I Wonder What Would Have Happened.....

I have a confession to make:
My name is Meg, and I am a National Public Radio addict.

There.
I've said it - well, written it.

But like most addictive substances, mine has turned on me.
The news and information network that as recently as yesterday touted itself on my local channel (KWMU 90.7) as the best source for "balanced" and "fair" (and no, I am not putting words in their mouths) stories has fired one of their own for supposedly violating their "ethics". 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101021/cm_yblog_upshot/npr-fires-juan-williams-for-muslim-remarks-on-fox

What they've really done is fired one of their own for upholding the ethic of honesty.

Now, most people who know me know I think I have a pretty highly developed sense of "fair".  Being honest, and then getting fired for it, does not seem fair to me.

Juan Williams said he gets nervous.

I believe him.

I believe he gets nervous when he has to fly with people who are, as he describes, dressed in such a fashion as to put their (possibly radicalized) religious beliefs out there as the first and foremost impression they make.

In the very real, terrorist-filled world we inhabit today, it's an honest feeling.

He did not say he hates them.  He did not say he wants them to go away, or stop flying, or dress differently.  He did not say he, or anyone else, should take any action on his feeling.

He gets nervous.

That's all he said.

And that bastion of "balance", the fortress of "fair".....

fired him.

For admitting he gets nervous.

Now, I'm not a Muslim.  For that matter, I am not a Jew and I'm not even a practicing Catholic.  

But here's what I wonder:

1)  What if Juan Williams had said he gets nervous when he has to fly with people who wear traditional clothing identifying them as Hasidic Jews?

2)  What if Juan Williams had said he gets nervous when he has to fly with people who carry Bibles and have tee shirts identifying them with (possibly radicalized) evangelical Christian groups?

Well, I'm going to go out on a big ole thick, sturdy, solid rock of a branch here and say:

1)  Williams would have been fired - because Jews, like Muslims, are off-limits for any kind of negative comment in the politically-correct world.

2)  Williams would have been promoted - because, while it is rabidly unacceptable to give even the appearance of negativity when discussing Jews or Muslims, the constant drumbeat of Christian-bashing has become a defacto bylaw of the popular liberal media.

What Mr. Williams deserves is an abject apology from NPR and a reversal of their decision to fire him.

What NPR deserves is to have to fund their operations 100% on their own - as other radio stations and networks do.

What NPR does not deserve is one dime of support from me unless and until they admit their hypocrisy and issue said apology.

Oh, I'll still listen. 

I'm an addict, remember?

I'll just use their skewed logic and decide that while I will continue to listen to their broadcasts, giving them any financial support in return would violate some kind of "ethics".

.