Category: News and Views
Just wondered what people think of this incident. It doesn't bode well for free speech in America. I know that some will argue that Juan signed a contract that prohibited him from taking public positions on controversial issues, but when NPR allowed him to appear on Fox news for years and gave only warnings, they voided the contract.
In my view, this is a blatant attempt to punish Juan for his association with Fox News. Any thoughts?
Juan came right out & stated he felt uncomfortable with Muslims in full garb, and that is what got him fired. I personally don't think he said anything inflammatory, he was just stating his opinion...he didn't feel comfortable. Was he doing anything about his discomfort? Probably not, but some folks have a reality allergy...malign one of their pet groups, and they "take offense", and chances are you have to apologize or face their wrath.
And no, this is not something I feel he should have lost his job over. Freedom of speech, just as long as you're not slandering or libeling anyone or posing a threat to public safety, like yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater, has to include Fox News, too.
That's right. I don't care if you like him or not, he did nothing wrong.
The thing about it is that Juan's larger point was that we all need to try and rise above that fear that many of us feel in the same circumstance. He was admitting that it made him uncomfortable, but that we shouldn't judge all Muslims on that basis.
Then there was the fact that he was fired by phone almost two days later. Plus the comments by the head of NPR about Juan and his psychiatrist. And then there was the internal memo apologizing for the fact that the incident occurred during fund-raising week.
All in all, this doesn't bode well for NPR and I think they should have to answer for their actions.
This makes n p r look horrible.
I'm glad they fired Juan williams. He made a sloppy generalization, and he deserved the ax!! Fox news can have him!!
Juan didn't make a generalization at all. he was stating his feelings. In fact, he countered the generalization directly after he made his controversial remark.
Yes and as I said, I don't care if you like him or not, the firing was wrong. Now I do hate the fox news robots but I don't want them fired.
Meh, I hate Fox, and if you work for them you're either ignorant or don't care about their bullshit. and the latter is worse.
Agreed, but that is beside the point.
well, being on the far right, this is a little upseting. I liked this guys name for NPr. He calls it a national waste of space. I don't usually like to listen to NPR nless if I have too, and I listen to them in one in a million years. I rather fox or Neal Boortz or Glenn Beck. Heck I'd take Rush who's completely bad host over NPr. I listen to it a few times though. but, I don't like them and this only increases it. Another discrimination from the government from people who disagrees. It's not rare and here's a excellent example for you all. It would have been another story if he have said yay Alkida or horray for the Taliban, then yes, there's a problem, terrorism would probably be a good charge, but not this. This would be under the first amendment, and would probably go under freedom of presss and not speech. He could technically file a suit against the government if he wanted to and probably win. NPr is not a private organization after all, fox is though.
Exactly freedom of speech hello America...