Should we "defund" NPR?

[MissFitt]

Can someone help me find the OP's thread about defunding NPR when they recently banned their employees from going to the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally next weekend?

 

[sbell111]

Are you counting those viewers trapped in airports?

Are you counting viewers trapped in various other locations where faux news might be blaring?

 

[LiberalPrincess]

I thought you didn't care one way or another about my opinion?

This is why we as a country can not have an honest discussion about issues. It's this "gotcha" PC crap. No I didn't say directly or indirectly that all 1.5 billion are out to get me, the US, or the world. No. Just no.

Homeland Security has to start somewhere. The terrorists hide and blend into society. I guess those facts are "wrong" to you and you don't care about that either. Anyway, Homeland Security monitors Muslim activity. Dispute that. Nit-Pick that to pieces. Have fun with it.

You asked me to point out where you said something, and I did so easily. We are not debating your opinion, but your issue of lack of facts.

I never said YOU said there were 1.5 billion people out to get us, you were discussing homeland security. So, I questioned it, you told me to point out where you said it and I did so with no problem. The issue with not being able to have a discussion has nothing to do with being PC, it is when people present opinions as facts. Talk about circular discussion, you deny things you said on the page before!

 

[kinntj]

Actually it is the most watch cable news network. Not everyone has cable.

In 2009, Fox News was #5 in all Cable Networks with a +7% move from a previous year and CNN slid -30%. We won't see 2010's #'s until January, but I'm pretty certain it didn't go down much.

 

[OceanAnnie]

You asked me to point out where you said something, and I did so easily. We are not debating your opinion, but your issue of lack of facts.

I never said YOU said there were 1.5 billion people out to get us, you were discussing homeland security. So, I questioned it, you told me to point out where you said it and I did so with no problem. The issue with not being able to have a discussion has nothing to do with being PC, it is when people present opinions as facts. Talk about circular discussion, you deny things you said on the page before!

You reveal a lot about yourself, "Liberal Princess".

Again, I didn't state directly or indirectly there were 1.5 billion people out to get us. I didn't state opinions as facts.

Your saying so over and over doesn't make it true. Try as you may. This tactic is unbecoming, but you do it well.

 

[LiberalPrincess]

You reveal a lot about yourself, "Liberal Princess".

Again, I didn't state directly or indirectly there were 1.5 billion people out to get us. I didn't state opinions as facts.

I DID NOT SAY YOU DID. YOU WERE DISCUSSING HOMELAND SECURITY BEING BIGOTED.

Your saying so over and over doesn't make it true. Try as you may. This tactic is unbecoming, but you do it well.

Does it take all-caps for you to focus? What is truly unbecoming is ignoring the fact that you asked me to find a post, I found it, quoted you exactly, and you still can not address what you said, in fact, you have brought in an issue that has nothing to do with what either of us said. Absolutely classic.

 

[Karibeth19]

In 2009, Fox News was #5 in all Cable Networks with a +7% move from a previous year and CNN slid -30%. We won't see 2010's #'s until January, but I'm pretty certain it didn't go down much.

Here are the Cable News Ratings for this past Wednesday:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/10/21/cable-news-ratings-for-wednesday-october-20-2010/69135

 

[Geoff_M]

The answer to the question is no. NPR has the right to insist that their news people at least TRY to have some kind of objectivity.

Well then I guess to be consistent Mr. Williams will be first of many on-air NPR news personalities that will be shown the door.

 

[ols386]

I believe that Al Qaeda is out to get us, and we them. I don't believe that every muslim that I come into contact with is out to get me. I'll not fear one fifth of the world's population because a few thousand of them are evil.

I seriously doubt that many people do fear that, if they have even an ounce of common sense.

But the bottom line is, Al Qaeda and some those few evil thousand that you mention ARE plotting to attack again.

 

[LiberalPrincess]

Quote:
sbell111 said:

The part that makes it bigoted is when you assume that all 1.5 billion of them are out to get you.

You said:
Well, I guess homeland security is bigoted too.

You directly responded to a post saying that bigotry is when you assume all 1.5 billion of them are out to get you with a response that Homeland Security must be bigoted as well. What were you referring to unless you were saying that Homeland Security believes that 1.5 billion people are out to get us? Did you respond to the wrong post?

Quoting this again. Why, based on the post you responded to did you say that Homeland Security is bigoted? What were you referring to?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I thought you didn't care one way or another about my opinion?

This is why we as a country can not have an honest discussion about issues. It's this "gotcha" PC crap. No I didn't say directly or indirectly that all 1.5 billion are out to get me, the US, or the world. No. Just no.

Homeland Security has to start somewhere. The terrorists hide and blend into society. I guess those facts are "wrong" to you and you don't care about that either. Anyway, Homeland Security monitors Muslim activity. Dispute that. Nit-Pick that to pieces. Have fun with it.

Does it take all-caps for you to focus? What is truly unbecoming is ignoring the fact that you asked me to find a post, I found it, quoted you exactly, and you still can not address what you said, in fact, you have brought in an issue that has nothing to do with what either of us said. Absolutely classic.

I answered you. I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't see it.

 

[ols386]

Does it take all-caps for you to focus? What is truly unbecoming is ignoring the fact that you asked me to find a post, I found it, quoted you exactly, and you still can not address what you said, in fact, you have brought in an issue that has nothing to do with what either of us said. Absolutely classic.

Wow, that's kind of nasty.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Quoting this again. Why, based on the post you responded to did you say that Homeland Security is bigoted? What were you referring to?

I was referring to, if Homeland Security is following up on Jihad threats, why shouldn't Americans (for which the Jihad was declared against) take this threat seriously? If Americans are bigoted for the fear, what does that make Homeland Security for following up on the threat?

ETA- I didn't state Homeland Security was bigoted. I was using logic, as applied to the topic.

 

[happygirl]

I think we shouldn't be funding NPR at all,

 

[Basil of Baker St]

Before 9/11, I never paid attention to the other people who got on a plane with me, unless they had a screaming baby or something I was blissfully ignorant of my fellow passengers.

As much as I would love to return to innocence, it is just not possible. Flying makes me uneasy for many reasons, and a major reason is the threat of another terrorist attack. I pay attention to the other passengers on the plane, does that make me a horrible person? I don't stare at anyone, I don't try to make anyone feel uncomfortable, I'm just a little more aware of my surroundings. Does that make me a bigot? Is Juan Williams a bigot because he knows that, if there is a terrorist on the plane, that terrorist will most likely be Muslim? Does that knowledge make him a bigot? Is he mentally unstable because he recognizes that radical Islamic terrorists are a very serious threat?

I think he had the right to say what he said, and NPR had the right to fire him for it. We all now know where they stand on the matter. Juan will not be damaged by this, but NPR might. Let the chips fall where they may.

 

[DawnCt1]

Before 9/11, I never paid attention to the other people who got on a plane with me, unless they had a screaming baby or something I was blissfully ignorant of my fellow passengers.

As much as I would love to return to innocence, it is just not possible. Flying makes me uneasy for many reasons, and a major reason is the threat of another terrorist attack. I pay attention to the other passengers on the plane, does that make me a horrible person? I don't stare at anyone, I don't try to make anyone feel uncomfortable, I'm just a little more aware of my surroundings. Does that make me a bigot? Is Juan Williams a bigot because he knows that, if there is a terrorist on the plane, that terrorist will most likely be Muslim? Does that knowledge make him a bigot? Is he mentally unstable because he recognizes that radical Islamic terrorists are a very serious threat?

I think he had the right to say what he said, and NPR had the right to fire him for it. We all now know where they stand on the matter. Juan will not be damaged by this, but NPR might. Let the chips fall where they may.

I think all of us would be mentally unstable if we didn't recognize it.
Interestingly enough, NPR's website was crashed yesterday due to the deluge of email protesting his firing. I think that NPR is not only at risk of losing public funding but they may lose private funding as well. Many people are angry. But I agree. Williams will emerge from this just fine. He just received a $2 million contract from Fox.

 

[kinntj]

Here are the Cable News Ratings for this past Wednesday:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/10/21/cable-news-ratings-for-wednesday-october-20-2010/69135

Thank you! I bookmarked it to keep up with how my shows are doing.

 

[kinntj]

I think all of us would be mentally unstable if we didn't recognize it.
Interestingly enough, NPR's website was crashed yesterday due to the deluge of email protesting his firing. I think that NPR is not only at risk of losing public funding but they may lose private funding as well. Many people are angry. But I agree. Williams will emerge from this just fine. He just received a $2 million contract from Fox.

I'm not following the story closely, but it's good to hear he's doing well. We'll have to see what happens with NPR's funding, but it doesn't directly impact me anyway. I never listen to it.

 

[LiberalPrincess]

I was referring to, if Homeland Security is following up on Jihad threats, why shouldn't Americans (for which the Jihad was declared against) take this threat seriously? If Americans are bigoted for the fear, what does that make Homeland Security for following up on the threat?

ETA- I didn't state Homeland Security was bigoted. I was using logic, as applied to the topic.

Homeland Security also focuses on threats from North Korea, Russia, the IRA, Iran, Iraq, Italy, the PLO among many others. There is no question that Americans should take all threats seriously, particularly from radical Islam sources that have proved that they want to kill Americans (among others). However, that still does not change the thought that fear of an entire group of people, an enormous percentage which have never expressed any animosity towards America, and in fact which numbers many American Muslims, is bigotry. And a news commentator expressing that bigotry is certainly worthy of discussion. The fact remains, that Juan Williams violated his contract with NPR. Had he done it before without being fired? Yes. Have others done it as well? Absolutely. Doesn't change the fact that he did it.

 

[MissFitt]

I think all of us would be mentally unstable if we didn't recognize it.
Interestingly enough, NPR's website was crashed yesterday due to the deluge of email protesting his firing. I think that NPR is not only at risk of losing public funding but they may lose private funding as well. Many people are angry. But I agree. Williams will emerge from this just fine. He just received a $2 million contract from Fox.

Many people aren't angry...just the right wing noise machine. More people are upset that they can't see television programming because of the Cablevision/Newscorp dispute than this.