By Kevin Meyer
The recent Juan Williams controversy has made me think some more about the power, and importance, of diverse opinions. For those of you that haven't listened to the news lately, Mr. Williams is a commentator and analyst on both Fox News and NPR with a known liberal bent. He was recently fired from NPR for a comment he made on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox. What did he say?
"Political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don't address reality. I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. 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. Now, I remember also that when the Times Square bomber was at court, I think this was just last week. He said the war with Muslims, America's war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don't think there's any way to get away from these facts."
I can see how some people might take offense at that, even if he is just stating his opinion. What many people, apparently including NPR's CEO Vivian Schiller, missed was his very next statement:
"But I think there are people who want to somehow remind us all as President Bush did after 9/11, it's not a war against Islam. … Bill, here's a caution point. The other day in New York, some guy cuts a Muslim cabby's neck and says he's attacking him or you think about the protest at the mosque near Ground Zero … I don't know what is in that guy's head. But I'm saying, we don't want in America, people to have their rights violated to be attacked on the street because they heard a rhetoric from Bill O'Reilly and they act crazy. We've got to say to people as Bill was saying tonight, that guy is a nut."
Juan was admitting he wasn't perfect, and then used that to make a point about how we need to be better. Quite the opposite of what Ms. Schiller portrayed. With a couple of rare exceptions on the left-wing fringe, media from all perspectives, including the heads of most NPR affiliates, have condemned the decision to fire Juan Williams. To top things off, he now has a new $2 million contract with Fox News. Sort of makes you wonder who is really "fair and balanced."
I'll even go on record as saying I have some of those same feelings when I fly and see people that may fall under certain stereotypes. I am then ashamed of my thoughts and that shame makes me think and those thoughts help me become more tolerant. Confronting feelings, and the often baseless assumptions beneath them, stimulates change and improvement.
Stifling those feelings and opinions does exactly the opposite and actually prevents understanding. That's the inherent danger of political correctness.
Last Friday I was listening to one of the most idiotic news/opinion shows created in recent memory, CNN's Parker-Spitzer. I give the show another couple weeks before CNN realizes its mistake, but I will say that Kathleen Parker nailed it with a comment on the Juan Williams controversy:
"If we're not careful we'll miss some of the big ideas that tumble out of our less careful thoughts."
Wow. That hit me hard enough that I pulled the car over and wrote it down. That is the essence of the power of dissenting opinion. This is not just in terms of politics, but everything. Perhaps particularly in business where consensus is unfortunately overvalued.
A few months ago I discussed the importance of listening to the naysayers. We often hear of Jim Collins' suggestion to get the right people on the bus, and perhaps even in the right seats. Do we really want that? Or do we need the vocal, passionate, opposition that forces us to confront alternatives and even ugly truths? Which creates a more powerful organization filled with exceptional people?
Mark Welch says
The key is vigilance, not intolerance. Keep our rights guaranteed by the constitution, but be practical about the threat to our country – not foolish. I hope America has learned from another situation that had similarities, which was Executive Order 9066, when FDR interred Japanese Americans during WWII even though there was not one act of aggression or sabotage by any person of Japanese ancestry living in the United States. For many years this was not very visible in American history books. Perhaps it still is not. Yes, today’s situation is different, and some domestic plots have been uncovered. This is what I mean by vigilance, not intolerance. Up to this point, America has handled it well, I think.
Dale Savage says
Thanks for the post, Kevin. Nice transition from the political and social situation to business. The trends and attitudes we see in society in general are also seen in our companies in particular. Political correctness will definitely stifle dissent to an idea. Very few dared to stand against Hitler because of the consequences of doing so was to be negatively labeled (frighteningly similar to some political situations today).
But, let’s be careful that we do not do the same thing to those who disagree with us. I think there is the tendency to do just that when we KNOW that we are right. Although there are some areas of life in which we cannot compromise, such as the Faith, in the business world we should be able to try to discuss other perspectives graciously while still moving toward the goal of continuous improvement. Instead of digging in our heels and mocking other’s opinions, we need to humbly build bridges so that others can feel comfortable admitting that they may be wrong so that they can cross over to our side.
david foster says
Mark Welch…the internment of Japanese Americans is VERY heavily covered in history books written for K-12 students. I know of one elementary school teacher who analogized this with the German concentration camps.
Walk the the children’s book section of any chain bookstore and you’ll probably find something referencing the Japanese internment, along with several books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What you will not find is anything at all on the atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army, in China and elsewhere.
Pete says
Kevin and others, none of us know the contents of the contract between Juan Williams and NPR. The contract may not be so specific as to deal with this exact situation. Kathleen Parker’s insight is great. I love listening to NPR because it tends to be more exploratory of an issue, not just sound bites and inflamatory rhetoric. But NPR did not handle this well at all and has done nothing to improve on the situation. Quite naturally FOX siezed on the opportunity. Of course I chuckle because FOX, champions of no regulation, wants to jump on this and cancel funding for NPR. Talk about interfering!!
david foster says
“Of course I chuckle because FOX, champions of no regulation, wants to jump on this and cancel funding for NPR”
Huh? “Regulation” and “funding” are not the same issue. Given the extreme political slant of NPR, government funding of NPR and of the stations that act as its distribution channel is in fact government promotion of a particular political viewpoint and is contrary to the spirit if not the letter of the First Amendment.
Mike says
I’m not sure what you mean by consensus being overvalued in business. Consensus-building is not dictatorial nor is it compromising. Creating consensus requires each person to passionately state their position in such a way as to try to win others over to that point of view. If anything, consensus is UNDERVALUED in business, at least from my experience.
Jim Fernandez says
Pete: How would you feel if you tax money was funding the Fox News channel?
Mark Welch says
David, thank you for updating me. When I was going to school and college in the 60’s and 70’s there was no mention of it in my schooling. Glad to hear it is in the books now. There are some lessons to be learned from it.
Richard Silkey says
After 20 years in broadcasting I kicked it to the curb 1n 1998. Re-entered the market from 2001 to 2003 only to once again leave it as I found what I thought was my nitch in manufacturing. I was wrong there too! But this is not about me it is about common sense and the loss of credibility.
While studying broadcasting we were taught that we were to remain impartial. Personal feelings be damned! It was like Dragnet, “Just the Facts Mame.” That all changed when Vietnam rolled around. Our buddy Walter Cronkite et al began using their medium as a way to sway public opinion. The “higher ups” noticed this. What took place next was the bastardization of broadcasting. Using the medium as a way to make news and information into entertainment yet claim they are reporting the news. (Man cannot serve two masters for he will love one and despise the other)
Both FOX (conservative by their claim) and MSNBC (liberal by definition) both claim the other is biased. It’s the kettle calling itself black. You do get snippets of truth intermingled with propaganda and twisted information aimed at slanting what was said or done. Most people see through this, a larger majority do not. The same principle’s hold true in the manufacturing arena.
After almost 6 years with Whirlpool they left Southwestern Indiana in 2009 for good. Moving to Mexico, which they had been threatening to do for more than 20 years. Recently I was speaking with an individual from a major insurance provider. Out conversation about the economy moved into the Whirlpool debacle. My friend’s interpretation of why Whirlpool left was based on two factors: 1/ They wanted too much money (the workers) 2/ They were lazy and did not want to work. This struck my as rather crude and an ill informed conclusion. What was it based upon? GOD knows that there was plenty of union bashing. And, I am no fan of unions per say! I refrained from escalating the conversation as I saw it as a no win situation.
So, here we have, Juan Williams, caught in the mousetrap of bastardization just like manufacturing, in my humble opinion, has become. It has become a victim of its own making. Spread enough misinformation and sooner or later YOU begin to believe your own BS. This, sadly, is the intemperance of both manufacturing and media. Truth and honesty have no place in the world today. It is all about perceptions.
Smile for the camera!
Thomas says
Kevin – regarding your parting paragraph, I have long felt that any
effective leader that has a bus to fill will reserve a seat or two with
the title “Creative Dissent”, then look for the ‘right persons’ to fill
those seats.