Juan Williams defines himself as a racist. NPR agrees.

Does Bill O'Reilly in a Burqua make Juan Williams nervous?

Common sense becomes racism when skin color becomes a formula for figuring out who is a danger to me.

Juan Williams 1986

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.

Juan Williams 2010


In 1986, Williams mentions only skin color. In 2010 Williams pretends to apply that same standard simply to garb (not when coupled with skin color - which is as clumsy an argument as it is lazy).

What Williams is saying now is that people who appear muslim AND who ALSO wear what he deems to be "muslim garb" make him nervous. Bill O'Reilly would have been wise to ask if muslim garb on a white person would make him nervous. How about an Asian? We are now getting to the crux of NPRs decision. A somewhat layered reasoning that is lost among the media right.

The Williams of 2010 would argue that it's not about the skin color, but about what people wear. Does he forget what the hijackers of 9/11 wore? If we pretend to "never forget" we know they wore "white-christian garb." Dockers and a nicely pressed buttom down shirt. Convention casual. So why hasn't anyone asked Williams what is "muslim garb?"

If 9/11 changed things, a smart and aware Williams should get nervous around all young, swarthy, hirsute males. Of course that is what he is truly is scared of. Are we really to believe that Williams gets nervous from garb alone (whatever that means)? Not plausible.

And Williams takes it one-step beyond. His nervousness is based on "muslim" garb when worn on an airplane. Would he make the argument that his irrational fear is not also awakened when on a subway, in a crowded mall, on the street corner? If not, why not? Because it's not the garb he fears.

Williams fears the visage of the media construct of what a muslim terrorist looks like: young, unshaven with dark skin. By the way, how many of us have flown with muslim wearing a hijab, burqua or niqab?

The only means for Williams to gain cover from his own fateful words of 1986 is to say that all visibly identifiable white muslims also make him nervous. That's a slim ledge to sit. But one that Fox News will gladly give him.