I've always liked Juan Williams, even though I often don't agree with him on many issues. I am also a regular NPR listener despite the fact that NPR's analysis and commentary is generally left-wing. I quite enjoy their international coverage, including human interest stories (fluff, I know) and travel journals. All that said, I think the decision to fire Juan Williams was a huge mistake and a great loss for NPR. Williams is an insightful analyst who often brings an unorthodox but solid viewpoint to otherwise mundane news and debates.
And now they have used an honest statement of feeling as the basis for a charge of bigotry to create a basis for firing me. Well, now that I no longer work for NPR let me give you my opinion. This is an outrageous violation of journalistic standards and ethics by management that has no use for a diversity of opinion, ideas or a diversity of staff (I was the only black male on the air). This is evidence of one-party rule and one sided thinking at NPR that leads to enforced ideology, speech and writing. It leads to people, especially journalists, being sent to the gulag for raising the wrong questions and displaying independence of thought.
I certainly won't be contributing to NPR's ongoing pledge drive.
