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The Ed Show for Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

Read the transcript to the Tuesday show

THE ED SHOW
July 8, 2014

Guest: Freddy Haynes III, EJ Dionne, Mike Papantonio, Salamishah Tillet,
Otis Moss III, Richard Smith

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, MSNBC HOST: Let`s get to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY, (R) TEXAS: I don`t believe he particularly cares whether
or not the border of the United States is secure.

He then to the border, I think it`s a real reflection of his lack of
concerns.

Secure this border Mr. President.

What has to be addressed is the security of the border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on live before you die, I mean, you know, you got
to love that right?

PERRY: You know that. I know that. The president of the United States
knows that.

What`s the third one there?

I will tell you they either are inept or don`t care, and that is my
position.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s see, I can`t.

PERRY: Secure this border Mr. President.

You are either inept or have some ulterior motive of which you were
functioning from

I`m Rick Perry and I approve this message.

You know America is a great place for second chances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: The days of compassionate conservatives are over. President George
W. Bush pledged during this 2005 State of the Union Address that the United
States and his new (ph) administration would be focused on compassionate
conservatism. Now, Republicans are doing all they can to prove they are
hardened and have no compassion.

Exhibit A. The former half-term Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is out
today calling for the president`s impeachment. You heard it, the
president`s impeachment. In a column she pinned, she compares President
Obama`s handling of America to an abusive spouse. She wrote, "Enough is
enough of the years of abuse from this President. His unsecured border
crisis is the last straw that makes the battered wife say, no mas".

Republicans are using the growing humanitarian crisis along the US-Mexico
border for political gains. President Obama is asking Congress for $3.7
billion to help confront the influx of minors crossing into the US from
Central America. Obama Administration official say, as of June 15th,
52,000 unaccompanied children from Central America have been apprehended at
the US-Mexico border.

Border officials have also taken 39,000 adults with children into custody
as of May 31st. Last week, the President vowed to use his executive power
to perform and reform the nation`s broken immigration system, because
Republicans have refused to help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If House
Republicans are really concern about me taking too many executive actions.
The best solution to that is passing bills.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Passing bills my friends. Keep in mind President Obama is only
following the law in his efforts to help these undocumented children. The
compassionate conservative himself, President George W. Bush, signed
legislation in 2008 which passed -- both chambers of congress by unanimous
conceit. The law dictates exactly how Children caught crossing the border
without their parents must be treated.

The children coming form Mexico or Canada, our border patrol officer has
the authority to determine whether the child is illegible to stay in the
country. The children from all other countries, the child must be turned
over within 72 hours to the Department of Health and Human Services to care
for them and find them safe housing until arrangements can be made.

Instead of that happening, Republicans are calling for all of these kids to
be immediately deported.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RAUL LABRADOR, (R-ID) JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: The thing this
administration needs to do is immediately deport these families, these
children. I know it sound harsh, I know it sounds difficult but they`re
creating a crisis at this time that it`s actually going to harm these
children.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: We have to send them back,
because if you don`t you`re going to incentives people to that part of the
world to keep sending their children here. About a third of the little
girls are raped in the process of getting here.

It`s s humanitarian problem but it`s a part from immigration reform, this
is a specific problem created by an impression that if you get to America,
you can stay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Sounds hard? Sounds difficult? It is my friends. Meanwhile
Governor Rick Perry initially declined an official White House offer to
great President Obama when he lands at Austin`s airport tomorrow. Earlier
this afternoon, it was announced Perry and the President will attend the
meeting together.

Back in 2011, Governor Perry himself expressed sympathy toward children who
end up in this country illegally. He made this statement during a debate
when he was asked about tuition breaks for children of undocumented
immigrants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: If you say, we should not educate children who have come in to our
state for no other reason than they`ve been brought there by no fault at
their own. I don`t think you have a heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Where is that guy? And where is your heart now? Governor Perry
apologized for his word choice one week later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: I probably chose a poor word to explain that. For people who don`t
want their State to be giving tuition to illegal aliens, illegal immigrants
in this country. That`s their call, and I respect that.

And I was, you know, I was probably a bit over passionate by using that
word and it was inappropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Compassionate obstructionism is obviously what that is. All of
these is window dressing. Republicans like to claim they stand on the high
moral ground. It`s the party that claims to believe in family values and
Christian charity. We`ve been hearing a lot about religious freedom and
how it relates to laws in the United States over the past few weeks.

President Obama is planning to discuss the crisis in the US-Mexico border
with faith and local leaders doing a political fundraising visit in Texas
tomorrow. Maybe its time for people of faith to come forward, to show
conservatives what true compassion means. If you say you believe in Jesus
and you believe in the Bible and you believe in your religious virtues then
just talk about it be about it.

Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think. Tonight`s
question, is compassionate conservatism dead?

Text A for yes, text B for no to 67622. Or go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com.
I`ll bring you results later in the show.

I`m joined now by the Reverend Dr. Freddy Haynes the Senior Pastor of the
Friendship-West Baptist Church, and E.J. Dionne, Washington Post Columnist
and MSNBC contributor and my Georgetown colleague.

Reverend Dr. Haynes III, do Texans take Rick Perry seriously Reverend?

REV. DR. FREDDY HAYNES III, SENIOR PASTOR OF THE FRIENDSHIP-WEST BAPTIST
CHURCH: I hope not, the Rick Perry who spoke a few years ago out of his
heart about having a heart evidently has had a heart attack. Unfortunately
he`s being pushed to respond to a humanitarian crisis in a way that is
immoral. And so, with Texas being a State of big churches and big faith, I
hope we still have a big heart.

For big heart reflects the heart of the Christ that many of our
conservatives claim to worship, that`s the same Christ who said, how you
treat these little children is reflection of how you are treating me. As a
matter of fact, he also went on to say that we have to be careful how we
entertain strangers, how we treat foreigners. And then, don`t forget about
children, it`s better to have a mill stone tied around your neck than to
offend the least of these.

DYSON: Right.

HAYNES: And so, I`m with Rick Perry from a few years ago, let`s have a
heart because these are children who are in need of compassion. And
unfortunately, compassionate conservatism, I don`t know if that exist
anymore.

DYSON: That`s an ironic statement, it maybe brought (ph) back the records
right. Anybody who have a heart would at least ...

HAYNES: Yeah.

DYSON: ... be open here. E.J. Dionne, professor is Perry just trying to
play to the Anti-Obama audience, does it comedown to that?

E.J. DIONNE, WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST: Oh, I think so. And I think it`s
really tragic what`s happened inside the Republican Party. If I quote a
president, a president said by tradition and conviction our country is a
welcoming society. Also said, out country has always benefited from the
dreams that others brought here.

That was President George W. Bush. And I disagreed, as you did with
President Bush in a whole lot of things. But they he talked about
immigrants and immigration and Latinos was very different than you`re
hearing now. The way Rick Perry has talked about immigration and Latinos
in the past is very different than you`re hearing now.

And we really do need some of that compassion back. And yes, this is real
crisis. And it`s true that you cannot have people smuggling lots and lots
of children to the border. It`s a crisis that we have to deal with. But
there`s just so much anger and not a lot of concern for kids in the way
were talking about this.

And it`s a very depressing moment I think for the country.

DYSON: Dr. Haynes, in light of Professor Dionne`s argument that we really
have not dealt with a compassion for these children, you -- what`s been the
reaction of people on the ground in Texas to these children? You visited
that arena, that area. Tell us what you saw there. What`s the on the
ground response?

HAYNES: Yes, I was privileged to go down to the McAllen on last week, last
Wednesday I believe it was. With County Judge Clay Jenkins as well as
State Senator Royce West and we were privileged not only to go into the
holding areas where these children are -- who have been traumatized by the
journey and yet holding on to hope, that in the land of the free and the
home of the brave, they`ll be the beneficiaries of that kind of compassion.

And so, to witness their strength in light of all they`ve had to endure and
overcome was heartwarming but at the same time it was heartbreaking. I saw
border patrol agents, literally walking around in their arms with a baby
with nothing on but a diaper. That was both heartbreaking but it was also
so encouraging to see the heart of border patrol agents.

I also was privileged to take a helicopter ride to view the Rio Grand River
and the sea, the points of entry where persons are entering our borders
with their hands up, not trying to penetrate our borders in a vicious or
criminal fashion but coming here, filled with hope that somehow there will
be a haven. After all this country has a track record of trading children
appropriately.

DYSON: Right.

HAYNES: When you look at the Vietnam War, what was it? Operation
Babylift, where we helped children to get out of a desperate, even deadly
situation. World War II, you had Operation Pied Piper again, children
endanger were able to receive a haven hear in this country and in other
places. And so, this country has.

DYSON: Right.

HAYNES: . that kind of heart in its history. And the beautiful thing is,
I`ve seen people on the ground in Texas who are volunteering, I had someone
call the church today. I have 12 rooms available so there is a heart ...

DYSON: OK.

HAYNES: . here in Texas, but you have a political push that Rick Perry is
coming too.

DYSON: So E.J. Dionne, if President Obama visits the board while he`s in
Texas tomorrow. Would that mean anything? Would that accomplish anything,
is it more than symbolic? Is there anything substance that they will come
out of there?

DIONNE: Not as far as I can tell. I mean most of those kinds of visits
are done largely for political reasons, for the purpose of getting photo
ups and I don`t think the president wants to heightened the anger and the
demonstrations because you know that a lot of the people who are trying to
block those busses carrying these kids are also people who don`t like the
President. I think meeting with official stay on there including Gov.
Perry even if he`s not going to shake the President`s hand is probably more
useful than a photo up at the border.

And he`s asked congress for big appropriation over $3 billion to try to
begin to grapple with this problem.

DYSON: Sure. Dr. Haynes, the broken immigration system is a national
problem but your State is feeling immediate impacts of a humanitarian
issue. Briefly tell us how local faith leaders are feeling about.

HAYNES: Local faith leaders are ready to respond, catholic (ph) charities
as always they are stepping up. There are many from southern Baptist
convention stepping up. Faith leaders in this State recognized the
responsibility we have to foreigners. We don`t label them aliens, let
alone illegal. We see them as children in need of compassion, support,
hope and the haven. And that`s what we offer by way of our faith.

DYSON: All right. EJ Dionne, Perry keeps bringing up that the President
has not responded to a letter he wrote back in May 2012 where he asked the
administration to stop the flow of immigrants crossing the border and the
consult with the local governments. Why did he expect a response when
these are the things the administration has been doing all along?

DIONNE: No, I mean it`s really -- a really striking shift because
President Obama has basically stopped more people, deported more people,
he`s come unto a lot of criticism from the Latino community for how
regressively he has deported people. And what we have here is a completely
different crisis. It just hit us all of a sudden and I think it reminds us
that we should have been debating and passing a more comprehensive approach
to immigration so we could deal with the problem hole. Instead of doing
what we`re doing now which is responding to a particular crisis with no
broad long-term solutions on larger problem.

DYSON: All right, Professor EJ Dionne, Rev. Dr. Frederick Haynes III.
Thank you so much for your time tonight.

DIONNE: Good to be with you.

HAYNES: Thank you.

DYSON: Remember to answer tonight`s question there at the bottom of the
screen and share your thoughts on twitter@edshow and on Facebook. We
really want to know what you think. Coming up, the death toll from
Chicago`s violent 4th of July weekend climbs to 16. The Rapid Response
Panel joins me to discuss how the Windy City can move forward in the wake
of these tragedies.

But first, dark money casts its shadow over the Sunshine State.

Trenders is next.

(COMERCIAL BREAK)

DYSON: Time now for The Trenders. Keep in touch with us on twitter@Edshow
and on Facebook. And you can find me on twitter@michaeledyson.

The ED Show social media nation has decided and we`re reporting.

Here are today`s top trenders voted on by you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome Harry to Diagon Alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number three trender, Wizarding World.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Universal Orlando Resort, is about to unveil its
latest and greatest creation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thousands of people are at the park.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`ve been here (inaudible) around 4 PM.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s at least a six-hour wait for the main
attraction at Universal Orlando Resorts like NBC news is part of NBC
Universal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) in Orlando get their first look at Diagon
Alley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harry Potter`s world is full of magical train rides.
Fancy Broomsticks and dubious goblins.

ALAN GLIMORE, UNIVERSAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR: They are authentic in
recreation. What you seen in the films and what is described in J. K.
Rowling`s fiction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh well, stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s even more real and immersive here than it was on
the sense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number two trender, Wild Ride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The name of the rider is Verruckt. It means insanity
in German.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is more than 17 stories high. That`s taller than
Niagara Falls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean you have to be insane to ride is ride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two trill seekers brave the world`s tallest water
slide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s not one person on this groups so far has
volunteered to go first.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The slide designer and engineer strapped themselves
to raft for the first ride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The next I`ll build is going to be twice as bigger than
the one, and that there`s no even bigger than this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And today`s top trender, Sunshine Bay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re famous for our sunshine here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Catching some rays, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But for many, work starts before it comes up and
continues long after it goes down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The minimum wage debate takes the spotlight in the
Florida governor`s race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Florida`s minimum wage is at $7:93 but Democrats were
pushing for just over 10 buck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll raise to minimum wage, demanding equal pay for
women.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gov. Rick Scott said in January idea made imprints (ph)

GOV. RICK SCOTT, (R) FLORIDA: I`ll fight for you, from sunrise to sunset.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Joining me now is Mike Papantonio, host of Ring of Fire radio.
Brother Mike, how important is raising the minimum wage for Florida voters?
You think it will be self evident but obviously lot of people are instant
(ph) opposition.

MIKE PAPANTONIO, RING OF FIRE RADIO HOST: Numbers are clear on this. The
13 States that have raise minimum wage have also increase jobs Michael, and
that`s the important point. That`s what Charlie is talking about. Charlie
Crist is talking about, if you give people more money at the bottom to the
economy scale, then what happens is that money rises up, businesses do.
Business do better and the employ more people.

Its common sense but more importantly, it`s been proven, the numbers are
clear. Unfortunately there is big, big money behind Rick Scott. You know,
Rick Scott has this colonial extraction kind of mentality about the way the
economy should work. That big money is putting Rick Scott out front on
this issue. You have the Chamber of Commerce come in and saying, "No, we
can`t raise wages".

But Charlie Crist is devoted to this notion, give the worker more money and
they`ll buy clothing, they`ll televisions, they`ll buy cars, and the entire
economy will do better from the bottom up.

DYSON: Well, why can`t we seem to get that message because people think --
the thought of raising the wages -- of wages of people who work there makes
Rick Scott cringe but in light of what you just indicated there. What
doesn`t he see the economic feasibility of a raised minimum wage that will
pump more money into the economy?

PAPANTONIO: Well, the business is -- the businesses are thinking, "We
don`t want to pay more wages right now". They don`t look down the road and
understand. We now know. We don`t have to guess about this Michael. We
now know from 13 states, the history of 13 states, we now know that there
is a difference but its immediate gratification. It`s immediate
gratification and there`s a lot of dark money unfortunately moving into
Florida right now to promote this idea that raising the minimum wage is
bad. And so, that`s what Charlie just have against.

Again, is this colonized mentality about, you know, we got to keep
everybody down at the bottom and just keep everybody flourishing at the top
and unfortunately that`s what`s happening in Florida with so many other
places in this country.

DYSON: Yeah, no doubt. So Mike, this is the first add from the Crist
campaign. We`ve seen plenty of ads from Rick Scott`s well-funded campaign.
Has money helped Scott so far in his race?

PAPANTONIO: Yes, Rick Scott has limitless money. He has 72 million, you
know, this is the guy $72 million is what he put in his last campaign.
It`s almost as many times as he had to plead -- please the fifth, not to
tell the truth and the deposition about fraud. I mean, 72 times he had to
do that, and he put about $72 or $78 million in his own campaign. Money is
coming in from businesses everywhere to support Rick Scott. And it`s all
dark money. We don`t even know the origination of most of this money, but
its big money coming behind Rick Scott right now.

DYSON: Well, let`s pick on that. So, what is the influx of big money
donations done to politics? If he`s got a dark money and we can`t really
trace it. So what`s the impact? What`s the net effect of that?

PAPANTONIO: Howard Zinn and Chalmers Johnson wrote some great articles
long time ago about dark money in politics. It was before Citizens United.
It was before Macachin and they said, listen, if you want to colonize this
country and if you want to allow multinational corporations to colonize
this country then just give them limitless access to spending their money.
And what he meant by that was it the corporation wanted to come in to this
country and they wanted to extract labor for nothing and create Sipen (ph)
right here.

If they wanted to do that, all they have to do is spread money around.
Same way with our environment, if they wanted to take our natural resources
with fracking and drilling and mining. The multinational corporation is
really the entity trying to colonize so many parts of this country. We
used to think if colonization Michael, is one country going to another in
extracting all of these goods. But right now, Chalmers Johnson, Howard
Zinn, (inaudible) were telling us a long time ago before Macachin, when
money comes in here, when dark money comes in, what`s going to happen is
we`re going to be treated almost like third world.

These corporations are going to come in and they`re going to create this
third world quality on the labor market for example, where they use their
big money to bust up unions. They`re going to use that money to take our
natural resources by fracking and drilling and the way they`re going to do
that is they`re going to spread money around to regulators. They`re going
to spread it around the politicians.

These great minds -- we`re talking about is 20 years ago Michael. And now
it`s unfolding right here, right now we`re seeing colonization right here
in our country. Not by another country ...

DYSON: Right.

PAPANTONIO: ... but by multinational corporations that are coming here
doing this to us.

DYSON: Well, yeah.

PAPANTONIO: And that`s part of what we`re seeing in Florida right now.

DYSON: Sure, massive power, unrestrained capital, and the exponential
increased of unregulated finances that are flooding the market place of
politics making a dirty business. Mike Papantonio, thank you so much for
joining us.

PAPANTONIO: Thank you Michael.

DYSON: Still ahead, Roman Manual was quick to assign blame for Chicago`s
violence. The Rapid Response Panel weighs in.

Plus, a propose pipeline in the lakes regions could have catastrophic
consequences. More on the Sandpiper Pipeline coming up.

But next, I`m taking your questions, Ask MED Live is just ahead. Stay
tune.

(COMERCIAL BREAK)

DYSON: Welcome back to the Ed Show. We love hearing from our viewers.
Tonight in Ask MED Live, our question is from Keith. "Was Chris Christie`s
response to the families of Sandy Hook victims brainless or just another
capitulation of the NRA?"

Can we go for a both? I mean, the reality has Chris Christie said, "Look
I`d already made my mind. It would have been hypocritical for me to sit
down and meet with these parents of these citizens". How incredibly and
egregiously insensitive is that, to the heart beat of this nation that you
have signed some legislation.

You send it back, you striped the magazine requirement, and you sent that
legislation back because you vetoed it and you had no compassion. Where is
compassion conservatism that he claims to represent, that George Bush
claimed to represent? And yet they have no sensitivity for the very people
who are the citizens, who deserve and demand it at least a sit down.

Be heard. What`s wrong in talking to them? Even if he disagrees with
them, the ability to engage one another in civil discourse and conversation
is the predicate and indeed the life blood of American democracy.

Our next question is from Belinda (ph). "How was the Jay-Z and Beyonce
concert last night?" Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is MED, M to
ED. Don`t get mad because I got kiss from Beyonce. The hottest chick in
the game, be knowing my name. Sorry, I had to spit those lyrics.

Here it is right here. Beyonce going up in the stairs. That was me in the
yellow hat. Oh, here we have it again. That`s Jay-Z giving me a pal,
what`s up, how are you doing, man? What`s going on? It`s a great show.
And then Beyonce leans over and kisses me right here on the right side of
the cheek.

Can you see it again? I`m not sure you saw that again. That`s Beyonce
kissing Michael Eric Dyson. I don`t know. The show is over. Life is
done. I`m good.

That was a great concert because what Jay-Z and Beyonce embody is the
beauty of marital love and the commitment to one another made sexy. Who
says that eroticism can`t be celebrated within the context of the sacred
obligation to each other, based upon an acknowledgment that each is a
respectful participant in the larger drama of their relationship?

I ain`t mad at you, (inaudible). I`m not mad at you, B. Don`t be mad that
she kissed me either. It was a great night.

Stick around, the Rapid Response Panel is next.

HAMPTON PEARSON, CNBC CONTRIBUTOR: I`m Hampton Pearson with your CNBC
Market Wrap. Pre-earnings jitter (ph) set major index is falling for a
second straight day. The Dow losing 117.5 points to close below 17,000.
The S&P dropping 14 points. The Nasdaq was the biggest looser, falling
more than 1.3 percent of it`s value.

And just after the bell, Alcoa was the first to report earnings, the second
quarter profit at 18 cents a share beating the street estimates by 50
percent.

That`s it from CNBC, first in business, worldwide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DYSON: Welcome back to the Ed Show. The death toll from Chicago`s bloody
Fourth of July weekend is climbing. 16 people are now dead out of the 82
people gun down this weekend.

These numbers are shocking but people need to remember this, the South side
of Chicago where I used to live has been a war zone and it`s nothing new.

In 2012, there were 503 homicides in Chicago. In 2013, the number drops to
415. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy were
quick to take credit for the drop.

It turns out police may have been cooking the books. After all Rahm is up
for reelection next year, a detailed in-depth expos‚ (ph) from Chicago
magazine suggest the reduction and crime was manipulated by police.

Reporters found numerous examples where the Chicago P.D. reclassified
crimes to make the numbers look better, for instance if it was a murder or
maybe it was just the manslaughter and therefore the murder rate slipped.
Get it?

Even with these allegedly cooked books, Rahm is quick Chicago`s violence on
others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL, [D] CHICAGO, IL: The hardest problem we have is the
free flow guns into the city which is why I call for a national
legislation. We are not an island here. But also, the other piece of this
is investing in neighborhoods and communities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Chicago is an island. An urban island surrounded by rural or areas
where it`s easy to get guns. Rahm`s own Police Superintendent admitted
guns in Chicago come from instate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARRY MCCARTHY, SUPERINTENDENT, CHICAGO: You can walk in to any gun shot
in Illinois by 10 -- nine millimeters and walk at the door and there`s only
one recorded transaction on those firearms. And we don`t know where those
guns go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: I`m not hating Rahm. Local gun laws could no doubt help the
situation. But the other half of the problem is investing in Chicago south
side. Many residents feel like they`ve been abandoned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ST. SEN. JACQUELINE COLLINS, [D] CHICAGO, IL: There are consequences, I
believe to failed economic and political policies that most communities of
color in Chicago are facing.

High unemployment, 23 percent or more, failing schools, we have the closing
of mental facilities, the foreclosure crisis. So certain communities
seemed to be targeted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Why can`t we get the intricate interrelationship between all of
these as suppose to pathologizing those who were in the urban as
(inaudible) says it or trying to take to task those people who are the
object and the victims of forces as supposed to trying to deal with the
broader perspective that allows us to see the relationship between the
social suffering of those individuals and the institution of mechanism that
perpetuated.

Emanuel closes 50 public schools, impacting poor African-American
neighborhoods. Rahm still to Chicago may cause him this job.

Recent polling shows 29 percent support for his reelection. Only 8 percent
of African-American`s want to keep him as mayor.

There is not one solution for Chicago`s gun violence but there is no way
you can fix the problem by abandoning Chicago`s poorest neighborhoods.

Joining me now as our Rapid Response Panel, Professor Salamishah Tillet,
Assistant Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of
Pennsylvania where she taught me well. And the Reverend Doctor Otis Moss
III, Senior Pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ.

Reverend Moss, let me begin with you doc. Isn`t gun legislation just a
small piece of this more intriguing intricate problem?

REV. DOC. OTIS MOSS: Absolutely. The gun legislations are very small,
slaver in what`s happening. We need more investment in Chicago. We need
education and not incarceration. Chicago in the South and West side, it
looks completely different than the North side. And I believe that there`s
really a strategy or plan that can be implemented. One, economic
investment. The way that we give breaks to corporations. We should give
breaks to entrepreneurs who live in those particular neighborhoods that are
distressed.

Number two, how about this. How about teachers who teach in the poorest
school, should receive the highest pay and the most resources and then
closing loop holes? And then why don`t we then move to a freedom summer?
Taking historically black colleges and having those students come to
Chicago, in Saint Louis, Detroit and other places and allow corporations
that want to invest in major cities, invest in our young people and let`s
bring them back into the city and have an urban youth core that would
transform it.

And finally, a hip hop progressive movement. A hip hop outside of United
States is progressive, talks about poverty, racism and sexism. Why not
treat and teach young people within Chicago and other places, the power of
this creative music that comes out of the African tradition just as they do
in Cuba, just as they did in the Arab spring?

We could create something powerful as Brother Ron (ph) (inaudible) and FM
Supreme and Lupe (ph) are doing here in Chicago, but make it nationwide.

DYSON: Right. That`s a intriguing point. Dr. Tillet, you write about
that among many other subjects. You talked about the relationship between
pop culture and yourself. You`ve been deeply invested in Chicago in
particular in dealing with, you know, narratives of violence especially
violence, domestic violence against women, boys and girls and you talked
about trying to retrain the psyche so that people can be open to new ways
and approaches.

So talk to us about picking up what Dr. Moss said. And also Rahm Emanuel
closed 50 schools in the neighborhood. What do you think was going to
happen, as a result of that?

SALAMISHAH TILLET, UNIVERISTY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Yeah. Thank you for
bringing up the fact that -- and yeah, I`m going to Chicago next week to
work with young people through our organizational, A Long Walk Home, to end
violence in their communities and cities. And so, it`s really important
issue to me is deeply personal.

But I also think that you pick up on this point that way in which Rahm
Emanuel is framing the issue. So in one hand, I applaud the fact that he
is not making it a black pathology issue.

DYSON: Right.

TILLET: And he`s not making an issue of black irresponsibility, single
parent households or lack of mentoring. That`s the typical response that
you have when people respond -- deal with this issues of gun violence.

DYSON: Right.

TILLET: However, I do think by talking about only as too many guns and not
too many school closings, too many schools to present pipelines, too many
unemployed young people in Chicago, he`s not dealing with the ways in which
he as a mayor of Chicago can locally grapple with this issue and actually
maybe prevent violence within his initiative and his policies.

DYSON: Right.

TILLET: So, I just think that, you know, one of things that I think he can
do is not only invest in communities in the South side and West side but
actually invest in community development projects that are affective, like
projects (inaudible) or project bill (ph), the Long Walk Home, different
organizations that are using community-based models to make a difference
with the parents and children who are experiencing this violence everyday.

DYSON: Right. That`s a good point Dr. Moss. Because this type of
violence happens all the time in Chicago, you`re a minister there on the
South side. What do you see on the ground? And what`s your assessment of
what can be done, given with Dr. Tillet just talking about in terms of the
reinvestment strategy and in terms of having a more broad and complicated
analysis of the prevailing forms of oppression and suffering there. What
can be done on a practical level?

MOSS: Well first, I think we need to understand that the problems in
Chicago, it`s not anything new as you`ve already stated before Dr. Dyson.

One of the ways that Chicago deals with these issues is through
incarceration and criminalization. We saw especially during the 90s, we
saw an incarceration of the gang leadership in Chicago and now we have
created micro-gangs of clicks. Young people are clicking up.

And as a result of that, we now have no leadership in these communities.
But also what we have not done is already been mentioned, is that the kind
of economic investment is not happening in Chicago.

There are wonderful on the ground groups doing great work. Saint Sabina,
doing tremendous work, you have Ceasefire, doing great work, you have the
Fierce Women Of Faith doing great work. Here at Trinity, we are doing
tremendous work. Everything from the (inaudible) of justice to peace
circles and making sure that we are hiring young people in the community,
roughly about 80 of this summer but it`s not enough that we need an entire
correlation. And there has to be leadership from the civic level, on the
political level, on state level and the national level to recognize that
our children are as just as valuable as children who are on the North side.

Our children are just as valuable as children as Sandy Hook. Our children
are just as valuable as those who are in Israel, that we need to recognize
that our children are the greatest gift that we have been given by God and
there has to be reinvestment in our communities and it does not happen
alone.

DYSON: Well, that`s a great point. I want to ask both of you. I want to
ask Dr. Tillet question first then I want to get to both to you.

So why to 16 people dead, first of all, to kind to capture our attention
into picking back on with Dr. Moss was speaking up. I want him to address
it and you too, then it`s not only Rahm Emanuel but the President of the
United States of America, some people have been arguing.

We know that President Obama from Chicago and makes a -- takes great pains
to talk about his commitment to certain areas and the kind of legacy in
Chicago, is he also to be held responsible? If some people are suggested,
do you think that`s unfair?

TILLET: Well yes. I mean, these are citizens of the United States. These
are people who have voted in into power. Earlier in your show, you were
talking about the humanitarian crisis. I mean, this should be framed as a
humanitarian crisis.

Along side, other issues in which young people are being deported or young
people are being killed. I mean, we`re talking about our children. We`re
talking about America`s children. So I think, yes, the president of the
United States should he held accountable not just for gun control policies,
which I think he is trying to make strive in but also for investing in
communities.

And the big issue I think that we`re not talking about here is that these
neighborhoods are racially segregated and we did talk about it as
experiencing severe levels of poverty. So that`s the big story.

So we can talk about gun control which we need too. We also have to
address the long legacy of racial segregation that these families are
experiencing not by any faults of their own but by chance, by chance and by
faith.

DYSON: Right.

TILLET: The way in which American democracy hasn`t really reached their
door steps. So -- and that is a presidential issue, that`s a national
crisis, which is humanitarian crisis and I think all citizens but
definitely the President of the United States should be taking this issue
on as part of his legacy and as part of his current initiatives.

DYSON: So bully pulpit and public policy. How about you Dr. Moss? These
of the President and whether you think it`s fair not to hold him
accountable because he`s from Chicago and so closely identified with that.

MOSS: Well, I think it`s fair to hold us all accountable, not only the
President, not only the mayor but all of us. And also from...

DYSON: But in this case the President -- I`m saying, the President being
from Chicago, I know everybody is responsible but I kind to want to drill
down to that to talk about -- because the people had made the argument and
I`m saying -- are we saying that it`s unfair argument or are we saying
that, look its part of his bully pulpit in his public policy as Dr. Tillet
has just talked about.

MOSS: I think that it`s certainly part of bully pulpit to be able to raise
these issues, raise that consciousness. But also I think that on the local
level all politics are local that we need to also recognize in Chicago a
structured in a very different way that in 1985 to about 1930 with the
Chicago political machine was structured .

DYSON: Right.

MOSS: . was created in response to the great migration, to ensure that at
certain community did not have this much power. And as a result of that,
we now see what we are having today, that type of political structure. And
we don`t want to deal with that. We`re talking about power. We`re talking
about race. We`re talking about racism, and we`re talking about
segregation and we`re talking about poverty. And we need to hold those who
have been elected officials accountable but we also need to hold the
community accountable to make sure that we have the kind of prophetic
activism that demands that what happens in one community will have happened
in the other community.

DYSON: Absolutely. Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Dr. Salamishah Tillet, thank you
both for joining us here tonight.

Coming up, one State Senate takes climate denial to new territory Mars.
Pretenders is next. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DYSON: And Pretenders tonight, science guy Brandon Smith, the Kentucky
state senator believes climate change is a bigger hooks. Last Thursday,
Smith gave an out of this world opinion on climate change during a Natural
Resources Committee Hearing.

(BEGIN VEDIO CLIP)

BRANDON SMITH, KENTUCKY STATE SENATOR: I don`t want to get into debate
about the climate change but I will simply point out that I think in
academia we all agree that the temperature on Mars is exactly as it is
here. Nobody will dispute that. Yet there no coal mines on Mars, there is
no factories on Mars that I`m aware of.

So, I think what we`re looking at is something much greater and what we`re
going to do.

(END VEDIO CLIP)

DYSON: Earth to Senator Smith, you cannot disprove climate change by
comparing the temperatures of planets. According to NASA, the average
temperature of earth is 57 degrees Fahrenheit, in Mars is negative 81
degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe he didn`t see that little negative sign before
the number.

If Brandon Smith thinks he can disprove climate change it will help our
false astrophysics. He is a real space cadet, then he keep on Pretender.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DYSON: Welcome back to the Ed Show. This is the story for those folks who
take a shower after work. A newly propose oil pipeline is threatening the
way of life for thousands. The Canadian energy company Enbridge has fast
track the new sandpiper pipeline. Demands of 616 mile project would be the
most expensive private construction project the state has ever seen, double
the cost of the new Viking stadium in Minneapolis.

Sandpiper would pump crude oil from North Dakota straight through critical
Minnesota wetlands. The proposed pipeline crosses the red river which
flows at the border of North Dakota and Minnesota.

The sense of water way has had 300 year floods in the last decade causing
billions of dollars in damage. The oil line puts the great Mississippi
River in severe danger. Minnesota is home to the headwaters of the
Mississippi River.

Ambridge once to plug 225,000 barrels a day, straight across the beginning
of the Mississippi over to superior Wisconsin. The effects of such spill
would be devastating, leaving thousands of miles of wildlife habitats
inhibit (ph) and polluting the drinking water that so many in the region
rely on.

Joining me now Richard Smith, President of Friends of the Headwaters.
Richard, what affect would building a pipeline have on the drinking water?
Let`s just take it from their drinking water in that region.

RICHARD SMITH, PRESIDENT OF FRIEDS OF THE HEADWATERS: Hi Michael, thanks
for having me on .

DYSON: Yes sir.

SMITH: ... you know, you see, you know, you see the scene behind me,
that`s the Mississippi and downtown Minneapolis. There is pipeline, if
they were to rapture, where it crosses to Mississippi upstream would affect
the drinking water for millions of people here in town.

My little town where I live, that aquifer that they get all there drinking
water from is completely dependent on that aquifer. If there was a rapture
there, I could be from park (inaudible), it`s the town where you can`t
drink the water. Imagine your kids going to school, and not being able to
drink the water out of the fountains.

DYSON: Oh yes. That`s pretty distressing. So if the Mississippi River is
hit by an oil leak, tell us then what effect that would have on wildlife
and surrounding communities. So beyond the drinking waters to the kind of
a wildlife in the communities that surround it.

SMITH: Well Michael it`s not just the Mississippi River, this route goes
through some of the most critical wild raising grounds in the state. And,
you know, Minnesota is famous for wild rice. And the wild rice is very,
very important to the Giveaway Community here in the state. So not only
does it feed people but that wild rice also feeds a lot of wildlife from
water (inaudible).

You know, these guys at Enbridge, they couldn`t have pick the worst place
to put this pipeline through the state. It affects the wild rice, it
affects the Mississippi River, it affects thousands of field and lakeshore
properties in my county and along the whole route. It`s not a good plan.
There`s a better way to do it.

DYSON: Sure. Well, no doubt about that. So your organization is
proposing alternative route for the pipeline, what are the benefits of the
substitute passageway that you will put for?

SMITH: One, our route takes this pipeline away from any the Minnesota`s
lake country. And one of their executives actually told me that they
prefer to (inaudible) a pipe in the agricultural land. So we came out with
an alternative route that takes the pipeline through agricultural land.
They can put the pipe in. It`s easy access to build. Farmers can put
their land back into production after the pipe is buried. That was our
plan, is to keep that out of our most sensitive source waters in the state
and put it in the lowest risk part of the state.

We still get to keep the pipeline jobs. The state still keeps -- gets to
keep its tax revenue that comes from the pipeline and we keep it out of our
most sensitive waters.

DYSON: Well, right now, Enbridge says 96% of land owners have welcomed
surveyors for the pipeline, what would you say to those residents?

SMITH: I would say resist. Their permit has not been approved yet by the
state. This whole process is very backwards to the company gets to do the
(inaudible) first then they come to the state and ask for permission to
build pipe and the route, then they get to ask, well now we need the pipe.
So the process is backwards. There should be need then route, then
contacting land owners.

DYSON: All right. Richard Smith, thank you so very much for your
contribution here tonight.

SMITH: I appreciate it Michael, thank you.

DYSON: OK. That`s the Ed Show. I`m Michael Eric Dyson in for Ed Schultz.
Politics Nation with the Reverend Al Sharpton, starts right now. Good
evening Rev.

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