NPR Ends Juan Williams' Contract After Muslim Remarks

• Apple

  

  NPR fired news analyst Juan Williams after his remarks made on The O'Reilly Factor.
  

  "Look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. 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."

  I haven't seen the actual interview, but it sounds to me that all Williams was stating was what many Americans think, myself included.
  
  In the end, NPR over-played the PC card this time.
• RedRider1

  

  From an article on Michelle Malkin's site about Williams getting fired......http://bit.ly/cNLCiA
  

  NPR affiliate employee Sarah Spitz at public radio station KCRW wishes death on Rush Limbaugh…not a firing offense.

  The hypocrisy is almost funny if it weren't so sad and obvious.
• FatHobbit

  

  I think what he said is stupid, but certainly not a firing offense.
  

  RedRider1;527145 wrote:The hypocrisy is almost funny if it weren't so sad and obvious.

  
  That is hypocritical.
• Prescott

  I think what he said is stupid,

  It might mean he is a little paranoid, but it isn't stupid.
  
  
  NPR fires Williams for being intolerant. How ironic.
• FatHobbit

  

  Prescott;527161 wrote:It might mean he is a little paranoid, but it isn't stupid.

  
  It is stupid. It's not different than saying every time I see a black man I wonder if he's going to rob me.
• fish82

  

  FatHobbit;527176 wrote:It is stupid. It's not different than saying every time I see a black man I wonder if he's going to rob me.

  It's actually quite different.
• FatHobbit

  

  fish82;527207 wrote:It's actually quite different.

  
  How so?
• majorspark

  

  Let this be a lesson to anyone else at state radio, who thinks their free speech rights are limited to just while on air.
• fish82

  

  FatHobbit;527245 wrote:How so?

  
  When a splinter group of black males go public with plans to inflict mass casualties on Americans whenever/wherever possible, then it becomes a good analogy.
  
  Also, you leave out the context of the setting. Seeing a guy in his Muslim uni sitting on a plane is different than seeing one in a grocery store. Same with the black male...passing him on a dark street in his thugwear elicits a different response than standing behind him in the checkout line.
  
  I'm not saying either response is ideal...but both are based on human nature, conditioned response, and just plain playing the odds.
• majorspark

  

  fish82;527318 wrote:I'm not saying either response is ideal...but both are based on human nature, conditioned response, and just plain playing the odds.

  The left wing elite have ascended above these petty human traits that us unwashed bigots struggle with.
• jhay78

  

  I guess getting "worried" and "nervous" while on an airplane is sufficient grounds for termination. NPR is worthless.
• FatHobbit

  

  fish82;527318 wrote:but both are based on human nature, conditioned response, and just plain playing the odds.

  
  Please tell me the odds of being blown up in a plane by muslims, so we can compare actual numbers and see how infinitesimally small they are. That's why it's stupid
• BGFalcons82

  

  FatHobbit;527347 wrote:Please tell me the odds of being blown up in a plane by muslims...

  
  As compared to what? A plane full of nuns?
  
  If you are saying the odds of getting blown up by a terrorist on any plane anywhere, then yes, the odds are extremely small. However, if you look at all the terrorist plane bombings alone, then the vast majority are by muslim terrorists. Therefore, the odds of being blown up are indeed small, but the odds of muslim terrorists who would perform such an act, are relatively high. Especially when compared to nuns. Oddly....most who read this can't fathom nuns pulling this heinous crime off...but the "religion of peace" has thousands, if not millions, of devout followers who train to perform such an act.
• FatHobbit

  

  BGFalcons82;527359 wrote:As compared to what? A plane full of nuns?
  
  If you are saying the odds of getting blown up by a terrorist on any plane anywhere, then yes, the odds are extremely small. However, if you look at all the terrorist plane bombings alone, then the vast majority are by muslim terrorists. Therefore, the odds of being blown up are indeed small, but the odds of muslim terrorists who would perform such an act, are relatively high. Especially when compared to nuns.

  
  I would be willing to bet quite a few flights have muslims on them and nothing happens at all.
• Apple

  

  I don't fly all that often, in fact, only six times since 911. I cannot deny that I look around the plane to see who is on it, aka, profiling. It's all about being aware of your surroundings and recognizing what could be a potential danger.
  
  As someone commented earlier, it's a conditioned response. It's a being prepared type response no different than backing up your hard drive because you know hard drives have failed with other people. And as I mentioned, Williams said nothing more than what many Americans feel themselves when they get on a plane.
  
  I RARELY ever listen to NPR, (maybe Click and Clack every once in awhile), because they have an obvious left leaning agenda. I sincerely think that Williams has been treated wrongly. I wish him the best as he moves on.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Stupid thing to say, yes. Worth of firing, not even close.
  I like NPR, they have some good programs, but this knocks them down a peg in my view.
  
  Stupid move.
• believer

  

  There's been some debate in past political threads about whether NPR is even-handed, possibly even middle of the road on the left-leaning bias by the "mainstream" media.
  
  I've always argued that the tone out of NPR is more "reserved" and less shrill than from the commercial outlets, but the political bias to the left by NPR was just confirmed in my opinion.
  
  It's ironic that Williams himself is a liberal. Yet the fact that his relatively benign but perhaps ill-advised commentary about his worries of potential Muslim terrorism while flying only proves that political correctness has pushed the envelope of common-sense and that liberals are probably their own worst enemies.
• Footwedge

  Spark...how in the world can you compare and contrast WWII with this charade in Afg/Iraq?Pakistan? And know, you didn't suggest nuclear bombs. But why not? What exactly defines "rules of engagement" anyhow? Isn't the purpose of "rules of engagement" to minimize civilian casualties? Well isn't it?
  
  I want to see where you and the others here are drawing the line.
  
  This GWOT is a fuckin joke. We are winning absolutely nothing. Global terrorist events are higher over the past 9 years then before 9-11. That is a fact. Even the CIA has admitted as much.
  
  Sparky...you want to fight these wars the "right way"?, then share your brilliance with the audience here on how to do it.
• believer

  

  ccrunner609;527880 wrote:In this country if someone wants to stereotype a muslim on a plane it seems logical and most people would probably agree that the first thought through their mind upon seeing a person in muslim garb would think the same thing that Williams is talking about.
  
  
  To say that you wouldnt is a lie. Its human nature.
  
  Are all terrorists muslims? No
  
  Are all the terrorists that flew planes into NY on 911 a muslim? Yes.

  Yes but facts don't matter to politically correct leftist elites. Apparently NPR's "leaders" don't want to be a target of Muslim rage so they chose to fire Williams to show how "open-minded" they are. Kumbaya.........
• QuakerOats

  Imagine if Williams had announced his discomfort in being on a plane and having been seated near a couple of KKK members in white robes. Had he reported such on O'Reilly, I believe NPR would have been extremely happy and given him a promotion and a raise.
  
  NPR's incredible hypocrisy is typical of the intolerant, liberal, left-wing media, and its own hypocrisy and snobbery. Williams is too good for them. NPR can kiss my ass.
• QuakerOats

  FatHobbit;527363 wrote:I would be willing to bet quite a few flights have muslims on them and nothing happens at all.

  
  Yes, those are called 'test runs' ..............
• RedRider1

  

  Full time contributor status and a bump in pay from Fox News.....getting fired from NPR a blessing in disguise.
  
  http://bit.ly/aYaToq
• BGFalcons82

  

  RedRider1;528514 wrote:Full time contributor status and a bump in pay from Fox News.....getting fired from NPR a blessing in disguise.
  
  http://bit.ly/aYaToq

  
  I find myself in disagreement with Juan Williams most of the time. Having said that...I always want to know what he's thinking because he makes me think. His opinions matter to me and I'm glad I'll be hearing more about them with his new promotion, as I haven't listened to NPR in years due to all of the reasons stated above.
• fish82

  

  BGFalcons82;528525 wrote:I find myself in disagreement with Juan Williams most of the time. Having said that...I always want to know what he's thinking because he makes me think. His opinions matter to me and I'm glad I'll be hearing more about them with his new promotion, as I haven't listened to NPR in years due to all of the reasons stated above.

  
  Agreed. He's one of the few liberal talking heads that can actually carry on a spirited discussion sans the mouth frothing. He'll be fine, whether he ends up at FNC full time or somewhere else.
• bigdaddy2003

  

  Sorry but I'm in the same boat as Juan on this issue. I believe that the majority of Americans are in the same boat and no it's not bigoted to feel that way.
  
  I was flipping through the channels last night and caught a bit of Maddow's show. She was spewing some garbage about how being is a bigot is a requirement to work at Fox. She said that because of Juan receiving a new contract. What a stupid statement.