Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on National Public Radio’s (NPR) double standard:
Juan Williams was fired from NPR because he made one allegedly anti-Muslim comment, yet no one has been terminated by NPR for its anti-Catholic fare. To be explicit, on Jan. 7, 2008, the Utah NPR station, KCPW, aired a skit lampooning Mike Huckabee that trashed Jesus. On the show, “Fair Game with Faith Salie,” the following was said: “Tired of bland unsatisfying Eucharists? Try this Huckabee family favorite. Deep-Fried Body of Christ—boring holy wafers no more….Mike likes his Christ with whipped cream and sprinkles.” After I complained, we heard from Public Radio International, which produced the show, and they pulled it, issuing an apology. While the show did not originate at NPR, its Utah affiliate did not have to air it. No one was fired.
On July 5, 1997, NPR mocked the Eucharist when host Scott Simon and musical satirist, Tom Lehrer, got together. Lehrer sang “The Vatican Rag.” Here are some of the lyrics: “Try playing it safer, drink the wine and chew the wafer”; “Two, four, six, eight, time to Trans-substantiate.”
Moreover, if Williams merits being fired for expressing reservations about people with Muslim garb boarding a plane, then why was it okay for Dahlia Lithwick of NPR (at the time) to express her reservations about having “too many Catholics” on the Supreme Court? On Nov. 1, 2005, she exclaimed, “People are very, very much talking about the fact that Alito would be the fifth Catholic on the Supreme Court if confirmed.” Earlier, on Aug. 2, she expressed concerns about the “very, very strong religious views” of Catholic Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Moreover, on July 23, Nina Totenberg of NPR raised a red flag over high court nominee John Roberts’ wife because she was “an officer of a pro-life organization.” As for Roberts himself, she said, “He’s got adopted children. I mean, he’s a conservative Catholic.”
The duplicity is sickening.
Contact NPR Media Chief Anna Christopher: achristopher@npr.org
