First interview with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller on Juan Williams firing
Call me lucky. I had a pre-scheduled interview this morning with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller this morning before her speech at the Atlanta Press Club Newsmakers luncheon at the 191 Club in downtown Atlanta.
So lo and behold, the entire Juan Williams firing blew up the past 24 hours. I happen to be the first person to talk to her about it. She basically said he was on NPR as a news analyst and wasn’t supposed to express opinions, something he had done time and time again on Fox News. This was just the final straw. Commentators, in contrast, are specifically called that on NPR and are supposed to be opinionated.
She said this has nothing to do with Fox News or his particular views of Muslims. She is also sorry NPR did this while most public radio stations (including WABE-FM) are in the middle of their fall pledge drives.
After the luncheon, John Weatherford, senior chief operating officer at WABE-FM, acknowledged the Williams flap has been a “distraction” for the pledge drive, and he has gotten many emails and calls from WABE listeners who won’t give money because of it. He also said today is the matching day for Atlanta Community Food Bank and he hopes it doesn’t hurt them.
[Williams himself spoke about the situation on Fox News today and said he couldn't believe he was let go without even a face-to-face conversation. He was terminated by phone.]
UPDATE@ 5:25 p.m. The Los Angeles Times reports that Fox has signed Williams to a new three-year contract worth nearly $2 million.
Here is part of the Q&A:
Q: Okay. What happened?
A: Let’s state a couple of facts. Juan is not an employee of NPR. He’s an independent contractor. He’s not NPR staff. He’s an NPR analyst. We have a contract with him for analyst opinions to provide news analysis. He is not a columnist or commentator. He also has an on-going relationship with Fox News. Mara Liasson is also on Fox News and is a full-time staffer. We accept that’s a whole other issue. However, we expect our journalists, whether they are news analysts or reporters to behave like journalists.
Q: So did Juan really get fired over just those Muslim comments? [He said he was uncomfortable with Muslims dressed in traditional garb on airplanes during a Fox News telecast yesterday.]
A: There have been several instances over the last couple of years where we have felt Juan has stepped over the line. He famously said last year something about Michelle Obama and Stokely Carmichael. [The quote on Fox News early last year: "Michelle Obama, you know, she's got this Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress thing going" and that she'll be an "albatross" for President Obama.]. This isn’t a case of one strike and you’re out.
Q: So this is obviously not an isolated incident.
A: There’s so much misinformation on the blogosphere, it’s nuts. This has been an on-going issue. [Here's NPR's ombudsman's piece on him last year after the Obama comment.] When he does that, when anybody does that, it undermines their credibility as a journalist or in Juan’s case, a news analyst for NPR. Those two things cannot go together.
Q: Have you done this before with other analysts or reporters?
A: It’s impossible to answer that. Every circumstance is different and would create false parallels.
Q: As you mentioned, Mara Liasson appears on Fox News. Is there an issue with Fox News?
A: No. She behaves on Fox as a journalists. I have no issues with anything she has said on Fox. This is not about Fox News. It’s not about a political agenda. This is not about even validating or invalidating [Williams'] feelings.
Q: Mike Huckabee is now saying NPR has discredited itself and should have federal funding revoked.
A: Yes, I heard that. This has become a political issue. My God, I’m shocked!
Q: Could NPR live without federal funding?
A: Let’s go on a sidebar. There’s a misperception about federal funding and public radio. There’s the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They receive $90 million a year and a vast majority goes to member public radio stations. Those stations pull in more than $1 billion collectively a year. It’s significant and important but not even close to the lion’s share of revenues for public radio. NPR gets no allocation from CPB. Zero. We are a private 501(c)3. We’ve had journalists call up and ask what department of the government we report to. That’s laughable. Have you listened to our shows? We do apply for competitive grants from the likes of the Ford Foundation and the Knight Foundation. As a result, some money from CPB does come to us when we win grants. Depending on the year, it represents just one to three percent of our total budget.
Q: What is your annual budget?
A: $160 million a year from station fees and dues, corporate underwriting, philanthropic contributions from individuals and corporation and earned income and earnings from our endowment.
Q: How healthy are you?
A: We had some issues the last couple of years and went into deficits. But we’ve regrouped and we’re back on track.
During the luncheon, she repeated much of what she told me.
“We are for civil liberties,” she said. “If you want to be a political activist, you may not also be a reporter or news analyst for NPR.”
Schiller also said it’s “sophomoric” to deride objectivity as a lie of omission, that hiding a journalists’ biases is a bad thing: “Yes, we are humans. We have opinions. None of us are impartial, that objectivity and absolute truth as concepts are unattainable. It does not follow that providing the most objective and most impartial work possible is not a worthy goal for professional journalists.”
She continues: “This is where the Juan Williams story enters. We have checks and balances to serve that goal. That’s why we have editors. We have an ombudsman and corrections. It’s why we let readers comment on stories. It’s why we run opinions and commentaries and label them as such. Commentaries are different from news analysis. It’s certainly why we practice journalism and prohibit journalists from certain activities, not just to protect the appearance of objectivity… it’s to protect the ideal of fair-minded journalism… People have strong opinions and professional journalists have developed procedures and standards and practices to counter them. It’s to draw a fine line between reporter and commentary and punditry.”
On a brighter note, she also noted that NPR public radio stations have seen their audience grow 60 percent over the past decade to 34 million people and that doesn’t include users who access NPR shows via mobile devices, the Web and podcasting. She is also proud that NPR has expanded its coverage in international news, the arts and sciences and other topics that have been reduced in other media.
“Our goal is simple,” Schiller told more the luncheon audience. “Deliver more news and information to more people in more ways.”
NOTE: I am a board member of the Atlanta Press Club.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.
accessAtlanta Partner Sites
Sections
Advertise on accessAtlanta.com »
Reach the audience you want by advertising on accessAtlanta.com
Join the Access Atlanta Network »
Advertisers and Publishers, expand your reach by joining the Access Atlanta Network.
Tell us what you think about the site
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement | About our ads
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
524 comments Add your comment
ADF Alliance Alert » NPR Ends Williams’ Contract for Muslim remarks after Soros donation and CAIR complaint
October 21st, 2010
3:51 pm
[...] NPR: Williams responded: “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 the 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.” | Related: George Soros’ Millions Buying ‘Political Reporters’ For NPR | CAIR Asks NPR to Address Analyst’s Remarks on Muslims | NPR Statement On The Termination Of Juan Williams’ Contract | Atlanta Journal-Constitution: First interview with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller on Juan Williams firing [...]
Rob
October 21st, 2010
3:54 pm
Is she kidding us? She insists that NPR gets no money directly from CPB, but it gets most of its money from public radio stations, and they get 5-10% of their funding from CPB. Money being fungible, it’s clear that NPR benefits from CPB’s funding of public radio.
Her insistence that Williams’ termination had nothing to do with his being on Fox News also beggars credulity. NPR executives tried to get Mara Liasson to stop appearing on Fox News, and they got Williams to have Fox News stop identifying him as an NPR analyst. Does anybody seriously believe Williams would have been terminated if he said what he did while appearing on PBS or CNN or NBC? Not a chance.
kevin
October 21st, 2010
3:54 pm
Freespeechrules,
It’s not at all about free speech. No one is suggesting that Juan Williams should not be able to speak his mind. But, it’s idiotic to think that speaking your mind, at times, does not have consequences. Like I mentioned in a prior post….All of this freedom of speech talk is hilarious. Freedom speech is not even in play here. Of course, Williams has a right to speak his mind. Likewise, Schiller has a right to fire him. At my work I have the freedom to tell my boss to “Go F*** himself”, but he also has the freedom to fire me for it.
I would say that your claim that “everything went to hell in a handbasket” when women were allowed to pursue lives not entirely consumed by raising children is incredibly weak and thoroughly unprovable.
Nadee
October 21st, 2010
3:55 pm
freespeechrules: Don’t know why I’m bothering with this but this is what Juan Williams said verbatum.
it is an honest experience that when I’m in an airport and I see people in Muslim garb who identify themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I do a double take. I have a moment of anxiety or fear given what happened on 9/11. That’s just a reality.
I don’t see the word extremist in there. Do you?
Drew Williams
October 21st, 2010
3:55 pm
Talk radio has done a pretty good job of insulating itself from criticism two ways. First, by conjuring up the imagined “left-wing-bias-of-the-lamestream-media,” they can present themselves as not a vile, crazed outlet of people who habitually vilify others to make their cases, but as a legitimate vanguard to a nefarious, calculated plot.
Secondly, by purposely blurring the lines between news and opinion, any half-truth, cunard or outright falsehood reported can be veiled as “opinion” rather than “news,” shielding themselves with claims to free speech protections, rather than getting sued on a daily basis. For this, the Internet has been a gold mine.
It’s a fine line and they’ve built an industry by walking it, supported by people who seek echoing reassurances rather than insights that might actually counter their beliefs. The fact they’re destroying the very idea that news can and should be objective? Doesn’t seem to bother them a tich.
boots
October 21st, 2010
3:55 pm
An NPR reporter (REPORTER) famously said “I hope Jesse Helms gets AIDS and dies.” Oops, no action taken over that comment in the past. I guess it is all just a big misunderstanding. BS. Rodney, nice interview with her, but you should have called her on this. Oh, and who doesn’t get nervous with a bunch of muslims on an airplane??? I know I do.
Drew Williams
October 21st, 2010
3:56 pm
I should expand “talk radio” to “rightwing media.”
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
3:58 pm
@Kevin
“I would say that your claim that “everything went to hell in a handbasket” when women were allowed to pursue lives not entirely consumed by raising children is incredibly weak and thoroughly unprovable.”
Look at the world in the “then and now”. It has been proven.
Vivian had her right to do as she pleased, yes. That she was wrong in doing it is the opinion. Speaking your mind does have consequences, but she went too far.
kevin
October 21st, 2010
4:00 pm
Hey boots,
The muslims on 9/11 wore suits and not muslim garb. Newsflash, most muslims are no better or worse than most other religious folks. Plenty has been done by the christian right that is morally repugnant too.
ducksgirl
October 21st, 2010
4:01 pm
This firing is outrageous. I have been a supporter of public radio for years, but no more. Not unless they sincerely apologize to Juan Williams and ask him to come back.
This nation is polarized enough already. I thought NPR was one of the places that would give both sides of an argument, where open debate was welcome. It seems that has changed and NPR is now asking that I choose sides. Okay, I will choose sides. I am choosing those who support open and honest debate…..and that means, not NPR. After defending NPR all these years, I will turn against it. I just cannot support a network that will not allow a free exchange of opinions. It reminds me too much of a totalitarian regime. I think Vivian Schiller should offer her resignation, and someone who is level-headed and fair should take over her job.
JTesla
October 21st, 2010
4:01 pm
LOL “Look at the world in the “then and now”. It has been proven.”
Actually, things are going great “now”, much better than “then”. People are living longer, they are living more productive lives. Life has never been better, and all indications that it will continue to improve. I would have to be alive “then” with all the death, separate but equal, arranged marriages… blech. Yep, now is better… proven.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:01 pm
@Nadee
See the full interview. He did say that. He also said “extremists” to validate what he meant.
@boots
Many do the same thing. We’re nervous about flying with them, but we must accept that not all are out to kill us and give them the benefit of the doubt.
@Drew
lmao
AtlNewsWriter
October 21st, 2010
4:02 pm
NPR did the wrong thing by firing Juan. His opinion on his time is just that. The firing sends the wrong message to journalists and others who embrace the First Amendment.
JTesla
October 21st, 2010
4:02 pm
Err minor typo: I would “hate” to be alive “then”
kevin
October 21st, 2010
4:03 pm
freespeechrules,
Do you realize that many things, aside from women experience the workplace, have taken place over this vague period of time you describe? How can you specify “women going to work” as the sole casual factor in creating the current “bad” world. That’s patently absurd. I would say that people of religious faith have far more to do with mucking things up than working moms.
Ramon
October 21st, 2010
4:03 pm
Many people have opinions. All opinionated persons should be able to express their opinion. Amazing how some persons can express indignation when someone says “you people” then we see it in print on a blog.
Perhaps this whole incident should be used as food for thought.
In other countries WOMEN are the suicide bombers. What garb should should a man use? A dress?
Drew Williams
October 21st, 2010
4:03 pm
@ freespeechrules: With me or at me?
Name (required)
October 21st, 2010
4:04 pm
I heard they fired Juan and are going to replace him with Cynthia!
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:04 pm
@JTesla
Now is NOT because women walked out of the home and their jobs as mothers. It is because we all have more common sense in what we eat, what we do, better doctors, etc. Women did not make this country great on their own, but they are the main reason our younger generations are muttering anti-social nuts. They need mom at home, not in an office and them being raised by a nanny.
Juan
October 21st, 2010
4:04 pm
I see the outcast blacksheep of the Williams family is posting. Drew, when did you get out of prison?
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:04 pm
@Drew
with you
Drew Williams
October 21st, 2010
4:05 pm
You want to get fired again, Uncle Juan?
John Birch
October 21st, 2010
4:06 pm
I have listened to NPR for 25 years. My impression is that they do have a slight liberal bias (Daniel Shorr doing the op-ed pieces?), but they are signiicantly less biased than other major outlets like “fair and balanced” (HAHAHA) Fox News or the NY Times, which has run op-ed pieces posing as news on its front page for years. They are, in my opinion, the single best souce for news since everyone else is selling opinion these days.
BW
October 21st, 2010
4:06 pm
I’m surprised that Proctor & Gamble’s share price hasn’t increased due to increased sales of Depends….I hear way too many people cowering right now…this is the greatest country on earth…act like it. Don’t allow a small minority to cause to sh!t yourselves…when it’s your time it’s your time…nothing you can do about it. This notion that someone is going to be able to protect from the randomness of life is asinine. As far as NPR…don’t turn to their channel if you don’t like it just like you don’t have to turn to AM750 during drivetime if you don’t like the programming. I love seeing the signs “Freedom isn’t free” and then break out in laughter when people think actions are free of consequences….so NPR let him go and for his troubles he’s become a larger darling to conservative cause and will make even more money now….poor **cking guy
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:07 pm
@Kevin
Isn’t it strange that when our country was built on religious beliefs we had a better country, but you seem to think that motherless children (meaning those rarely home to hug and love them) are better off now? Hmmmm
Whatever…you are wrong, in my opinion, but that’s what this is about……opinions.
JTesla
October 21st, 2010
4:08 pm
@freespeechrules I’ve read about the current generation putting down the next generation for a span covering thousands of years. The generation before our Founding Fathers: they thought our Founding Fathers generation were worthless.
Now is better not because of one thing, but it is better despite what you think is making it bad and despite what Kevin incorrectly thinks is making it bad. Because saying “I would say that people of religious faith have far more to do with mucking things up than working moms.” is just as incorrect.
Editor In Chief
October 21st, 2010
4:09 pm
The media has done a pretty good job of insulating itself from criticism two ways. First, by proving left-wing-bias-of-the-lamestream-media, they present themselves as not a vile, crazed outlet of people who habitually vilify others to make their cases, but as a legitimate vanguard to a nefarious, calculated plot.
Secondly, by purposely blurring the lines between news and opinion, any half-truth, cunard or outright falsehood reported can be veiled as “opinion” rather than “news,” shielding themselves with claims to free speech protections, rather than getting sued on a daily basis. For this, the Internet invented by Al Gore (D) has been a gold mine.
It’s a fine line and they’ve built an industry by walking it, supported by people who seek echoing reassurances rather than insights that might actually counter their beliefs. The fact they’re destroying the very idea that news can and should be objective? Doesn’t seem to bother them a tich.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:09 pm
@BW
“….so NPR let him go and for his troubles he’s become a larger darling to conservative cause and will make even more money now….poor **cking guy”
—–yes, you have that right! I like it. I really do. LOL
JB
October 21st, 2010
4:10 pm
if the government were able to fund or de-fund NPR based on who they hire or fire, then that would be exactly what many of you claim to be against – govt control. NPR is primarily member-funded and the govt is simply expressing its interest in a not-for-profit media outlet by providing the funding that they do. if they had a say in the operations of NPR, then it would effectively be state media. think about what you’re saying people.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:11 pm
@JTesla
Thanks. Great post about me and Kevin.
We are all right in some ways, all wrong in some ways, and the opinions expressed here will make us all better in one way or another. More to consider for us.
You Distort/We Deride
October 21st, 2010
4:12 pm
I’d like to see what would happen if FOX News hired a reporter who trashed Republican presidents and Congressmen, questioned the war efforts, or decried trickle down economics, on a frequent basis.
On the other hand, their bias is so blatant, they would never hire anyone who wouldn’t spout the Republican talking points, so that would never happen.
The hypocrisy of the right is sickening.
Is this the New America ?
October 21st, 2010
4:12 pm
Welcome to the New America, where you have the right to have no rights. We might as well throw the Constitution out the window. Have you ever eaten food that was cooked by an angry person? Well, I have and it tastes nasty ! Well, this incident has left my mouth with the same after taste and it stinks.
BW
October 21st, 2010
4:15 pm
@ New America….you still think you have rights? LOL
kevin
October 21st, 2010
4:15 pm
freespeechrules,
This country was not built on religion. It was built on freedom of religion and many of the founding fathers were proud atheists. Here’s a link you should check out:
http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/08/02/founding-fathers-atheists-freethinkers/
Want to talk about strange things. Isn’t it strange how religious beliefs have lead to more violence than all other beliefs combined. Isn’t strange how your book tells you and other christians not to judge, yet you do far more than most. Isn’t it strange that you believe your God is all good, all knowing and all powerful, but allows so much injustice in the world. Those are truly strange things.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:15 pm
@Is this the New America ?
You have a valid point.
We have gone off track of what this is truly about.
Ted Peters
October 21st, 2010
4:15 pm
Pravda?
Adrienne King
October 21st, 2010
4:15 pm
Who the heck does this woman think she is kidding. Every single person in the media inflicts their own opinion in every story. Juan is a fabulous news reporter and his viewpoints are enlightening. He has a gift for defusing a potentially volatile argument and giving a sensitive left winged opinion. As I become more and more right because of the joke that is politics these days, I count on Juan to keep my own rhetoric in check. He is an absolute asset to any organization he joins. NPR and their CEO should be ashamed of themselves, and personally FOX better hire him pronto. I wouldn’t mind seeing him right after Greta…. Bravo Juan for speaking your mind and not cowering to PC…. More of us should do exactly that. By the way, there is a reason why most nations are banning the Burka in Public. Whatever happened to women’s rights in this country? It’s all an amazing embarassment.
rooster
October 21st, 2010
4:19 pm
Jeff are we talking about genuine Krispy Kremes or those hockey pucks from Dunkin?
Drew Williams
October 21st, 2010
4:19 pm
@JTesla: My point wasn’t to be taken totally seriously, as I am fully, completely, and 100%-ly AGAINST money standing as a form of speech, free or otherwise. The Citizens United ruling is, on the other hand, a darling of the conservative movement. It’s the hypocrisy I’m noting, no matter how large or small the actual dollar amount.
White Boy Larry, Jr
October 21st, 2010
4:20 pm
He has the “right” to say what he wants and they have the “right” to fire his a$$ for it.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:21 pm
@Kevin
You are right that I should have said ” It was built on freedom of religion”.
The rest of your statement is muck to me.
I am not judging on purpose. I am stating my opinions and if they seem judgemental or cruel, so be it. I am not politically correct all the time and don’t wish to be.
I stand with my opinions, which I have stated as opinions. You keep yours and I’ll keep mine.
It takes more faith to be an atheist than it takes to have a religion. That much is true.
Again, let us get back to topic now. This is out of hand now. Juan and the NPR are the topic. I stand by what I said in all posts, but did not mean to bring this about face to something off topic.
My apologies to those who are staying on topic.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:22 pm
@Adrienne King
Great post. Great thinking.
Drew Williams
October 21st, 2010
4:25 pm
@Editor In Chief: When you can provide me with the transcripts from NPR where George Bush was routinely called a facist, a bigot, a murderer or a tyrant, as Obama and Bill Clinton are and were in the rightwing media, then your pre-pubescent I-know-you-are-what-am-I game might make its mark. Until then, your freedom of speech is just so much blubbering. Have a nice life.
freespeechrules
October 21st, 2010
4:26 pm
Juan also said “Do not judge all Muslims or any other faith by the extremists among them”.
Nadee missed that?
Not My Real Name
October 21st, 2010
4:27 pm
Dear You Distort/We Deride,
Are you on George Soros’s payroll.
I’ll bet your one of those “Enterprise Journalists/Bloggers” that just got hired at NPR thanks to his $1.8 million dollar bribe..
We see you Georgie Boy… MoveOn, Center For American Progress, Tides and the other ilk are now in the sunlight. Americans are demanding to see the donor lists.
IRS.gov website defines these organizations as:
To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.
Organizations described in section 501(c)(3) are commonly referred to as charitable organizations. Organizations described in section 501(c)(3), other than testing for public safety organizations, are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with Code section 170.
The organization must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, and no part of a section 501(c)(3) organization’s net earnings may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. If the organization engages in an excess benefit transaction with a person having substantial influence over the organization, an excise tax may be imposed on the person and any organization managers agreeing to the transaction.
Section 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted in how much political and legislative (lobbying) activities they may conduct. For a detailed discussion, see Political and Lobbying Activities. For more information about lobbying activities by charities, see the article Lobbying Issues; for more information about political activities of charities, see the FY-2002 CPE topic Election Year Issues.
MediaMatters.com website:
Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.
The Center For American Progress website:
October 3, 2002 as the American Majority Institute [501(c)(3)] with companion lobbying group, the American Majority Fund [501(c)(4)].
Re-named: October 24, 2003 as the Center for American Progress [501(c)(3)] with companion lobbying group Center for American Progress Action Fund [501(c)(4)].
Exempt since: 2003
MoveOn according to Wikipedia:
MoveOn comprises two legal entities, each organized under a different section of U.S. tax and election laws. MoveOn.org Civic Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation,[4][5] [6][7] and was formerly known as MoveOn.org. MoveOn Civic Action focuses on education and advocacy on national issues. MoveOn.org Political Action is a federal political action committee, and was formerly known as MoveOn PAC. It contributes to the campaigns of selected candidates across the country. MoveOn calls the legal structure of MoveOn Civic Action that of “a California nonprofit public benefit corporation” and MoveOn.org Political Action that of “a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation,” and refers to both corporations collectively as “MoveOn”[8].
NPR CEO: Juan Williams’s views of Muslims should be between him and his shrink « Hot Air
October 21st, 2010
4:28 pm
[...] him do that on the Factor for years?) That’s version one; version two is what she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning before her speech, that “there have been several instances over the last couple [...]
kevin
October 21st, 2010
4:29 pm
We clearly disagree. “t takes more faith to be an atheist than it takes to have a religion. That much is true.” That sounds like something a preacher would say–senseless.
What's Important
October 21st, 2010
4:30 pm
All I’m Saying Is: Juan Williams did not “act” in any way. He had an internal emotion he “experienced” at the time, he did not express to anyone at the time or any way infringe on anyone else’s rights. If you wish to hold all journalists to showing no bias, close down the networks. Or do you consider Olberman unbiased?
You Distort/We Deride
October 21st, 2010
4:31 pm
Not My Real Name
I could care less about George Soros, the Democrat Party, the Republican Party, the Tea Party, or any of the other political nonsense that this side or that side seem to rely upon in order to validate their beliefs.
I believe in truth, honesty, and fair play. None of the above groups share my core beliefs. Hiding behind a nameless name and casting aspersions may make you feel exalted, but to me, you are merely one of the mindless flock who has allowed his brain to be hijacked by the brainwashing element of our society.
boots
October 21st, 2010
4:32 pm
Hey, Kevin, I don’t want to get in to an argument about the virtues of Christianity v. Islam, but it wouldn’t be much of one, I promise. Let’s just say that most of the improvements in civil rights, medicine, education and treatment of women have come through Christians. I’m not citing nations (i.e. 1930s Germany) who are called Christians or some wacko living in a cabin in Wyoming shooting it out with the FBI. I’m talking about true Christians and Christian organizations. Look to hospitals, opening society to women and the way the poor are treated. When a “christian” does something violent, true Christians condemn it. When the 9-11 high-jackers (and other Muslim terrorists) do something violent, the Muslim world either applauds, excuses it or sits quietly. At the end of the day, I would rather fly on a plane with a group of nuns than a group of bearded Muslim men. Sorry, but I bet I’m not alone. Good thing I don’t work for NPR.