Welcome to "All Things Considered (except differing viewpoints)".

Elvis_Bogart: Welcome to "All Things Considered (except differing viewpoints)".

TFA: His remarks on The O'Reilly Factor this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR,"

integrity in my drive-by liberal mainstream MSM media? unpossible.

manimal2878: What he said doesn't really sound all that bad and isn't really that shocking of a thing to feel.

I'm sure it has more to do with him palling around with O'reilly and the taint that brings.

No, but sounding like O'Reilly should do it every time. I was mildly shocked at his comments, and I've heard a lot...

manimal2878: I would be surprised if half of those people actually ever listened to NPR.

if you click through to their user profiles you can see that just about every one of them has only commented on one or two pieces with a rather freeperish tone.

the ones equating this with a first amendment issue are particularly hilarious.

Typical of NPR, part of the Socialist Democrat network. The Obama Statists are shutting down disscussion, debate & free speech. I don't always agree with Mr. Williams, but I will defend to the death his right to free speech. Muslims around the world danced in the street celebrating when 911 happened. They don't condemn cutting heads off, bombing of markets & schools, throwing acid in the face of girls who just want to go to school, stone women to death, blow up & attack Christian & other religion's holy places. Truly Islamic Facism is a religion of peace. You cannot seperate Islam and Muslims from terrorism because terrorism has been the fabric of it since teh Year 600.

lulz

That's a shame, he really didn't say anything too off the wall there. He's been an NPR and Fox news contributor for many years and I've enjoyed listening to his insight many times.

DarnoKonrad: Get rid of Mara Liasson next and and they'll have something approaching objective political coverage.

Send Cokie Roberts out the door too.

/I don't care how much money your family has or what political positions they've held, if your first name is cookie, then you're white trash.

nekom: That's a shame, he really didn't say anything too off the wall there. He's been an NPR and Fox news contributor for many years and I've enjoyed listening to his insight many times.

i'm sure it wasn't a decision made lightly, but when you go on national television as a representative of your employer you should expect to be held accountable for what you say. FOX et al do just the opposite; when one of theirs says something stupid they all rush in to make excuses.

doublesecretprobation: i'm sure it wasn't a decision made lightly, but when you go on national television as a representative of your employer you should expect to be held accountable for what you say. FOX et al do just the opposite; when one of theirs says something stupid they all rush in to make excuses.

Oh no doubt when you have a job like that you have to be careful in what you say. NPR is well within their right to terminate his contract, and I can see how some might construe what he said as insensitive. I just personally don't see what he said as a big deal, and it's a shame to see him go.

nekom: I just personally don't see what he said as a big deal, and it's a shame to see him go.

i have a sneaking suspicion that they were looking for an excuse to show him the door.

"This makes rage boy happy"

I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

That's not at all comparable! Williams simply stated on Fox News that his credibility and reputation were for sale, and that he hoped that Fox would make a significant financial offer.

Elvis_Bogart: Welcome to "All Things Considered (except differing viewpoints)".

Um, what he said is blatantly racist and bigoted. If he had said anti-Jewish comments or anti-Mexican comments he would have been booted too.

i'm guessing fox will give him his own show now, so they he can be their one "black friend" that inures them to charges of racism for pushing their usual negrophobic agenda.

vernonFL: Elvis_Bogart: Welcome to "All Things Considered (except differing viewpoints)".

Um, what he said is blatantly racist and bigoted. If he had said anti-Jewish comments or anti-Mexican comments he would have been booted too.

It can't be called racism because Muslims are not a race.

All the current political correctness system does is make sure most people won't give their actual opinions on these matters. 100% of Americans probably have one or more opinions that would lead NPR and the rest of the main stream media to fire them. 99.9% are afraid enough to keep them silent.

Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

Truth, you speak it.

Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

Jesse Jackson said something along those lines about being at an ATM at night a number of years ago.

Elvis_Bogart: Welcome to "All Things Considered (except differing viewpoints)".

How long has his NPR tenure overlapped with his Fox News gig? Years? Yeah, that's what I thought.

notmtwain: 99.9% are afraid enough to keep them silent.

Or smart enough to know when to exercise their First Amendment rights and when to keep their fool mouths shut.

shirtsbyeric: What could possibly make him nervous about seeing Muslims on a plane?

Preconceptions based on bigotry?

"Gee, a lot of murders are committed by black gang members- I should be safe and assume that all black men I see are carrying weapons!" -reasonable statement in GOP-land

manimal2878: notmtwain: vernonFL: Elvis_Bogart: Welcome to "All Things Considered (except differing viewpoints)".

Um, what he said is blatantly racist and bigoted. If he had said anti-Jewish comments or anti-Mexican comments he would have been booted too.

It can't be called racism because Muslims are not a race.

All the current political correctness system does is make sure most people won't give their actual opinions on these matters. 100% of Americans probably have one or more opinions that would lead NPR and the rest of the main stream media to fire them. 99.9% are afraid enough to keep them silent.

When people say things like this, do they think in their minds that FOX is somehow not mainstream?

Of course Fox is mainstream. I did not mean to exclude any commercial networks. (NPR is about as commercial as any of them these days.)

Nabb1: Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

Jesse Jackson said something along those lines about being at an ATM at night a number of years ago.

When a rich black man makes blanket statements about poor black people, it's called "Classism".

/and Fox has no problem with that, either

notmtwain: It can't be called racism because Muslims are not a race.

I always love when the bigots say something like "I'm not racist, I'm a bigot!" As if one is better than the other...

Ryan2065: I always love when the bigots say something like "I'm not racist, I'm a bigot!" As if one is better than the other...

I always go with I'm a racist not a bigot. I gots me an education!

kingoomieiii: Nabb1: Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

Jesse Jackson said something along those lines about being at an ATM at night a number of years ago.

When a rich black man makes blanket statements about poor black people, it's called "Classism".

/and Fox has no problem with that, either

Honestly, I think a lot of what is considered "racism" by some now adays IS really "Classism", and, I'm not saying one is better than the other, but, they are two different things. The issue is, because in the inner cities the "poverty" class is primarily non-white, it comes across to some as "racist".

Would I feel uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar neighborhood and a bunch of black teens in "gang type" atire were walking towards me.... um, yeah. But, I'd also feel uncomfortable if they were all white as well.

It has more to do with the appearance and attitude (which classism plays into.. I am judging you as a group by your attire than by your actions) than the skin color. I wouldn't feel threatened by a bunch of black guys in business suits walking down the street past me.

Well, bye.

It's kind of odd that the debate here, and especially in the NPR comments, took on a conservative v. liberal angle. It really isn't a conservative v. liberal issue. He made comments NPR felt were racist and they fired him.

My guess was that they felt that his increasing appearances on mainstream media shows made him too commercial for NPR, like Bob Villa became too commercial for PBS. This was simply an excuse to get rid of someone they felt was exploiting their credibility.

Three Crooked Squirrels: My guess was that they felt that his increasing appearances on mainstream media shows made him too commercial for NPR, like Bob Villa became too commercial for PBS. This was simply an excuse to get rid of someone they felt was exploiting their credibility.

Exactly, earlier they made him stop letting FOX introduce him as NPR's Juan Williams. It was an exploitation of their credibility by Mr. Williams to enhance the credibility of FOX. I do not like Juan Williams and I don't think he'll be a major loss to NPR.

Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

That is a good point but how would you complete the sentence?

"When I encounter a group of black teenagers walking down the street towards me, I _______________."

// "unleash the dobermans" is not a good answer.

my employer has a code of conduct that covers how i represent the company in public. i'm sure lots of people with jobs are in the same situation.

notmtwain: Pocket Ninja: I wonder how Juan Williams would react to a nationally televised pundit waxing poetic about the very reasonable apprehension he automatically feels any time he encounters a group of black teenagers walking down the street toward him.

That is a good point but how would you complete the sentence?

"When I encounter a group of black teenagers walking down the street towards me, I keep walking."

// "unleash the dobermans" is not a good answer.

I mean, obviously if I'm in a bad neighborhood and I'm being sized up by a group of fellows I couldn't take in a fight, I might be worried; but it's not their skin color that's causing that reaction.