Juan’s (2) Million Dollar words.
It is becoming readily apparent that far to many in our society fail to realize that while we live in a democracy, we spend at least a 3rd of our lives working in a dictatorship in which many of our Democratic principles don’t apply in the slightest.
If one honestly accepts modern reality, and doesn’t let their denial, bias or complete lack of understanding of the American workplace impede their judgement, they would easily be able to see that the firing of Juan Williams is in no way a travesty of justice, nor in nor was it infringement of his first amendment rights.
While there are laws against against age, sex, race and religious discrimination in the workforce, there is NOTHING protecting the right of free speech while employed by Private sector entities.
Meaning
That First Amendment Black Card you walk around with instantly becomes a bus pass when you enter the realm of compensation for labor.
Whether or not private business’s ability to impede your speech or expression while on its payroll ideal or not is debatable. The fact its well within its rights to do so is not.
Ask
Rick Sanchez
Helen Thomas
Don Imus
Al Campanis
Jimmi The Greek.
And thousands, possibly millions of nondescript others.
You are afforded the right to say what you want in this country, but not the right to remain employed while doing so.
Now to wade through the cesspool of hypocrisy and idiocy
It seems in today’s world everyone is overwrought with zealousness, that inherently impedes objective assessment. The promotion political interest has become blatant during the Juan Williams controversy, with contestants on the left and the right dispersing hollow arguments.
There is the idiotic stance that Williams should have been fired by NPR along time ago for his faux liberal leanings. The inane implication is NPR should have dismissed Williams for false representation of professed political ideals on another network.
Huh?
To call upon his firing based on the perceived lack of earnest veracity in his liberal stance while playing the Black Alan Colmes is assiniene.
It’s not NPR’s job to gauge the political sincerity of those working for other networks.
The general Conservative take has been even more troubling. Its seems that every time a media figure is criticized and or fired for outlandish statements, free speech that’s NEVER been present in the work place is somehow scarified at the alter of political correctness.
Forget the tree falling in the forest, is possible to destroy something that doesn’t exist?
How about we look at what Mr. William’s said and go from there.
“Political Correctness can lead to some sort of paralyses where you don’t address reality. Hey look Bill I’m no bigot, you know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on a plane and I see people in Muslim garb, and think they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims I get nervous, I get worried. I remember also when that Times Square Bomber was on trial, He said the war with Muslims, Americas war with Muslims was just beginning. I don’t think there is anyway to get away from these facts”
William’s may have been conveying his honest feeling about Muslims in traditional dress, but that doesn’t make his statement devoid of ignorance and prejudice. With his “identifying first as Muslim” statement, he states that, depending on dress, he sees nothing but a ardent follower of Islam with strong potential to do him harm in some sort of Terrorist attack, sorta of like when certain White people see nothing but thugs and gang members while observing black youth in “traditional”dress.
Williams doesn’t see any of the other potential human qualities in those dressed in “Muslim Garb” he just see somebody that might just kill him in a Jihadist rage.
Prejudice at its finest.
Williams then tried to support his words and actions at airports by invoking the words of one man on trial for a attempted terrorist act. The super imposing of one persons words and insidious acts is default tactic of justification of prejudice and or racism. Somehow Williams has come to the self assured belief that the words and actions of one convicted terrorist are viable for any of the 7 million Muslims residing in the U.S depending on their choice of attire on a given day.
Williams’s Citing political correctness as the main ill adversely effecting discussion on controversial topics is also troubling.
While its lack of standard definition hampers its supporters while leaving it open to attack and exploitation, political correctness had nothing to do with Juan’s firing.
The belief “speaking from the heart” or “being honest” in ones sentiments inoculates or should protect one from potential repercussions is a false one.
I believe all niggers are dumb
I believe all spics disease carrying deviants
I think all crackers are evil incarnate and deserve to be called devils..
Are all beliefs held by individuals in our land, if a person softened up the rough edges on those views and projected them should or would they reattain there employment?
Political correctness is often hypocritically enforced by those who claim to abhor it, but those very individuals feel that any utterance a person makes no matter how sexist, racist, or xenophobic, should not get one fired WHEN it espouses their beliefs. Such thought completely goes against status quo business practices involving all potential speech that conflicts with its desired image or bottom line.
The nation as a whole seems to have a problem differentiating factual honesty with, often abrasive honest feelings.
NPR for all of the false liberal leaning accusations made against it, breaks its back daily to provide its listeners with subject matter and guest that cover the political spectrum. Declaring that NPR has an overt political bent is almost as idiotic as saying C-Span has one, any objective listener or study of guest and topics would state as much. Given the political climate of the day, those who despise National Public Radio are in a perfect position to potentially ACORN due to its preference not to aligned directly with sentiments perceived to be biased against a given group and maintain some of its hosts reattain an aura of objectivity.
Whats lost in debate is the strong desire of many to be able to disparage for demonize particular groups with impunity. In their desire to create such a reality, scores fail to realize is there are entities that will provide a platform for such views, but every outlet is not required to give voice to any and every opinion.
William is largely being portrayed as a victim in regards to his dismissal, but honestly this incident has been a boon career wise for him. With a new contract in hand, and a higher profile then he could ever imagine, he can often be seen spewing vitriol towards his ex employer.
“I always thought the right wing were the ones inflexible and intolerant, but now i’m coming to realize. the orthodoxy and npr if its representing the left is unbelievable”
that he wouldn’t dare speak week ago, while sordidly invoking race.
“To think me somehow as a black man, say something out of the box, they find it difficult”
Sadly prejudice comments from Black people or any other race are not that “out of the box”. Nor is the propensity of Americans to cling onto a omnipresent enemy and let it misguide its thoughts and actions.
There isn’t a definitive right answer as to whether or not Williams should have been fired , but its undeniable that his dismissal was as American as his prejudicial views towards Muslims.
Random ILL 