Firing of Jaun Williams

In wake of 9-11, perpetual terrorist threats, and the war in the middle east, Americans have developed a heightened prejudice against Muslims. Recently, while on air talking with Bill O'Reilly, long time NPR journalist Jaun Williams made the following comment: "I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about 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're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

Immediately following his comments concerning the dilemma between fighting jihadists and fears about average Muslims, Williams was terminated by NPR and highed on in a high capacity at Fox News.

The day after his termination, Juan Williams released on article on Fox News called I was Fired for Telling the Truth. In this article, Williams says he was fired without due process because he was asked a question about how he felt and he told the truth: when he sees people in Muslim garb on airplanes who identify themselves at Muslism first and foremost, he gets anxious. I do not fault Mr. Williams for his opinion nor his actions in offering his truthful statement on air. He stated it was her personal feeling and i would have to say that a high majority of Americans, whether they would admit it or not, would feel a little anxious seeing a Muslim in full dress board a plane. I would venture to guess that even more people would at least think twice and make some connection between the individual they saw at the airport and a terrorist attack or the 9-11 plane crashes into the World Trade Centers.


I do not consider myself a a prejudicial person, but if I were to board a plane and see a Muslim person in their full dress, I too would get a little nervous or at least wonder. Is this fair? No. Do I realize that not all Muslims are terrorits? Of course. But I still would have that feeling as I'm sure our great grandparents had after the bombing of Pearl Harbor when they saw a Japaneese person. Predjudice is everywhere and if a group of white Christians or Mormons or Catholics were to fly a plane into a Muslim mosque or trade building, Muslim people would look at all white people in their country boarding planes at a threat.