Juan Williams Has His Say

[NYcarbineer]

Not me. But he does have a good case of defamation.

On what grounds?

 

[Madeline]

Not me. But he does have a good case of defamation.

I don't think he has any case at all.

Why? Because his boss at NPR insinuated Williams may have mental issues? If that supported a defamation lawsuit, we'd all have one. Besides, isn't that exactly how Williams has tried to defend his remarks?

To support defamation aka slander or libel, a suit must allege (a) that a statement of fact was made (b) in the case of public figure like Williams, that it was known to be untrue and was made with actual malice and (c) that the statement damaged the person spoken of, almost always economically.

This is a complete non-starter, chanel.

 

[asterism]

I know word for word what Williams had to say, iamwhatiseem. I judge it hateful to promote the idea that Muslim = terrorist.

In this country, at this time, what label could possibly be more repugnant?

Had he done that, I would criticize him for it. But he DID NOT.

That's a fail. Williams said he was made nervous by Muslims in traditional garb. If looking at a person and assigning blame based on appearance is not racist...if pre-judging someone based on their appearance is not racist....if suspecting every Muslim in traditional garb of being a terrorist is not hateful....

Then what would be?

BTW, remind us how many actual terrorists and attempted terrorists were wearing traditional Muslim garb at the time of the attack? None? Does irrationality count towards evaluating hate speech with you?

It does with me.

Since when is "Muslim" a race?

 

[Madeline]

Not me. But he does have a good case of defamation.

On what grounds?

Because in chanel's world, hurting the feelings of anyone who is Islamophobic should be penalized by law.

 

[Madeline]

asterism wrote:

Since when is "Muslim" a race?

Good point...that was sloppy on my part.

 

[NYcarbineer]

CG.. Soros donated one million to media matters. He donated 1.8 million to NPR. Juan is fired and Media Matters is calling for Mara Liasson to be next. You are exactly correct. These attacks are because he works at Fox. They better have a good paper trail to verify their reasons and that "physicatrist" statement may cause some problems.

One minute the wingnuts are whining about government money going to NPR instead of private money,

the next minute they're whining about private money going to NPR.

Who is whining about Soros' money? The point is if NPR is going to pick sides against Fox at the same time Soros declares war and donates, they can and should do that without tax money.

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

 

[asterism]

asterism wrote:

Since when is "Muslim" a race?

Good point...that was sloppy on my part.

Thank you.

 

[Madeline]

asterism wrote:

Since when is "Muslim" a race?

Good point...that was sloppy on my part.

Thank you.

No, thank you!

 

[asterism]

One minute the wingnuts are whining about government money going to NPR instead of private money,

the next minute they're whining about private money going to NPR.

Who is whining about Soros' money? The point is if NPR is going to pick sides against Fox at the same time Soros declares war and donates, they can and should do that without tax money.

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The irony of Williams' bitching about racial bias at NPR whilst having been fired for hate speech against Muslims is un-fucking-believable.

Are you capable of independent thought?
Or do you prefer to be a small annoying echo of others spinnery?

It is obvious you did not see or read about the conversation Juan had on the show. Or if you did, you prefer to spin the truth like the ilk that you follow.

I know word for word what Williams had to say, iamwhatiseem. I judge it hateful to promote the idea that Muslim = terrorist.

In this country, at this time, what label could possibly be more repugnant?

Ok then your spin is not due to spite - but rather an incapacity to properly digest what someone was trying to say in context.
Juan was stating openly the same thing millions of people feel - that he gets nervous when a Muslim person gets on a flight. He was simply stating an emotion that millions feel - and cannot help to feel.
However his point (this is what we call context) was to not allow these irrational fears to get the best of us.
He was speaking in FAVOR of trusting Muslims - not the other way around Madeline.
You need to grow some antennae of your own. NPR is a cauldron of one sided thinking - broaden your mind beyond what they want you to think.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Okay, so,

1. Juan Williams is a liberal news analyst on NPR
2. Juan Williams gets fired for issues between him and his employer

...if...

3. NPR simply replaces him with another liberal analyst, thus bringing the left/right 'equation' at NPR, in the big picture, back in line with where it was a week ago...

...what's the problem?

Or...

...if NPR offers him his job back, will the right stop clamoring for public broadcasting to be defunded?

OF COURSE NOT!! The right is acting like this is some special extraordinary circumstance that NOW justifies the ending of funding for NPR, when, in fact,

the right has wanted to defund all of public broadcasting for decades.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Who is whining about Soros' money? The point is if NPR is going to pick sides against Fox at the same time Soros declares war and donates, they can and should do that without tax money.

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

What irony? Because people have the capacity of thought that they can realize when something is wrong - and speak out on it?

perhaps it is time YOU realize that we don't all think in "red vs. blue" only. We think outside of just one political spectrum...you might try it.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Who is whining about Soros' money? The point is if NPR is going to pick sides against Fox at the same time Soros declares war and donates, they can and should do that without tax money.

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

He's only being defended by the right because he spoke kindly of Islamophobia. It was a sort of validation of the right's consensus belief that it's okay to distrust all Muslims.

The right isn't defending Williams' liberalism.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Who is whining about Soros' money? The point is if NPR is going to pick sides against Fox at the same time Soros declares war and donates, they can and should do that without tax money.

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

Well, I've praised mega-conservative Ron Paul's views on foreign policy, so we're even.

 

[chanel]

Who is whining about Soros' money? The point is if NPR is going to pick sides against Fox at the same time Soros declares war and donates, they can and should do that without tax money.

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

Juan Williams is an intelligent, sincere voice on Fox News. The reason the O'Reilly Factor is so successful is not just because of Bill O'Reilly. In fact, I don't agree with a lot of what he says. The success of the Factor is that O'Reilly manages to get guests and commentators from both sides who are reasonable and fair. I don't agree with hardly anything that Dr. Mark Lamont Hill has to say, but I appreciate his point of view. Not too many cable shows can do what O'Reilly does in my opinion.

The Factor made Juan Williams a household name and people like him. Likability trumps partisanship sometimes.

 

[Madeline]

Are you capable of independent thought?
Or do you prefer to be a small annoying echo of others spinnery?

It is obvious you did not see or read about the conversation Juan had on the show. Or if you did, you prefer to spin the truth like the ilk that you follow.

I know word for word what Williams had to say, iamwhatiseem. I judge it hateful to promote the idea that Muslim = terrorist.

In this country, at this time, what label could possibly be more repugnant?

Ok then your spin is not due to spite - but rather an incapacity to properly digest what someone was trying to say in context.
Juan was stating openly the same thing millions of people feel - that he gets nervous when a Muslim person gets on a flight. He was simply stating an emotion that millions feel - and cannot help to feel.
However his point (this is what we call context) was to not allow these irrational fears to get the best of us.
He was speaking in FAVOR of trusting Muslims - not the other way around Madeline.
You need to grow some antennae of your own. NPR is a cauldron of one sided thinking - broaden your mind beyond what they want you to think.

Here's a shocker...I have never heard a NPR broadcast. Not one. I have been getting their news feed on my facebook page for a few weeks, and I love their coverage of the arts, etc., but I am just not one to use the radio that-a-way. So I had no pre-conceived ideas about NPR when this occurred.

You can assign whatever value you wish to Williams' speech, as can I. It might aid you to know, NPR had over 300 viewer complaints about him before he was fired, and they had already overlooked his calling the First Lady "Stokley Carmichael in drag" on-air. Williams has never contended that he did not understand the NPR editorial standards, that they were vague or applied in an uneven fashion, etc. All he has done is bellyache that he was the only on-air black man NPR had (as if that matters on the fucking RADIO) and that he perceives his termination as "bigotry".

Williams can have his zany POVs. You have yours, I have mine and the NPR executives have theirs. Unless it can be shown the NPR executives acted in bad faith, they get to exercize reasonable discretion in carrying out their duties, in part because elsewise no one would be able to carry them out.

Williams' rights were not violated. He violated a contractual obligation to NPR, and lost his job for it.

Real world, eh?

 

[Madeline]

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

Juan Williams is an intelligent, sincere voice on Fox News. The reason the O'Reilly Factor is so successful is not just because of Bill O'Reilly. In fact, I don't agree with a lot of what he says. The success of the Factor is that O'Reilly manages to get guests and commentators from both sides who are reasonable and fair. I don't agree with hardly anything that Dr. Mark Lamont Hill has to say, but I appreciate his point of view. Not too many cable shows can do what O'Reilly does in my opinion.

The Factor made Juan Williams a household name and people like him. Likability trumps partisanship sometimes.

Likability? Try publicity stuntmanship.

 

[asterism]

Okay, so,

1. Juan Williams is a liberal news analyst on NPR
2. Juan Williams gets fired for issues between him and his employer

...if...

3. NPR simply replaces him with another liberal analyst, thus bringing the left/right 'equation' at NPR, in the big picture, back in line with where it was a week ago...

...what's the problem?

Or...

...if NPR offers him his job back, will the right stop clamoring for public broadcasting to be defunded?

OF COURSE NOT!! The right is acting like this is some special extraordinary circumstance that NOW justifies the ending of funding for NPR, when, in fact,

the right has wanted to defund all of public broadcasting for decades.

Seems about right, using the current spotlight on NPR.

So what's the problem again?

 

[boedicca]

I know nothing about contract law, but it seems to me he has a good case against NPR as well. You don't call someone a mental case on national T.V.

The irony of the NPR president smearing Juan because he said something she claims he shouldn't have said is quite telling.

She should be fired.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

This is too funny. Up until this incident NPR was criticized ad nauseum by the rightwing propaganda machine for allegedly being too liberal,

and in the past, the mere fact that Juan Williams was there would have been part of the criticism, because,

he's a liberal.

I do love the irony of so many of us on the right riding to defend Juan Williams, an actual liberal. Perhaps things aren't as you present?

He's only being defended by the right because he spoke kindly of Islamophobia. It was a sort of validation of the right's consensus belief that it's okay to distrust all Muslims.

The right isn't defending Williams' liberalism.

Kool Aid has nothing to fear.
Juan is being defended by both sides because he is a refreshing commentator who speaks out what he thinks - not what his employer wants him to say.