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CNN Live Today

Tough Guy's Soft Side

Aired October 09, 2002 - 11:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Don't need to tell you Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for his tough guy roles in films like "End of Days," as you see here. But check this out, the action hero also has a softer side, especially when it comes to issues involving children. These days he's out trying to raise awareness about the need for more after-school programs for kids. Schwarzenegger, in fact, is the honorary chair of the third annual Light on After School. It's a rally in support of after-school programs, and it takes place in communities around the country tomorrow.
And actor, activist and philanthropist Arnold Schwarzenegger joins us now from Los Angeles to talk about that event and we hope some more things as well this morning.

Good to see you. How are you?

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: Thank you, Leon. I'm doing terrific. How are you?

HARRIS: I'm doing well. And I'm impressed that you were able to spend some time with us this morning talking about this program. It sounds like a great idea, and as I understand it, it's like some 5,000 different participants or locations around the country, which is it?

SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, yes, it is in every city in the country basically, big rallies, after-school program rallies, which are sponsored by JCPenney's after school and, you know, the after-school alliance. Everyone is basically working together here to bring attention to this particular cause.

And the whole drive is about getting more after-school programs into our schools. Because there's so many schools in this country that don't provide after-school programs, but at the same time, we have so many millions of children out there that are coming from homes where there's a single parent or where there's two parents, and both of them are working, and therefore, those children are alone, home alone in the afternoon and, you know, it's between 3:00 and 6:00 where the kids get involved in crime, in gang-related violence and in teenage pregnancy. They get involved with drug, with alcohol and all this stuff that ruins their lives and it costs us as a community or as a country a lot of money.

And so what we want to do is let's provide after-school programs, get the kids off the streets and into a safe, supervised, educational environment.

HARRIS: Since you like politics, let's play some for just a moment. Do you think the administration is doing enough to provide money for programs like this across the country?

SCHWARZENEGGER: That's not what we're concentrating on. What we are concentrating on is each city, and each village and each community thinks about the importance of after-school programs.

Like, for instance, I remember in San Diego, there was Mayor Goldberg several years ago, she said after-school programs are important, and now every school in San Diego has a program call called 6 to 6. And that's the important thing, that's what we want to do is here bring attention to this so that the mayors and governors of each city, each state, all work together, and that the private sector works together, like JCPenney after school. Those are sponsors that come in and help those after-school programs. So it's important that everyone works together and makes this partnership to make it happen.

HARRIS: I'm glad you were able to give us that message, because we have to move on.

(INTERRUPTED BY BREAKING NEWS)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 9, 2002 - 11:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Don't need to tell you Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for his tough guy roles in films like "End of Days," as you see here. But check this out, the action hero also has a softer side, especially when it comes to issues involving children. These days he's out trying to raise awareness about the need for more after-school programs for kids. Schwarzenegger, in fact, is the honorary chair of the third annual Light on After School. It's a rally in support of after-school programs, and it takes place in communities around the country tomorrow.
And actor, activist and philanthropist Arnold Schwarzenegger joins us now from Los Angeles to talk about that event and we hope some more things as well this morning.

Good to see you. How are you?

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: Thank you, Leon. I'm doing terrific. How are you?

HARRIS: I'm doing well. And I'm impressed that you were able to spend some time with us this morning talking about this program. It sounds like a great idea, and as I understand it, it's like some 5,000 different participants or locations around the country, which is it?

SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, yes, it is in every city in the country basically, big rallies, after-school program rallies, which are sponsored by JCPenney's after school and, you know, the after-school alliance. Everyone is basically working together here to bring attention to this particular cause.

And the whole drive is about getting more after-school programs into our schools. Because there's so many schools in this country that don't provide after-school programs, but at the same time, we have so many millions of children out there that are coming from homes where there's a single parent or where there's two parents, and both of them are working, and therefore, those children are alone, home alone in the afternoon and, you know, it's between 3:00 and 6:00 where the kids get involved in crime, in gang-related violence and in teenage pregnancy. They get involved with drug, with alcohol and all this stuff that ruins their lives and it costs us as a community or as a country a lot of money.

And so what we want to do is let's provide after-school programs, get the kids off the streets and into a safe, supervised, educational environment.

HARRIS: Since you like politics, let's play some for just a moment. Do you think the administration is doing enough to provide money for programs like this across the country?

SCHWARZENEGGER: That's not what we're concentrating on. What we are concentrating on is each city, and each village and each community thinks about the importance of after-school programs.

Like, for instance, I remember in San Diego, there was Mayor Goldberg several years ago, she said after-school programs are important, and now every school in San Diego has a program call called 6 to 6. And that's the important thing, that's what we want to do is here bring attention to this so that the mayors and governors of each city, each state, all work together, and that the private sector works together, like JCPenney after school. Those are sponsors that come in and help those after-school programs. So it's important that everyone works together and makes this partnership to make it happen.

HARRIS: I'm glad you were able to give us that message, because we have to move on.

(INTERRUPTED BY BREAKING NEWS)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com