L. Brent Bozell IIT President www.MRC.org www.CNSNews.com www.BusinessandMedia.org www.CultureandMedia.com www-Times Watch.org www.NewsBusters.org www. MRCAction.org www.Byeblast.tv October 21, 2010 ‘The Honorable Henry A. Waxinan ‘The Honorable Joe Barton Chairman Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives 2125 Rayburn House Office Building 2125 Rayburn House Office Building ‘Washington, DC 20515-6115 Washington, DC 20515-6115 Dear Representative Waxman and Representative Barton, As [am sure you are aware, National Public radio has just fired one of its top reporters, Juan Williams, I'm writing to call on you to investigate this firing, and indeed what are the hiring and firing practices of this taxpayer-funded enterprise, A terrible injustice has been done to Mr. Williams. As one who has debated him many times, in many different forums, I will say unequivocally that while I might disagree with him on many things, I've always had the utmost professional and personal respect for Mr. Williams. He is a man of true integrity. Here is, word for word, the “offensive” statement Mr. Williams made on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox program: "I mean, look, Bill, Tim not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when T get on a plane, T got to tell you, if see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." | suspect the vast majority of Americans feel the exact same way as Mr. Williams. There is nothing extreme or extraordinary, or inflammatory or offensive, in his statements. Yet the radical group CCAIR complained and NPR buckled, and fired Juan Williams. What are NPR’s standards? This is the same NPR that had no problems when another one of its reporters, Nina Tottenberg, said of the late Senator Jesse Helms: “I think he ought to be worried about what's going on in the Good Lord's mind, because if there is retributive justice, he'll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his, grandchildren will get it.” Creating a Media Culture in America Where Truth and Liberty Flourish 325 South Patrick Sweet «Alexandria, VA 22314-3580 » (703) 683.9733: Fax (703) 683-9736 CCyberAlert: The Watchdog The Balance Sheet -TimesWtch Tracker» Notable Quotables» Media Reality Check Cultre LinksThis is a network that features as one of its commentators Michel Martin who on CNN equated Christians to terrorists. Discussing the proposed mosque at Ground Zero, she said, “Did anybody move a Christian church after Timothy McVeigh — who adhered to a cultic, white supremacist cultic version of Christianity ~ bombed the Murrah building in Oklahoma?” NPR had no problem when another one of its commentators, Andrei Codrescu, said on “AL red”: “The Rapture, and I quote, ‘is the immediate departure from this Earth of over four less than a fifth of a second.” This happily-volatilized mass of the saved were bora again in Jesus Christ....the evaporation of four million people who believe this crap would leave the world an instantly better place.” According to published reports, NPR received over 40,000 complaints over the Codrescu_ ‘comment and did nothing. NPR received 60 complaints over the Williams comment - - and fired him. Juan Williams was fired for saying what the vast majority of Americans believe. Anyone who mows Juan Williams know that he is the antithesis of a bigot. He is, simply, a very decent man, and this, is an injustice. We're formally calling on you and the Committee on Energy and Commerce to investigate this ‘matter. Juan Williams deserves to be re-instated immediately, and with an apology. Or, if he’s going to be fired, then NPR should be prepared to fire half its staff for having participated in far more egregious behavior, and we'll be happy to provide all the documentation you need. Please let me hear from you, I thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, } yd LOS / LL. Brent Bozell, I] President 2of?