Short memory, off-balance

Juan Williams is a smart guy and one sharp journalist. He worked for The Washington Post for 23 years, joined FauxNews in 1997 and National Public Radio a couple of years after that.

Two of those employers are actual news organizations, at least. His presence at the third owes to his (relatively) conservative leanings. Of course, FauxNews sees him as (relatively) liberal.

Williams said this on Monday's edition of The O'Reilly Factor:

"Political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don't address reality. I mean, look Bill [O'Reilly], I'm not a bigot, you know the kind of books I've written on 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.

"Now, I remember also that when the Times Square bomber was at court, I think this was just last week. He said the war with Muslims, America's war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don't think there's any way to get away from these facts. But I think there are people who want to somehow remind us all as President Bush did after 9/11, it's not a war against Islam."

NPR promptly fired Williams, saying that his remarks on FOX were "inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR." Yesterday CEO Vivian Schiller told the Atlanta Press Club that Williams should consult "his psychiatrist or his publicist -- take your pick." Classy.

I hardly know where to begin. The best place, I guess, is with the words that got Williams canned:

"...when I get on a plane...if I see people who are in Muslim garb...I get worried. I get nervous."

I'm quite sure that's how he feels, just as I'm certain that he's not the only American who has the same reaction. His confession flies in the face of "political correctness," that's for damned sure, but it's also unbecoming of a black man who should know better than to perpetuate irrational fear.

His caveats notwithstanding, Williams would be wise to recall many whites' equally unreasonable fear of African-Americans, especially during his youth.

Williams' human reaction is understandable, his independence and candor admirable. His common sense, however, needs a tuneup.

His memory could use a good stretch, too.

And then we come to NPR, which has been less than thrilled with Williams' commentary on FauxNews for a while now. Swamped by a wave of outrage over the firing, the network's ombudsman admitted that "NPR handled this situation badly."

No shit?

Unlike CNN's dismissal of Rick Sanchez a few weeks ago, NPR's termination of Williams robbed it of an intelligent, thoughtful voice of reason -- a (relatively) conservative voice which brought respectable balance to the network's analysis. NPR willfully diminished itself and, as a result, insulted its listeners.

Williams, of course, got a shiny new contract with FauxNews, which insults us all.

Ultimately, I come down on the side of intellectual honesty and, by that measure, NPR falls short. I've ended my support of public broadcasting. It won't resume until NPR regains its balance.

Re-hiring Juan Williams would be a step in the right direction, but I'm not holding my breath.