Should Juan Williams have gotten fired from NPR?
As you may know Juan Williams has recently been under fire for his comments during an interview on Fox News. He said "when I am on a plane and I see people in Muslim garb, I get nervous. I get worried." Three days later, NPR let him go saying that the views he expressed were not those of NPR. When this interview occurred he was not on NPR, he was on Fox. He was there not as an NPR representative, but as a political analyst.
At the same time MSNBC's Chris Matthews said "I mean it isn't far from what we saw in the 30's, where all of a sudden political parties started showing up on uniform. He compared Republican voters to Nazis.
Juan Williams got fired for expressing his honest opinion and nothing happened to Chris Mathews. So I ask you, Should Juan Williams have gotten fired?
Hell ya!
Side Score: 18
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NO.
Side Score: 14
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5
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NPR has guidelines pertaining to Journalistic impartiality. While contracted to NPR, journalists aren't supposed to break that impartiality. Juan Williams did it multiple-multiple times over the years; he was fired for breaching the NPR code of ethics. This last time just happened to be the straw that broke the Camel's back. So, yes, he should have been fired. He should have been fired a long time ago. V. Outside work, freelancing, speaking engagements In appearing on TV or other media including electronic Web-based forums, NPR journalists should not express views they would not air in their role as an NPR journalist. They should not participate in shows electronic forums, or blogs that encourage punditry and speculation rather than fact-based analysis. Side: Hell Ya!
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1
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I don't think he should have gotten fired. He expressed his honest opinion that many Americans share. His comments were not racist. He never said anything about Muslims being inferior. All he said was that he feels nervous around them. He is protected by the first amendment. Side: No.
I don't think he should have gotten fired. He expressed his honest opinion that many Americans share. His comments were not racist. He never said anything about Muslims being inferior. All he said was that he feels nervous around them. He is protected by the first amendment. He was not prosecuted by a government agency, but by a private company, so the first amendment does not apply. Secondly, in these times of fear and prejudice it is wildly inappropriate and irresponsible to stoke the flames with comments which marginalise a significant population of innocent, normal people. Side: Hell Ya!
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He was not prosecuted by a government agency, but by a private company, so the first amendment does not apply. He was not on NPR when he expressed those views. Secondly, in these times of fear and prejudice it is wildly inappropriate and irresponsible to stoke the flames with comments which marginalise a signifigant population of innocent, normal people. "the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning, first drop of blood."- Times Square bomber. We did not tarnish Islam's name. The radicals did. Side: No.
1
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Rick Sanchez was also fired a week or so before Juan Williams for saying Jews own the media. Why is it wrong to tell the truth? You can thank Political Correctness for that! It's pretty much official now, the truth is offensive and will not be tolerated. Expect to see a lot more of this silliness in the future. We are truly living in Orwellian times. Side: No.
Rick Sanchez was also fired a week or so before Juan Williams for saying Jews own the media. Why is it wrong to tell the truth? You can thank Political Correctness for that! It's pretty much official now, the truth is offensive and will not be tolerated. Expect to see a lot more of this silliness in the future. We are truly living in Orwellian times. It is not a true statement, at best you could say that some Jews own media companies. This is irrelevant however since his statement isn't intended to merely suggest religious ownership, but some sort of conspiracy. This is the same kind of fearmongering that sewed the seeds for genocide in Europe and it is employed in Africa too. Irrational, paranoid fear of a minority, often spread by a church or in this case news agencies. Side: Hell Ya!
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Who runs Hollywood? C'mon Side: No.
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NPR is National Public Radio. If WE are paying for this news outlet to continue, it would make sense NO person can be fired for their opinions. Especially if they're expressed OUTSIDE of NPR. It's easy to understand that they are against any kind of political opinion on their airwaves. And if the government is going to be running media, I would prefer it that way. But this does not constitute forcing a man to have the inability to express his opinions anywhere else. It's almost like they're just trying to "shut him up". As for Chris Matthews... I don't think he works on NPR. But this is just like teachers who get fired cause it turns out that they also work as a stripper or have "questionable" photos on the internet. While I disagree with that shit, at least that's MORE understandable than the whole "let's fire Juan Williams for having an opinion we don't like" horse shit. Side: No.
1
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Since NPR is privately and publicly funded passed by Congress under The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, not only was the firing of Juan Williams unjsufiiced for censorship of a government corporation, there is absolutely no justification for termination outside of NPR. He was on Fox News, a privately owned news media outlet. However, of course, government employees aren't protected under the free speech clause of the Bill of Rights. Why? Because that is just the way the government is. Side: No.
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