"Freedom of Speech" Doesn't Factor Into the Juan Williams Firing
As you know, Juan Williams was recently fired by NPR for saying (among other things) on Fox TV that he gets scared when he sees Muslims on a flight he's on.
"But what about freedom of speech?" shout the right-wing naysayers -- the type that usually don't believe in freedom of speech at all.
But that doesn't really factor into a boss firing you!
You're not allowed to say whatever you want and get protection from your employer for it, any more than a film critic can write that Precious is about fat N-words and expect to still have a desk the next morning.
NPR felt Williams's comments got in the way of his objectivity as a journalist, and say that he was warned not to engage in punditry and speculation.
So shut up about freedom of speech. Beauty queen Carrie Prejean tried the same bull when she got axed by that pageant, but the reality is they had a right to fire her, especially since her words and actions were expressly against her contract.
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