For some time now I have been watching Juan Williams as a commentator on Fox News, very little have I ever agreed with anything he has said and I have never read or heard anything he has done for NPR (national public radio). NPR in my eyes has always been an outlet for hard left wing diatribe and overt socialist commentary. The idea that the taxpayers are forced to support such an idealogical organization has always been a bit disturbing. but now that NPR has fired Williams for "controversial" statements he made about muslims on The Factor I am in full de-fund mode.
First for the sake of clarity here is Williams' statement; "I mean, 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 guess honesty is not the best policy at NPR.
NPR said in it's statement that Williams' remarks; “were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.” So being open and honest is inconsistent with NPR's standards? What exactly are they saying here? It seems freedom of speech and expression are not welcome at a station that is being partially funded by taxpayer dollars. It's time to stop paying for NPR's rhetoric. The First Amendment is for everyone, right or left, black or white, Jew or Gentile, right or wrong.
Maybe Fox News should offer Williams a full time job? Fox News seems to be the only news outlet that can live up to their mission statement, "Fair and Balanced".
UPDATE:
NPR now says Williams was fired for going on conservative TV - "Williams' presence on the largely conservative and often contentious prime-time talk shows of Fox News has long been a sore point with NPR News executives." (linked to NPR).
UPDATE II:
Fox just signed Williams to a $2Mil job!
It is thoroughly right to defend Juan Williams. Though conservatives are right to disagree with him, he defends his positions in an honest and noble way, and will sometimes counter with a point worth pondering. I'm glad Fox hired him. He'll blossom there, while NPR will, God willing, be de-funded and gotten rid of.
ReplyDelete