National Public Radio’s decision to fire Juan Williams for saying on Fox News earlier this week that he gets “worried” and “nervous” when he sees Muslims on planes has ignited yet another debate about prejudice, political correctness, and free speech. Is Williams simply being held to the same standard as Rick Sanchez, except for comments regarding Muslims instead of Jews? Is he the new Shirley Sherrod, being unjustly condemned for an unsavory snippet of dialogue taken out of a much more agreeable context? Or was NPR simply looking for an excuse to rid themselves of a man who, to their consternation, is also a pundit on Fox News? Commentators across the Internet (and Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee!) are debating what it all means. And so is Juan Williams.
Juan Williams, Fox News:
William Kristol, Weekly Standard:
Joe Scarborough, Twitter:
Glenn Greenwald, Salon:
Howard Kurtz, Twitter:
William Saletan, Slate:
[A]dmitting such fears doesn’t make you a bigot. Sometimes, to work through your fears, you have to face them honestly. You have to think through the perils of acting on those fears. And you have to explain to others why they, too, should transcend their anxieties or resentments and treat people as individuals.
Michael Tomasky, Guardian:
Sarah Palin, Twitter:
Jeffrey Goldberg, Atlantic:
Ed Morrissey, Hot Air:
Steve Benen, Political Animal/Washington Monthly:
Jonah Goldberg, Corner/National Review:
Erick Erickson, Red State:
Glynnis MacNicol, Mediaite:
Mark Thompson, Swampland/Time:
Cliff May, Corner/National Review:
Conor Friedersdorf, Forbes:
Mike Huckabee, HuckPAC:
