Juan Williams Fired from NPR

A Helen Thomas situation or an overreaction to an uncomfortable truth:

 

NRO's The Corner has several posts on this already.

I have a feeling that Juan will have a lot more support from the right than from his friends on the left.

Here's the transcript:


O’REILLY: Continuing now with our lead story, danger from the Muslim world.

Joining us from Washington FOX analysts Mary Katharine Ham and Juan Williams.

So, Juan, I got to tell everybody, own up to this, that talking points memo was really written by Alan Colmes.

So, where am I going wrong there, Juan.

JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, actually, I hate to say this to you because I don’t want to get your ego going. But I think you’re right. I think, look, political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don’t address reality.

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.

Now, I remember also that when the Times Square bomber was at court, I think this was just last week. He said the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts.

But I think there are people who want to somehow remind us all as President Bush did after 9/11, it’s not a war against Islam. President Bush went to a mosque –

O’REILLY: Well, there isn’t any theology involved in this at all from my perspective, Juan. But you live in the liberal precincts. You actually work for NPR, OK?

WILLIAMS: Yes.

O’REILLY: And it’s not about — it’s about politics as I said. But — my analysis is that this Israel thing and that liberals feel that United states is somehow guilty in the world, of exploitation and backing the wrong side, and it makes it easier for them to come up with this kind of crazy stuff that, well, you can’t really say the Muslims attacked us on 9/11.

WILLIAMS: No, but what Barbara Walters said to you –

O’REILLY: Were they Norwegians? I mean, come on.

WILLIAMS: Wait a second though, wait, hold on, because if you said Timothy McVeigh, the Atlanta bomber, these people who are protesting against homosexuality at military funerals, very obnoxious, you don’t say first and foremost, we got a problem with Christians. That’s crazy.

O’REILLY: But it’s not at that level. It doesn’t rise near to that level.

WILLIAMS: Correct. That’s — and when you said in the talking points memo a moment ago that there are good Muslims, I think that’s a point, you know?

O’REILLY: But everybody knows that, Juan. I mean, what are, in 3rd grade here or what?

 

Overreaction to uncomfortable truth by NPR. Juan Williams was a square peg in a round hole at NPR.

 

A politically correct way-overreaction to what is probably a true statement, although I think there was a little hyperbole involved, in terms of degree, on O'Reilly's part.

 

I think it's NPR overreaction to the critical flaying it got from the left last week over that stupid decision not to allow staffers to attend the Stewart-Colbert rally.
Two wrongs don't make a right, NPR.

 

Overreaction to uncomfortable truth by CNN. Rick Sanchez was a square peg in a round hole at CNN.

Overreaction to uncomfortable truth by Hearst. Helen Thomas was a square peg in a round hole at Hearst.

Overreaction to uncomfortable truth by US Army. Stanley McCrystal was a square peg in a round hole at US Army.

 

Bill O'Reilly is involved. I'm shocked, I tell ya.

 

I'm always nervous when I see a white man parking a truck in front of a Federal building.

 

You can't get away with saying on the air that members of a certain religion or ethnic group make you nervous -- even if they do.

 

Not if you work for NPR, or if the certain religion is Christian. The predominant media culture is eating its own now. Amazing.

 

I think what Juan Williams said was absurd. I also think it was an overreaction on the part of NPR.

 

I do too. Clear sign of a another bureaucrat finding a way to waste my tax dollars.