Bill, Juan, NPR and the ladies of the View

In the last couple of weeks a couple of incidents have occurred that could be construed as issues of free speech while others would classify them as shouting fire in a movie theater.

I am a Democrat. A moderate Democrat, a moderate anything is a rarity these days but a moderate one at that.

Still, surprisingly I guess, in the last couple of weeks I find myself coming down one hundred percent on the side of Bill O' Reilly and Juan Williams in their recent controversies.

O' Reilly while on The View expounding his opinion on the " Mosque at Ground Zero" and the fact that President Obama's actions had not been as strong as they could be. His main thrust of his argument was that Obama had equivocated stating that he would not challenge the right to have the mosque built at Ground zero but would hold off on his own judgement. Which was a prevaricating answer trying to offend no one. O' Reilly's point was that Americans are overwhelmingly against the mosque which, no matter what your individual opinion is on the issue, is a true fact.

Joy Behar was offended and stated that she agreed with Obama and she was an American and felt that O' Reilly was wrong. As the discussion got more heated at one point O' Reilly states " Look people can have that opinion, it was Muslims who blew up those planes." This caused Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to march off the set and to this moment I still do not understand.

It was Muslims who blew up those planes. Not all Muslims any more than all Christians who are responsible for the bad things people have done in the name of Christianity. Still for folks to think Muslims to have a mosque on the site of a terrorist attack by Muslims is not unreasonable.

I personally think that the mosque is Ok. But to get upset over someone saying Muslims blew up those planes is just ridiculous. Do we have to temper it by saying extremist Muslims. Does that somehow make it more acceptable.

Still worse was the Juan Williams fiasco. Williams on O'Reilly's show as a contributor per normal was talking about Bill's trip to The Viewand stated in support of O ' Reilly that when he gets on a plane and he sees people in Muslim garb getting on the plane he gets nervous.

For this he has been crucified and NPR fired him for these comments. Maybe I do not know anything but I have felt that way. I think that 95 percent of people have felt that way and might still feel that way under the circumstances.

I think Juan Williams comment was an honest admission. It was part of a larger comment that was not inflammatory in anyway.

A special note. Years ago Juan Williams criticized white jewelry store owners in the Baltimore metro area who stated that they were nervous when black men came into the store. By that statement his statement about Muslims is hypocritical but in my opinion this is nothing more than a man walking in the shoes of someone he previously criticized. He was after all a black man.

So is it understandable for Muslims not to like these comments. Of course it is. Does it make them less honest and true and part of a legitimate discussion. No it does not.