Posted on 10/21/2010 1:06:42 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
The truth is that as a commentator and analyst, Williams has been skating on his reputation for a long time, and the ice was getting thin.
He had already given NPR cause for concern with previous statements on Fox, such as the time he inexplicably described Michelle Obama as “Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress.”
NPR, in other words, acted appropriately.
Of course, that’s not how the incident is being taken by some on the right, where Williams is in the process of being sainted.
At Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government site, the headline is “Screw Free Speech, NPR Fires Juan Williams for Muslim Remarks.”
Williams’ fellow Fox News contributor, Sarah Palin, just tweeted to the effect that “NPR defends 1st Amendment Right, but will fire u if u exercise it.
Juan Williams: u got taste of Left’s hypocrisy, they screwed up firing you.”
The First Amendment guarantees each of us the right to say whatever we wish, free of government interference. However, it does not guarantee us the right to be paid by NPR or anybody else to say whatever we wish.
It certainly does not mean that we are free to make bigoted remarks on national television and be guaranteed a paycheck.
After James O’Keefe, the conservative guerrilla filmmaker and Breitbart’s one-time protege, launched a bizarre “seduction” of a CNN reporter recently, Breitbart cut him loose, calling O’Keefe’s antics “patently gross and offensive.”
He wasn’t violating O’Keefe’s right to free speech by doing so, he was holding him accountable.
That’s all NPR has done with Williams.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.ajc.com ...
She appears to be consciously turning NPR into an all-white institution.
That's part's a lame attempt at a joke, right?
Regards
I would like to believe all Freepers defend free speech whether we agree with it or not. I was not happy Rick Sanchez was fired. When we only tolerate PC speech, we have lost our free speech rights, regardless of whether it’s from the left or right.
“.....and I believe he has been absorbing a lot of stuff from Fox that may help convert him at least a little”.
“Thanks mostly to Brit Hume.”
The way Brit used to say “Juaaaaaaaannnn...Juaaaaaaaannnn” on FNS used to crack me up. He was always shaking his head and correcting him about something ... but Brit was always patient with him. Like you would be with a slow child.
Yes, Bill Moyers and Nina Totenberg have made salacious and malicious comments towards conservative individuals and groups and they were celebrated. The writer of the Urinal and Constipation is nothing more than a Marxist hack.
Sure, just ask Joe Biden.
Hah. I missed that one earlier. Thanks, Jay. That made my day!
Agreed, I always like the way Hume took Juan to the woodshed when he got really dumb.
Ahhh!! But, is anyone who made a "disparaging" remark about Laura Bush when the Bush's were in office still work at NPR? I don't know how to find out myself. Anyone know. Conservatives need to hit NPR and Demos hard on this and keep hitting them well past the election.
If Williams were fired by CBS, ABC, CNN, NBC there would be no controversy, because as a private enterprise they are entitled to fire whomever they please. The fact that NPR — which couldn’t survive in today’s environment without government handouts— fired Williams for his comments is what gives this story legs, so to speak.
Mutato nomine et de te fabula narratur (Change only the name and this story is about you.)
Well, Free speech can and will cost you your job. Imagine what happened when the school I taught at learned that I have some different views about global warming and big government. Opps, now I remember, my contract was not renewed.
But in general I agree about PC speech, Political Correctness is one of the worst traps we (as a nation) have fallen into and it is totally engineered by the left. We have the right to say what we want to and you do not have a right to not be offended when you read or hear it. (You in general). So bully for Juan, and he will be happier to be out of NPR anyway.
Yes! It seems to be the part that's missing from a lot of coverage.
Juan probably never realized he had so many friends. LOL
Is not NPR supported at least in part by Uncle Sam?
So Juan compared Michelle to this guy? hilarious
I suppose that would make NPR a juanaphobe organization! Hey, wait a minute... That was a very racist thing that NPR just did there!!!!
ANYONE who says that Muslims on their plane doesn’t make them nervous....is a liar. Whoopie Goldberg and Joy Behar are liars too. They probably have private planes anyway. Well, I hope Juan has learned his lesson. Liberals eat their young.
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