Juan Williams and NPR -- Are Muslims in the US Discriminated Against More Than Blacks, Hispanics, Gays and Other Minorities?

Juan Williams and NPR are no more. The 56-year-old senior news analyst, born in Panama, was fired by National Public Radio for making disparaging remarks against Muslims to Bill O'Reilly on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox, as reported by the Associated Press.

Said Williams, "I mean, 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 a 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." The outspoken Williams has gotten in trouble before with NPR for remarks against Michelle Obama, but they weren't severe enough to get him fired.

Juan Williams was fired by Ellen Weiss, Senior Vice President for News at NPR. Said Williams to Weiss, "I said, 'You mean I don't even get the chance to come in and we do this eyeball-to-eyeball, person-to-person, have a conversation?' I've been there more than 10 years."

Ellen Weiss responded with, "There's nothing you can say that would change my mind."

Are all Muslims terrorists?

Juan Williams, as a guest on Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor, said he feels nervous when Muslims in garb are on a plane with him. If Americans are honest, many feel the same way. Why? Because of 9/11. Now the fear of Muslims blowing up planes or buildings, or other terrorist activity, weighs heavily on many American's minds.

The United States is a melting pot of various races, ethnicity's, sexual orientations, and religions. However, in this country, certain groups are discriminated against more than other groups. Blacks and gays have always been at the top of the discrimination list, but is there a new minority group that takes the number 1 spot?

What is it like to be Muslim in the United States? What is it like to listen to remarks against Muslims on what seems like a daily basis? What is it like to be racially profiled? What is it like to be a group of people who other people fear and do not understand?

Whoopi Goldberg said, during her visit on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, in explaining why she stormed off the set of The View after remarks against Muslims uttered by Bill O' Reilly, Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Timothy McVeigh was a white man born in Indiana. One of his accomplices, Terry Nichols, is a white man born in Michigan. McVeigh and Nichols were terrorists. The Muslim men who were responsible for the 9/11 tragedies were terrorists. Not all white people are terrorists. Are all Muslims terrorists?

Should Juan Williams have been fired?

Juan Williams of NPR is not the only person to be fired for what his bosses consider disparaging remarks. Rick Sanchez was the latest casualty with his remarks against Jews. Like it or not, if you want to hold on to your radio job or your TV job, you need to be smart about it. Bill O'Reilly is expected to take a certain viewpoint, but even he has to be smart about how he does it. If you say something offensive about a race of people, depending on who your employer is, you may pay for it.

Freedom of speech works better on a blog or a book, not on a program where your sponsors have people to answer to. NPR issued a statement saying Williams' remarks "were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."

Maybe Williams will be hired by Fox?

Sources:

NPR fires news analyst after remarks about Muslims, Associated Press

Jolie du Pre, Whoopi Goldberg on "The View" -- is Storming Off a Set Just as Unprofessional as "Cussing" Someone Out?, Associated Content

Jolie du Pre, Rick Sanchez is Fired for Playing the Race Card, Associated Content