By PETER WORTHINGTON

22 Oct 2010

Sometimes, it seems my wife and I are the only people in Canada who regularly watch Fox News on TV, and are slavishly addicted the Bill O’Reilly.

Canadians tend to be indoctrinated against Fox, which is depicted as a channel given to extreme Conservative views. Those who condemn it the most (CBC and Liberal acolytes), invariably watch it the least.

The Globe and Mail hates Fox, and misses no chance to diss it.

This puzzles people like me and my wife. We watch it, because it covers U.S. news that other outlets ignore. I’ve seen nothing on Fox (or Bill O’Reilly) that I consider extreme or intemperate. Lots that I disagree with, but most of it reasoned and valid argument.

On Thursday, commentator Juan Williams was fired by National Public Radio (NPR), ostensibly for comments on Bill O’Reilly’s program (which I heard) that he gets nervous when flying on a plane where some passengers are dressed in Muslim garb.

“He crossed the line,” said the NPR spokesperson.

Really? That’s crossing the line?

In fact, it was probably because Williams appears regularly on Fox as a panelist, or commentator. This irritates the bejeezus out of leftish NPR. So much for freedom of speech, much less the press.

Others say billionaire George Soros, who never saw a radical left wing cause he wouldn’t support, ordered Williams bounced. He’s a big contributor to NPR. True or not, it indicates a frail commitment to free speech by liberal America — especially journalistic free speech.

I admit to liking Williams as a panelist. He doesn’t follow the herd, he makes up his own mind, he’s sometimes supportive of “conservative” issues, sometimes not. But he’s the antithesis of extremism or bigotry, and is basically a proponent of courteous tolerance of divergent opinions. A sensible man.

He periodically butts heads with O’Reilly, who can be bombastic and noisy, but usually tolerates controversy that offends his sensitivities – though sensitivity is not a description usually associated with O’Reilly.

O’Reilly himself is in hot water after his comment on The View(itls) TV program that Muslims were responsible for 9/11 — a remark that caused Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to march off their own set.

If not Muslims, just who do The View panelists think hijacked those planes?

NPR claims their own journalistic standards motivated the firing.

Rubbish.

It was simply the latest example of the media camouflaging its cowardice as principle, in order not to face the truth. And in this case, the truth is that is was Muslims who were responsible for 9/11, even though most Muslims are not terrorists. Sadly, every serious act of terrorism in the world these days, seems committed by Muslims.

That’s not prejudice, that’s reality.

And anyone who says that they don’t feel a moment of unease when boarding a plane with some passengers in Muslim dress, is probably lying — and perhaps should audition for NPR.

Libertarians will be pleased that Fox immediately renewed Juan Williams’ contract for something like $2 million, so he’s alright financially, Jack!

Meanwhile, NPR continues to get taxpayers’ funding, and solicits contributions from the American public. Something seems out of kilter here . . .