These rules exist for the sake of NPR's reputation as a journalistic entity that attempts to report news without personal bias.
When you clumsily fire somebody for violations real or imagined expressing honest and objective facts in a personal way on a right winged news agency you are going to create a media fiasco, which is what happened. In trying to protect the journalistic integrity of NPR Shiller or whoever she was damaged it far far more than Williams did. It is now her turn to be fired if she will not resign. She also implied that Williams should have told his psychiatrist. That right there is worse than anything Williams did. You don't fire people as you commit the same sin. She needs to go to clear the air. She fucked support for NPR. Not exec material.
It seems that she had an axe to grind and went out of her way to prove it.
I'd ask you to consider one more thing M and that is this- If one watches the clip in it's entirety it is difficult to fault Williams for what he says. He finds he has a reaction of concern when he sees someone in traditional garb but goes on to say that these same people need to be treated with respect. It isn't the emotional reaction of fear which matters, but that one rises above it and uses reason and treats them as humans based on who they are as people not clothes. Williams wouldn't accept O'Reillys nonsense. So what did Williams really do? I thought about this a bit an it occurred to me that I've read about this sort of thing before-
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthews house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
On hearing this, Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
I am not equating Williams with Jesus, but I am making a comparison with the situation. Fox does attract people who have a particular mindset and those who find reasons to hate Muslims may find O'Reilly to be one who reinforces their views. With that as a context, lets look again at what happens. Along comes Williams and instead of pontificating he expresses an emotion many of these views feel, fear, and he uses it to connect with the viewers. Does he leave it there? No, he then goes on to say that despite his emotional reaction Muslims aren't after you as a whole. They deserve the same justice that others in America have. After all only a fool has no fear. What makes us different from the animals is that we can rise above it and become its master. It is part of what makes us Human.
For some viewers this is the only exposure they have that runs counter to their thinking. Most of them won't change their minds, but while Williams can't make them repent he can still preach the Gospel. Redemption remains a possibility.
For the part of the Pharisees just look around. We have many here eager to cast the first stone and those who value "the law" include the Sanhedrin at NPR. Williams dined with sinners. For this he was crucified.
As for me I get to play one of my favorite characters in all this- Pilate- and bring his situation forward again to say to you that I find no fault in him, at least on this occasion.
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