Okay, I’ve got to step up to the plate over the NPR firing flap … especially when $arah Palin has a made a comment or two about ending public funding of radio (TV, art, etc.).

I found this AP article “NPR gets earful from listeners on Williams firing,” by Brett Zongker, published October 22, 2010 – [Williams was fired Wednesday over comments he made on “The O’Reilly Factor” on the Fox News Channel, his other employer. “When I get on a plane,” he said, “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.”]  

If you take Juan Williams’ quote and substitute any other nationality/inappropriate ethnic adjective in place of Muslim(s), and change location, the quote would still be wrong – there is no getting around this fact. Add the word Gansta in place of Muslim, or Jew, or say, the N-word/R-word/GLBT-word or Black, Hispanic, Blonde – any derogatory word for anyone that makes you feel uneasy – you can see where I am going with this — I’m calling it, it is just plain unacceptable.

People have got to take responsibility for their actions and what randomly comes out of their mouths. When they have overstepped the line they either have to own up to what they have done, apologize or resign. If they fail to realize their error and defiantly ignore or flaunt their company’s policies, they deserve reprimand.

Complaining about getting caught and suffering the resultant consequence is bad form – I am insulted when I have to read about/listen/watch the instigators/whiners being made into the story glorifying their inappropriate actions instead of hearing reporters condemnit. We are asked to let too many things go, to look the other way, to act against our best interests – we have to take notice when conservative party ads are aired telling Hispanics Not To Vote by mistake, because flubs are telltale indications of intent. Saying WOOPS, my bad, won’t cut it anymore ’cause, really – isn’t this about fear of difference; qualifying one’s reaction against what is prejudicely seen through jaundiced eyes as being a correct assumption and acting on it? Isn’t this intolerance plan and simple? I support NPR’s stance and subsequent firing of Williams as the proper reaction – I’ll continue to listen to them every day.