NPR Story

“Wow.....”

“I just heard that story and I had to share.”

“This American Life last week was one of the best I've heard. It was nothing but stories from a rest area on Labor Day weekend.”

“Thanks for sharing, MarkO. It's always good to hear an uplifting news story from time to time. Makes me wonder if there are chaplains like Cook in all large airports?”

“Thanks for sharing.”

“Likewise.”

“I had no idea that an airport would have a chaplain.

With all those people working at or passing through an airport there would have to be a few problems here and there.”

“LOL>>NPR in moderate???I think NOT

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130712737&ps=cprs

NPR News has terminated the contract of longtime news analyst Juan Williams after remarks he made on the Fox News Channel about Muslims.

Williams appeared Monday on The O'Reilly Factor, and host Bill O'Reilly asked him to comment on the idea that the U.S. is facing a dilemma with Muslims.

O'Reilly has been looking for support for his own remarks on a recent episode of ABC's The View in which he directly blamed Muslims for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walked off the set in the middle of his appearance.

Williams responded: "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."

Williams also warned O'Reilly against blaming all Muslims for "extremists," saying Christians shouldn't be blamed for Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

But strong criticism followed Williams' comments.

Late Wednesday night, NPR issued a statement praising Williams as a valuable contributor but saying it had given him notice that it is severing his contract. "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," the statement read.

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.

His status was earlier shifted from staff correspondent to analyst after he took clear-cut positions about public policy on television and in newspaper opinion pieces.

Reached late Wednesday night, Williams said he wasn't ready to comment and was conferring with his wife about the episode.”

“Seems to me he was pointing out the glaring fact that people who self identify first and foremost with a radical religion are dangerous, as history as repeatedly shown.

NPR isn't even trying to pretend its non-biased any more.”

“And therefore it should be cut loose from the Government teat.”

“Imagine, firing Juan Williams for being TOO CONSERVATIVE!

WOW!”

“

Finally! The worlds religions have agreed to bury their differences.! Cant wait to get home.....”

“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 have a feeling lots of folks feel that way.”

“just P.C. reactionary bullshyt. more proof that there's no such thing as an balanced news source”

“good thing girl scouts weren't responsible for 911 or i'd be unable to answer my door...i get about 1 a week at my door”

“I guess this should be FUEGO??????”

“Thrifty....UM that is sheer illogic.”

“�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 have a feeling lots of folks feel that way.�
Ewker
8:41:57 AM
10/21/10

NPR interviewed a woman who converted to Islam and wears the conventional dress. She stated she never had problems boarding a plane until she began wearing the traditional clothes.

She pretty much accepted it, but she didn't like it.

In other words, hell yes discrimination exists. Muslims aren't the problem any more than Christians are. Seems like dude said it the way it is in that he is prejudiced. NPR said it (the dismissal) in the way they expect it to be...non prejudiced.

It's the radical elements that bombed Oklahoma City and the WTC.”

“This faerie society has taught everybody that discrimination or prejudice is necessarily a bad thing. Freaking ridiculous. If people weren't discriminatory the human race would have died long ago. Being without prejudice is trying to live without acceptance of truth. Time to get over it people.”

“What was the cartoon with the black guy on the airplane looking at the muslim thinking "I don't need this irony"”

“Being without prejudice is trying to live without acceptance of truth. Time to get over it people.�
HiGHBRAiNSDRiLLER
12:50:10 PM
10/21/10

What truth would that be? That you are better because of your different race, creed, color or religion?”

“Muslims aren't the problem any more than Christians are.

It's the radical elements that bombed Oklahoma City and the WTC.”
chili36

Dude...really? I'd like to respectfully challenge these statements. Tim Mcvay was an atheist, so how does that relate to Christianity?”

“NO! Really. I respect your beliefs!

”

“Ok strat, should we be consider all atheists to be terrorists?”

“I notice you didn't answer the question but I'll answer your's

No.”

“soooo, should government employees get "worried and nervous" when they see a 20 something white male?”

“It is the total randomness of the acts that put you on guard when you see them...especially when you are traveling in public mass transportation.

I think it is more of a survival thing for most people...to be aware of your surroundings. I am sure they are aware of us.

I lived in a region that had a healthy Sikh population at 911. Those men went through hell for a while because they wore turbans.”

“plus, and i could be wrong on this, but i don't remember hearing about any of the 911 hijackers wearing "muslim garb"”

“Strat,

In my limited reading on McVeigh, it was my understanding that he professed to believe in God, professed to be an agnostic AND professed that "Science was his religion".

I am not sure if dude is an atheist or not. My point was that we can't say any group or religion he was a part of is "evil" because of what he did.”

“Hey, the 911 terrorists went out and got hammered and then walked out on their bartab.

Thus...we should all be afraid, very afraid of people drinking whiskey and slipping out the back door.”

“I think Juan Williams(one of the few liberals I respect) is a good man without a prejudiced bone in his body and what NPR has done should open a lot of eyes as to what the LAMESTREAM media is really all about.”

“God looked down on the sands and saw GWB and Osama facing off against each other. God said... I choose to intervene and shall grant each of you your worlds desire.....
Osama immediately jumped forward.... I want all the infidels out of Afghanistan I want only devout Muslims allowed there. I want a 5000 foot impenetrable wall all around the country, and place me with my brothers in arms.
God stroked his wise old chin and said Granted
GWB looked up into the sky expectantly....
And you? What is your desire for the world?
Tell me a little more about Osamas wall asks GWB.
Well said God. As he asked it is 5000 feet high surrounds the whole country and is impenetrable
Great says GWB.... Fill it with water !”

“Except for acts in Muslim countries all the videos I have seen they are always dressed in regular clothes.”

“ok. Since my posts about the oil spill on the other thread got deleted earlier...you think we can make this thread fuego now...

Hello????? Moderators??????”

“Mark-o started it!”

“This thread didn't start out as a fuego thread. XL made it that way.

He's good at that.”

“it's nobody's fault.... life is a TYPO !


”

“yeah he is...he started it on the other one too...damn me for peeking...”

“trubrit, i'm sure that if you'd tried you could have found a more annoying pic to use.”

“LOL Roam”

“
Careful what you wish for!”

“ If people weren't discriminatory the human race would have died long ago. Being without prejudice is trying to live without acceptance of truth. Time to get over it people.”
HiGHBRAiNSDRiLLER

Agreed. I think whether people admit it or not we make similar daily judgment calls. I think prejudice has become synonymous with racism and they are different. I dont think prejudging necessarily means that one thinks they are better than another. Its simply an assessment. I see a group of rowdy 20 something yr old white males on one side of the sidewalk I will without a doubt make some very quick judgments. How many are there? Who is the dominant personality? what is his proximity to others (front rear alone on the side), avenues of approach/egress, are they drunk or high.Are they/he armed? Does he/they represent a threat?

Peoples experience will form and shape their outlook. Juan didnt say that muslims shouldnt be allowed to fly or wear traditional clothing.
How many single white woman wont make a judgment or alter their route if a group of men are approaching and she feels that something isnt right in her gut? how many young black males in any suburban town wouldnt change behaviour if they saw 4 squad cars eyeing em as they cruise by slowly?

I am confident that I am not the only one who upon initially meeting a stranger has reservations for whatever reason, style of dress, color, voice, expression, body language etc... after a few minutes of talking sometimes the instinct is spot on and other times its not.

People need to simmer down. If someone with Juans experience, history and heck, race cant speak his mind, how will anyone ever be able to start or have the "dialogue" that PC types are always so eager to promote. This breeds fear, far worse than Juans comment, his opinion, speaking frankly as an individual. Thats not allowed on TV anymore? NPRs overreaction to one mans opinion is pretty telling.”

“edit* single white woman in a minority/urban setting.

in b4 racist (though I am sure that will be said too)”

“Thanks birch for differentiating prejudicial behavior from racism.

However, by the standard you set out, you are grouping people based upon race, creed color, religion.

What then is racism?

Look, I understand what you are saying in part. The total situation may dictate a more close examination of the person or persons in question. Let's take the example you gave about a woman altering her route. If the situation doesn't seem right I can understand her reaction. But what Juan commented on wasn't about a series of actions. He was commenting on feeling nervous because of looks and a persons religion. What would be the difference if he would have said, "hell, I get nervous if black people get on the plane"? He clearly wasnt basing his decision on any behavior, he was basing it on the appearance that he associates with a given religion.

I call it prejudicial behavior, but maybe we should just come out and say its racism.

Keep in mind in 1942 we began rounding up the Japanese in this country with "good reason". The only reason was that they were the same race as those who attacked us. In retrospect, it doesn't seem to "just", does it?”

“Oh hell, logged in as NGB again.

Attribute the above to me, not my wife.

--chili”

“Chili, I brought race in to try to paint a stark contrast. Race color and creed (gender, social status) can be factors in prejudice. Juan didnt say Arabs (or other "races" known to be muslim) he mentioned muslim dress.

His comment in context does deal with a specific set of actions by muslims, granted it was 19 of em who are dead. The over arching point still stands. The things we experience do affect our impressions for better or worse (as in the case of japanese internment). The ability for someone with a civil rights back ground who is himself a minority to openly discuss this very touchy issue is critical. The fact that he cant speak as an individual (not an NPR employee) without being fired is a pretty sad thing. He wasnt advocating profiling, or exclusion. I watched the whole interview and I took away from it that he was commenting at the dichotomy of his own civil rights experience and his prejudices towards muslims at airports.

When the risk of being able to honestly and openly discuss this issue is lifted, improvement will happen, though slow and painful at times. What message is being sent when a very articulate, moderate, educated and credible man cant speak his mind?”

“you could use the example of a gang of bikers and a single woman, or a group of construction workers and a single woman....

racism isn't prejudice. and where do stereotypes fall in?”