

Juan Williams was fired because he's a black conservative, and NPR was just waiting for an excuse to fire him.

Cindy, that is so wrong. Juan Williams has been a News and Political Analyst for NPR for many years. His contract was Not terminated based on his heritage or his political preferance. His departure from NPR is due much more to the fact that Fox News editorial standards, for which Jaun Williams is a commenator, is inconsistant with NPR's editorial standards. It is an editoral conflict of interest to be very political on one network and then be politically unbiased or neutral on NPR.

NPR, politically unbiased?

Nina Totenberg is as biased as they come, yet she manages to keep her job with NPR: Is Nina Totenberg Next? NPR's legal affairs correspondent frequently expresses her pro-Democratic opinion.

Also, other instances of NRP bias that make Juan Williams' remarks pale in comparison:A Brief History of NPR's Intolerance and Imbalance

In light of the firing of Juan Williams, there is a cry going out to defund NPR. Should NPR be defunded?

Absolutely, it should never have been gov funded in the first place.

On holiday last week I went whale watching on a boat out of LA harbour. To avoid sea sickness I stayed on deck in the open which meant exposure to strong wind chill, particularly as it was misty that day, so I dressed for the deep desert (where it gets very cold at night) including a Shamargh (Middle Eastern headgear) combined with a hooded top and Cheche scarf. It did keep me warm, but I got more photographed than the whales! Nobody seemed that put off by my appearence though.