Seriously. Right-wingers are in an uproar over the firing of Juan Williams, who basically said that people in Muslim garb make him nervous. Juan Williams has said a lot of things as a contributor on Fox News that apparently were pissing off his bosses at NPR. Of course, the right jumps on this as a “freedom of speech” issue.

Here’s what Juan Williams said on Bill O’Reilly’s program:

“I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot,” Williams said on the “The O’Reilly Factor” Monday. “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.”

Replace “Muslim” with black, Jewish, Puerto Rican, or gay. If it sounds bigoted, it’s because it is.

And, as far as I know, no successful or aspiring Muslim terrorists in America actually go around wearing Muslim garb.

As far as this being a first amendment issue, your employer doesn’t have to allow you to say whatever you want while your representing them. Whenever Juan Williams has been on Fox News, he’s been presented as a news analyst at NPR. Now that Juan’s not on NPR, he has a first amendment right to say whatever the f*ck he wants.

So Jim DeMint and Sarah Palin want to defund NPR now. Go ahead. I’m now a “sustainer” as of this fall’s pledge drive. NPR only relies on federal funding for 10% of its operating expenses anyway. I’ll double my donation if federal funding disappeared tomorrow. Given how the Democrats folded where ACORN was concerned (and, for the record, ACORN was pretty much cleared of wrong-doing), I wouldn’t be surprised to see them fold here, too (or with any issue, but that’s a subject for another post; everyone go vote anyway, preferably for a Democrat, as the alternatives are really awful…again a subject for another post).

Now, I know this is not the proper response. I should go on to defend NPR as a service Americans should be proud to support with their tax dollars. Federal funding ensures that quality informational programming reaches all 50 states and rural areas, etc.

But I’d prefer for some billionaire to just cut NPR a check and tell Jim DeMint to go f*ck off. Conservatives will see NPR as even more of a liberal machine than it is now. So f*cking what?

I’m not paying for television service right now, and I don’t know if I will again. NPR and my local station WUNC are pretty awesome, and I’m happy to pay to keep them going and thriving.

And no one should feel sorry for Juan Williams. The douchebag is getting a pay raise from Roger Ailes.

Yes, my writing style is rather immature this evening. As if I f*cking care.