Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Clinton: I Have More Votes Than Obama; Chicago Crime Wave
Aired April 26, 2008 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton now says she has more votes than Barack Obama. Huh? We do the math for you.
55 workers are dead, and they died because they couldn't get out. Even as others tried to break down doors to get them out.
Sean Conners (ph) looking for the great white death that, true to its name, killed a California man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bottom line is we need the community's help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: What's going on in Chicago? A rampant crime wave has police calling out the big guns. In fact, even the biggest gun of all that fires 1,000 rounds per minute.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm blunt and I'm going to stay blunt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: A blunt Bill Cosby, tired of inner city violence, bad parenting, and teenage pregnancy. Blaming the messenger?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to whip his behind. That's what I want to do right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Grandma's 7-year-old grandson is a car thief. And she's telling it like it is. And so do we on the weekend run down.
And hello again, everybody, I'm Rick Sanchez. Chicago tonight may stand out as a microcosm of what some fear our country may be headed for. With a myriad of frustrations, the economy in the skids and a hot summer temperature is on the way, things are getting violent.
In Chicago, so bad, police are using this. Take a good look at this picture here. This is an M-4 rifle. It's the same assault rifle that is used by U.S. Marines in combat. It's capable of firing 1,000 rounds per minute. S.W.A.T. teams have been called out tonight to patrol the streets in Chicago. Why?
Police won't release exact numbers but according to the "Chicago Tribune" the city is in the midst of a violent crime wave. Just this past week, 40 people had been shot, 12 were killed.
As we follow this trend tonight, joining me now by phone is reporter Gaynor Hall from Chicago Station CLTV.
You know, usually there's a catalyst for this type of thing as we see it develop. Is it possible that in this case, it's just a lot of pent-up frustrations with people from the economy to the war to the weather?
GAYNOR HALL, CLTV REPORTER: Yes, Rick. You know, I think that we just don't know exactly what it is. Yes, people are upset about the economy. Gas prices are so high. People are losing their jobs left and right. It's tough times.
But in Chicago, what we see is typically, we go through this long winter where everyone's inside, and when it starts to get warmer people start to come outside and they're more likely to engage in this kind of criminal activity that we're staying.
SANCHEZ: Well, if you've seen it before, what makes this particular case different from other cases in the past? Is it a bigger number, more crime?
HALL: Yes, we are seeing more crime. Rick, just this week, 40 people were shot. I think 12 of those people died. This year, we've had 24 Chicago public school children who have been killed, murdered.
Either shot to death or beaten or stabbed. So we don't know. And I think that's what everyone is trying to get to. We don't know exactly why this is happening. But it seems that it is escalating each year. And that is what city officials are trying to do. They are trying to figure out a way to stop it.
SANCHEZ: Yes. They always call it the long, hot summer. What about the possibility that this thing could escalate, that it could become even worse?
HALL: I think that's a major concern. Especially as we head into the summer months. The kids are going to be getting out of school in June. And that's what a lot of the talk is about.
How to get the kids, particularly these teenagers, school-age kids, to try to keep them busy during the summer so that they're not going out and picking up guns, killing each other, what we've been seeing throughout the school year.
SANCHEZ: Idle time is the devil's workshop. By the way, as far as people are concerned, there in the community, are they supporting what the police are doing? Or are some of them perhaps saying that is overkill on the part of the police department? HALL: You know, any time you have police officers who are walking through the streets or like they will be soon in Chicago, with assault rifles, there's something to be said about the level of violence in the community.
But I think that people are welcoming police activity. Because they think that the more police officers are on the street, the less crime there will be. So we'll have to see how this works out.
SANCHEZ: We'll keep checking in. Gaynor Hall, thanks so much.
So what's it's like to live in Chicago's inner cities? The gut- wrenching despair that's felt as they struggle to take back the streets that they call home. Just in the last 17 months, 58 students thus far have been murdered. Here's CNN's David Mattingly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Blood in the streets of Chicago and police say they can't stop it alone.
STEVE PETERSON, CHICAGO POLICE: The bottom line is, we need the community's help.
MATTINGLY: April 23rd, five people were found shot to death in a single home. The latest in a series of spikes in deadly violence. Experts blame a morass of social ills for the continued bloodshed, unemployment, drugs, gangs, guns, even bad parenting.
But solutions have been elusive. Last year, neighborhoods of the city's south side rallied after the death of teenager Blair Holt, an innocent bystander killed in a gang shooting. Holt's father, a Chicago police officer, tearfully vowed to honor his son's memory.
RONALD HOLT, FATHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM: I'm going to be strong for him, no matter what. No matter what. Because that's what he wants. And that's what he's going to get.
MATTINGLY: Holt's parents became high-profile activists, attacking lax state gun laws, pushing business to create more urban jobs, and challenging adults to be better parents.
Their son was the 20th of 31 Chicago students to die violently last school year. They hoped to make this year safer. Instead, the violence seems to be getting worse. In a single spring weekend in the city, 36 people were shot and two were stabbed. Almost half of the victims were young people. Students from Chicago's public schools.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God, we're sick of burying our children!
MATTINGLY: 11 months after the death of his son, we find Ron Holt still fighting. How many of these demonstrations have you been to?
HOLT: Countless. Countless. Seriously, I don't even know the number now. MATTINGLY: Holt lobbied unsuccessfully to pass tighter restrictions on gun sales, the economy slope, more young men are out of work, and two dozen school-age kids have been killed so far. An even faster pace than last year. Holt's newest enemy is despair. And he looks to his departed son for strength.
Do you imagine what he might be saying to you?
HOLT: I think he would probably say, "Keep going, dad, keep going. Keep going."
MATTINGLY: Holt believes demonstrations like this will embolden neighborhoods to be more aggressive against gang violence. Meanwhile, police are stepping up patrols, sending S.W.A.T. teams to troubled areas, and strictly enforcing curfew laws. Everyone hoping to avoid a long and bloody summer.
David Mattingly, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Coming up in just a few minutes, we continue looking at Chicago. A former Chicago gang member shares with you the inside story from the streets.
Tonight, New York is also on edge because police were acquitted in the controversial shooting of an unarmed black teen who supporters say had done nothing wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fight back!
PROTESTERS: Fight back! We say fight back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We say fight back!
PROTESTERS: We say fight back!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Demonstrators held white cards with numbers to represent the rain of gunshots fired at Sean Bell and two friends outside a strip club during his bachelor party.
Yesterday, the officers were acquitted in the shooting. The club was under investigation by undercover police at the time. Prosecutors say a fight broke out and Bell jumped into his car and tried to get away.
Detectives say they thought Bell was trying to run one of them down. They shot and killed him and wounded his two friends. Today's 20- block march was organized by the Reverend Al Sharpton who's threatening to shut the city down with civil disobedience.
A massive fire has destroyed most of a Connecticut apartment complex. Firefighters in Norwich rushed door-to-door, helping people, trying to get out in the middle of the night. The buildings were fully engulfed by the time that help arrived.
Authorities are still searching the rubble and they say they can't confirm all the residents have been accounted for. In the first few hours after the blaze, dozens of people couldn't be found. No word on what started this fire.
Tonight, breaking news from overseas. There may be no more horrible way of dying than to be trapped in a burning building with no way of getting out. Somebody had closed and locked the doors at this factory in Morocco.
What that means is, when the fire broke out, the people inside were literally stuck. Try as they might and with people on the outside trying to break down the doors to get them out, it still didn't work. The death toll now stands at 55. With a dozen others seriously injured. We contacted one of the witnesses there in Casablanca, a journalist. Here's how he describes the scene to us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF AHMED BENCHEMSI, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, TELQUEL: The fire hit the mattress factory and the Moroccan news agency reported that the blaze took hold on the ground floor and quickly engulfed the entire four-story building because of the highly flammable chemical product stored there.
So there were 150 workers inside the factory, mostly women. It seems like they were locked inside. That the security exit doors were closed, we still don't know why.
Well, let's note that workers live with their families just across the factory. So as soon as the fire started, the neighbors came and tried to free their relatives, the factory workers. But the exit doors -- security exit doors were closed and there were fences on the windows which is of course very dangerous and forbidden precisely if a fire happens, which happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There are few more details that we've been hearing about this story. We've heard that firefighters arrived at the factory a full two hours after the blaze began. That's, of course, when they found the emergency exits were either locked or just blocked. Still no word on what started the actual fire.
It's always one of the best picture opportunities of the year. The correspondents' dinner in the White House. These are live pictures you're looking at. And yes, that is the president, during his best impersonation of a maestro. We will take you back to follow the jokes, follow the comments, and bring you more.
Also, our big story of the night. As we told you, police have brought out the heavy artillery to patrol Chicago tonight. A few years back, they might have been looking for our next guest. He's a former gang member with a warning for all of us.
Also, this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL COSBY: Young boys blowing apart other young boys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Bill Cosby has been criticized for his blunt approach and talk. And more often than not, by African-Americans. The irony of words many don't want to hear.
Also, who has the most votes? Hillary Clinton says she does. Hmmm, how can that be? We'll add it up for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: And welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Rick Sanchez. Back to our top story now. One of the nation's biggest city dealing with a crime wave that some believe is inevitable during the hard times that we're facing. Gang violence, murders, record shootings. It's causing police to deploy teams using military style assault rifles.
Last weekend alone in Chicago, nine people were killed in gang violence in 36 separate shootings. Tim White knows the story from the inside. See, he's a former gang member for 25 years. Who's now trying to mediate the violence, as difficult as that may seem.
You know, Tim, we hear a lot about despair and a lack of hope in the inner city in times like these specifically. How much of this do you attribute to, you know, the housing crisis, the price of gas, the bad economy, the frustration over the war in Iraq?
I mean, do you sense that all things like those create the brew that can cause this sense of malaise in the inner cities that leads to violence?
TIM WHITE, CEASE FIRE CHICAGO: Yes, I believe so. We know that economic pressure and the things that's going on in our community with lack of jobs, it makes people make bad decisions and make desperate decisions and leads to violence.
SANCHEZ: Do you think other cities should take heed? I mean, after all, Chicago's one of the top three cities in the United States. Is this the kind of thing that you could see happening in New York, in Los Angeles, in Baltimore, and other cities?
WHITE: Of course. I mean, you know and I know that we're in a recession almost. We're in a war. And people are making bad decisions. People are losing their houses in foreclosure. We're finding that people are losing their jobs, layoffs and they're being desperate. They're being led into desperate situations.
SANCHEZ: What was it like for you? I mean, you were a gang member for 25 years. That's really a long period of time. Most people would want to say, why'd you stay in so long and what was the thing that was brewing in your head that put you there?
WHITE: Man, that was -- it was a way of life. I was -- I learnt that way. I grew up with the gangs. I believed in them. And when I was younger, I -- I came up in the ranks. So I believed in them. I didn't know until I was taken out of the equation that, you know, that behavior was not normal.
SANCHEZ: What would you say if I said to you, look, forget the theory about the bad economy and the situation in the housing crisis, and the price of gas. Let's throw all of that out the window and just say this -- these people in gangs are bad people who need to be rounded up and sent to jail. People say that all the time.
How do you respond?
WHITE: I mean, that's not going to solve the problem. Because when they get out of jail they still have the same mental capacity when they went in. They got the gangs, the gangs are there for them, and they got a lot of anger on them.
I believe you've got to build a relationship with these young guys. I believe you've got to get into the core of them and learn about them, teach them that there's other methods to solving conflicts other than killing somebody.
SANCHEZ: Well, what would you say to the police? They are out in full force, they've got S.W.A.T. teams. And as you saw they're now using these assault rifles that we were showing our viewers a little while ago, almost like a combat action. Are you OK with that?
WHITE: I really don't understand. I don't know the reason why they're doing it so I don't -- I can't really comment on it other than, you know, we'll see as it goes, how it works.
SANCHEZ: Well, you know, there's the carrot and there's the stick. And you're saying that we should be perhaps putting more funds and putting more attention on what, the carrot and guys like you can help officials there in Chicago do this?
WHITE: I mean, there's several components of stopping violence. I mean, our approach is just dealing with the violence in itself. There's an economic approach here. We're getting guys jobs. But you know -- and the policing approach, where they're going to -- if you get caught, you're going to jail. I mean, but each approach work collectively, you know, together.
SANCHEZ: Well, I'll tell you, long, hot summer is the word that we're hearing expressed. Tim White, thank you for sharing some of your own experiences.
You know, it's a unique perspective, being able to talk to us from really the inside out in a situation like this. Thanks again, Tim. We'll continue to be in touch. Let us know how things develop there.
WHITE: Thank you. SANCHEZ: All right, coming up, a triathlete practicing in the ocean off of California is taken by a great white shark, reportedly 17 feet in length. And they're looking for him. The shark, that is.
Hillary Clinton says she is actually winning. Her delegates, are they hearing her message? Should they be hearing her message? We're on it as well. Stay with us, we're coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. You got a quick glance of Josh Levs who is going to be joining us in a little bit. By the way, our correspondents' dinner is going on tonight in Washington, D.C.
This is one of those situations in the past, there you see the president, has angered presidents because it's a very biting commentary, if not lackluster humor, that has been used.
President Clinton at one point left this with a less than a smile on his face. So has President Bush in the past. Tonight, more jokes. See how the president takes them. Cue the jokes, Roger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Please excuse me if I'm a little sleepy. 3:00 a.m. this morning the red phone rang. The damn wedding planner. Two weeks from tonight is Jenna's wedding. So I'm a little wistful this evening.
Plus, this is my last White House Correspondents Dinner as president. You know, I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. After he left office, vice president Gore won an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize. Hey, I don't know, I might win a prize, publishing clearinghouse or something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Speaking of that 3:00 a.m. phone call, Hillary Clinton is beating Barack Obama. If you don't believe that, just ask her. We'll do the math for you in just a minute.
But first, Pennsylvania, as ancient history. The battle ground is now North Carolina and Indiana. The Democratic White House hopefuls are all over the Hoosier State this weekend. Both primaries are now a week and a half away. From Indiana, tonight, CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Across the Hoosier State Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama played a game of campaign one on one. And as far as the polls are concerned the race for the Indiana primary is all tied up.
(voice-over): New state, same line of attack from Hillary Clinton. As she campaigned with her chief surrogate in Indiana, Senator Evan Bayh, Clinton once again sized up Barack Obama as all talk.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If it were so easy that all you did was show up in Washington and say, let's change! I think Evan and I would have figured that out a while ago.
ACOSTA: Even though Obama is under mounting pressure in some Democratic Party circles to bring out the heavy artillery and fire back, the Illinois senator made it clear he's keeping his powder dry.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I don't always hit back, then folks go, what's the matter with him? How come, you know -- maybe he's not mean enough, maybe he's not tough enough. You know, one of the things I learned in the school yard was the folks who were talking tough all the time, they're not always that tough.
ACOSTA: Obama is instead showing Hoosier State voters how the game is played on his side of the court. So it's in with the basketballs. And out with those Pennsylvania gutter balls.
And there won't be any more one on ones on the debate stage either. He rejected a call from Clinton for a Lincoln/Douglas style debate with no moderators.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't matter whether it's Lincoln, Douglas, standing, sitting and in what language it's in with, it does not matter. We want to use this time in this way. And after 21 debates, I think the American people have seen quite a few.
ACOSTA: As for Clinton the delegate math only gets harder if she loses the next two contests in Indiana and North Carolina. Would she fight on to other states like Kentucky?
CLINTON: Well, I don't make any predictions or speculate on things that haven't happened yet. I'm going to try and do my very best here in Indiana and then I'll get on with Kentucky.
ACOSTA (on camera): With the race dead even in Indiana and Obama doing well in North Carolina his campaign to use a basketball analogy, may be trying to run out the clock. The game plan, to try to pull ahead while at the same time avoid fouling out with voters. Jim Acosta, CNN, Anderson, Indiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: As far as superdelegates go, those would be the big shots in the party who can cast a vote for whom ever they want and may decide this election. They're tough to measure. But here's how they stand right now.
Just one week before the crucial Indiana and North Carolina primaries. We've got the numbers. North Carolina has 17 superdelegates. The scorecard reads like this. Only one has committed to Hillary Clinton. Six back Barack Obama. The remaining ten, not yet ready to commit.
As for Indiana, they have 12 superdelegates. Five back Hillary Clinton. Three back Barack Obama. Four are sitting on that proverbial fence.
Tonight, Hillary Clinton is saying despite what the delegate count may be and despite what conventional wisdom says, about not being able to catch up, she is not only going to win, but in fact, she's already winning.
The delegate race does not look good for her. That's the mathematical fact. The superdelegate contest is too early to call. Besides, it's more than anything determined by the final delegate count. So what then is Senator Clinton actually winning, you might ask. And how, you might ask. Ah -- there's a catch.
Here's CNN's Josh Levs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the wake of her Pennsylvania victory, Hillary Clinton has made an interesting statement about the popular vote.
CLINTON: I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anybody else.
LEVS: Technically that's true. Realclearpolitics counted up the popular vote, though four caucus states cannot be counted because they don't release their popular vote.
Among states that report the numbers Clinton has just over 15.1 million votes. Obama has just below 15 million. But this total includes Florida and Michigan. Neither is being counted by the Democratic Party. And Obama took his name off the ballot in Michigan. Without those two states, Obama has 14.4 million votes. While Clinton has 13.9 million. Clinton acknowledges how she's doing the math.
CLINTON: If you count, as I count, the 2.3 million people who voted in Michigan and Florida --
LEVS: Obama often insists he will win with the most votes.
OBAMA: We've won twice as many states. We've won the popular vote by a fairly substantial margin.
LEVS: After he lost Pennsylvania, a reporter asked him whether Florida and Michigan should count toward the popular vote. He didn't take a position.
OBAMA: If you want to count them, for some abstract measure, you're free to do so. But, you know, the way that the popular vote is translated is into delegates. That's how these primaries and these caucuses work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: But the delegate count has all sorts of complexities. No, it's not always a direct reflection of the number of votes. And in the end, Rick, of course the popular vote might really be the clearest sign how split Democrats are nationwide in this race.
SANCHEZ: But is that fair, to suddenly use the popular vote as a barometer, when we know when they went in, it was all about delegates? And Barack Obama could come back and say, if I knew it was for the popular vote, and then I wouldn't have put all that effort into Iowa and New Hampshire, I would have put all my people in California.
LEVS: Hey, you're on to something in that sense. But keep in mind he has said repeatedly throughout this race. He wants to be able to show the superdelegates that he has the most votes and the most delegates. And what she's saying is she gets the popular vote, she takes that away.
And in the end right now, this is a battle for superdelegates. No one can win without them. She wants those superdelegates. You know what, he doesn't have the popular vote, I do, that's her goal.
SANCHEZ: Yes, the popular vote becomes the newest argument that the Clintons are making. But there's another argument out there to actually say they won the popular vote as you said in your piece. You have to include Michigan and Florida.
Michigan, Barack Obama wasn't even on the ballot.
LEVS: You can't count Michigan. It doesn't make any sense to count Michigan, but --
SANCHEZ: Florida?
LEVS: Well, Florida doesn't -- none of them ran in Florida, right? And I'm not going to make a declaration like that. But the truth is the only thing that really would make clear sense to everyone will be to have new races, which isn't going to happen.
The reason of this does matter is that it's now a message to superdelegates and other Democrats nationwide. You don't know what might have happened in Florida and also in Michigan. If the popular vote is close enough that those two states could really have thrown it to her, it is a serious problem for him.
You know, some people who watch us and say this is academic. Fact is, if he gets the nomination, him going into the general election without a totally clear, absolute victory in the popular vote, could be a problem for him.
SANCHEZ: But it was about delegates and his people are going to say, we have more delegates than she does. How can you go into a closed-door meeting and take it away from him? You know, this thing could get ugly.
Let me ask you this. Hillary Clinton is upping the ante, and saying, rightfully so, you don't like the way the moderators have treated you in the last couple of debates? Let's have a debate without moderators. She sent him a letter today, and as you heard, Axelrod, speaking for Barack Obama, say no, we won't even do that. LEVS: Yes, well, look, when you're behind you want the debates. This is how it works. When you're behind you want the debates. The general assessment from the last debate that happened in Pennsylvania was that it was a good thing for her, that generally the tides turned a little bit against him.
Tougher questions on him, even though some of the questions there were controversial. When you're behind you want these debates and they're proposing a new kind --
SANCHEZ: Well, it's a good move by her politically, is it not?
LEVS: It is a good move.
SANCHEZ: Look, it shows her the tough one. She's not running away from anything.
LEVS: Yes, I mean and in general, look, if we're going to take a step back and say, the goal of politics should be a race should be is to be able to get to know the candidates, then why not have a trillion debates?
I mean in that sense it's not a problem. Obviously, they're all going to make political calculations about what's best for them. It makes sense for her. It makes sense for him. By the way, they went through this a few weeks ago, remember?
SANCHEZ: 21, a trillion, what's the difference?
LEVS: I know. It looks like a trillion, doesn't it?
SANCHEZ: Hey, that's great stuff. Thanks so much. I love it when you visit us like this.
A 7-year-old steals and then crashes his grandmother's car. Why? He says it feels good to be bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL COSBY, ENTERTAINER/PRODUCER: Our children are trying to tell us something. And we're not listening. That's our children in the house with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Yes. That youngster I just told you about who stole the car? Mr. Crosby would have a few choice words for his joyriding. You're going to hear more from the controversial actor-comedian when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We welcome you back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rick Sanchez. With crime rampant in places like Chicago, one famous voice stands out. Bill Cosby talks bluntly about inner city violence and teen pregnancy in the black community. He does this at his own expense oftentimes. Criticized afterward by many inside the African-American community. He's not a lone voice though. In Atlanta, Cosby has teamed up with a judge who's equally blunt and controversial. He drew fire recently for clearing white people out of his court so he could privately tell black defendants to get their act together.
Whether you agree or disagree with their message, it is in your face stuff. And often very powerful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Our children are trying to tell us something. And we're not listening. That's our children in the house with us. This man cleared the courtroom, which is what he should have done, because he's embarrassed.
JUDGE MARVIN ARRINGTON, FULTON COUNTY, GA: If telling young people not to shoot, kill, and be disgruntled and not try to live a productive life, if that is wrong, I don't want to be right. Somebody should have had me committed in the 10th grade and sent off to Millersville. And would have been justified.
But there was a student-teacher from Spellman College who said to me, boy, you better turn around and get your life together. It was the way that she said it that was impacting. I got busy.
COSBY: Why would a boy say he doesn't mind going into prison? Because his friends are there. Why would he say that? It's got to be about the house he's in. Have you looked into so and so's bedroom? If the child has a bedroom. What do you see on the wall? Have you looked under the mattress? Because this is your child.
Young boys blowing apart other young boys. Chicago. Milwaukee.
I never did believe so strongly that four generations of teenage parenting could be so devastating. We've got to ask why. What made you sad? What made you frustrated? What made you angry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Makes me kind of angry like, you know, when the kids dying early. Those kids died young like all our lives is going down. For our generation, some of the kids dying so young.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Peer pressure seems to be more overwhelming with the kids nowadays, especially with the young black males. They just always seem like they have to prove something in order to be somebody.
COSBY: If the bridge is out, 200 feet ahead, and I'm waving my arms and I'm saying, "the bridge is out!" and you're going to stop the car and say, "well, I think we need somebody else to tell me that the bridge is out because you don't know how to say it."
I'm blunt and I'm going to stay blunt. Why? Because people say it -- people say it in a nice way, and they think you're kidding. People think they can continue on. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Is it really enough burden (INAUDIBLE) that you must dare to dissociate yourself from those who would delay your journey. Bill Cosby fits it to a nutshell.
Coming up, the California shark they'll probably never find who killed a 66-year-old man.
You may have been stuck on an elevator. How long before you got out? What, an hour? Two hours? That would be difficult. How about 41 hours? We have the video.
And a trip to see the girlfriend. Not usually big news, even for Britain's Prince William, unless you arrived in a major piece of military hardware.
Also, have you ever been so mad you just had to throw something? The greatest hits and misses in the cream pie activism rally.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. Warning signs everywhere. But a killer shark is nowhere in sight. We've got pictures taken just moments after the gruesome shark attack in Southern California. It is the first of "Rick's Picks" tonight.
Coming in at number four, miles of San Diego beaches remain closed after a Great White shark apparently attacked a 66-year-old man who was training for a triathlon. Witnesses say the man was probably dead by the time fellow swimmers were able to pull him to shore.
The shark was so large it bit through both of his legs. Hours after the attack, some surfers ignored lifeguards' warning and decided that they would paddle out anyway. It's America, where you're free to be foolish. So, we checked and we found out today -- there they were again, out on the surf. Oh, well.
At number three, in "Rick's Picks", from the category of one of the most dangerous and deadly animals on earth, a list, by the way, that does not include sharks despite what you may be thinking from watching TV newscasts -- an elephant on a rampage.
No act here, real life and frightening as the animal tears down a Hindu temple in India, killing three people in the process. At least 500 people are killed every single year by elephants. How many people are killed by sharks, you ask? Fewer than 30.
At number two, elevator music for two minutes. It's pretty close to hell, right? How about 41 hours of elevator music? This is video from 1999. This is Nicholas White.
He ducked out for a smoke break and got stuck in an elevator. He ended up spending 41 hours stuck in this New York elevator. Poor guy. This time lapsed security video has just surfaced of him struggling to get out. It's a huge hit on YouTube, by the way. 300,000 people have watched this excruciating ordeal thus so far.
And also, this, at number one. An unlikely car thief. This sawed-off little 7-year-old decided to take his grandmother's SUV for a joyride with one of his friends. He managed to mow over mailboxes, cars, just about everything else that people put in his way. Florida police think grand theft charges are in order for what he's done. His granny has another punishment in mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to whip his behind. That's what I want to do right now. If I thought they wouldn't take me to jail I'd whip his behind right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Whip his behind. This story is full of great quotes. One of the police officers noted that this was unusual behavior for a 7-year-old.
Duh. If you're an ordinary guy with a pretty girlfriend and the keys to a fast car -- well, you don't pick her up on a bike. Same goes apparently for the future king of England. Except instead of a fast car, insert Chinook helicopter. ITN's Nick Thatcher has this princely story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK THATCHER, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): If you want a surefire way to impress the girlfriend, then landing your helicopter in her back garden might be hard to beat. William, who was recently awarded his RAF wings, touched down in a field in the grounds of Kate Middleton's family home earlier this month.
The Prince was flying a Chinook helicopter similar to this one. It was the same aircraft he used on a separate occasion to pick up Brother Harry en route to a stag party. Defense officials insists it's all part of his training, but the nature of the flights have raised a few eyebrows in military circles.
COL. BOB STEWART, DEFENSE ANALYST: I think behind the scenes they're furious. This is a shot in the foot you don't need, quite honestly. It's not a big deal. But they're upset because it's an unnecessary piece of adverse publicity at a time when we're so short of helicopters in Afghanistan.
THATCHER: The Prince has been on attachment with the RAF as part of preparations for his future role as the head of the Armed Forces.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defense said "Battlefield helicopter crews routinely practice landing in fields and confined spaces as a vital part of their training for operations." And it adds, "This was very much a routine training sortie that achieved essential training objectives." William is due to complete his flying training at the end of the month and his next attachment with the Royal Navy will see him swap the helicopters and planes for the ships.
Nick Thatcher, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Yes. Rainy but not bad. We are heading for New Orleans when we come back. Jazzing it up in a still struggling city and rain to boot. We're going to drop on the Jazz Festival there.
Also, would you like some pie with that brown? A taste of the best cream pie activism compliments of your weekend stuff -- it's that by the way one of the famous "New York Times" reporters who got hit. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: New Orleans or New Orleans, depends on how you want to say it. The food, the atmosphere, the jazz, that's all the same. No differentiation. The downpour tried to damp at the first weekend of the Annual Jazz & Heritage Festival, but the music played on.
Eleven stages of world's biggest names and music and we've heard they may have some food and drink available there, too. Some drinks.
This is the first year of the Jazz Fest is going to be back to the pre-Katrina schedule. Seven whole days, more than two weekends at last.
Too bad they got that rain, but those folks down there, they look pretty hardy. They've been hit with worse and I'm sure they'll be just fine, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Well, how about this kind of pie? Like in your face pie. Like pie used on a Pulitzer Prize winner. Like pie used on Ann Coulter, politicians, a Fox News reporter. We've got it. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: It's whipped cream plus a baked shell. It adds up to an in your face statement. Literally in your face. The weapon of choice for a lot of activists these days is not a picket sign, or even a protest rally. It's a pie. As in I like pie. Jacqui Jeras loves this story.
Well, Jeanne Moos puts it together. What's not to love? Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The good news for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman is that he took off his nice jacket. The bad news is he's about to get hit with a pie.
(on camera): You know, it wasn't really a pie. It was more like a pie shell filled with whipped cream colored green in honor of Earth Day.
(voice-over): Environmentalists calling themselves the Greenwash Guerrillas carried out the pie toss at Brown University and posted it on the Internet. A female student got caught. The man did not.
What Thomas Friedman got was a sympathetic round of applause. He also got a laugh -- for trying to make light of the incident. But you could tell he was really mad by the way he tossed that hanky. This pie's throwing hanky panky has been going on forever. Targets range from the then head of Procter & Gamble --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Procter & Gamble, poison to animals! Shame on you!
MOOS: To the then Secretary of Agriculture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn't a very balanced meal she threw.
MOOS: The truly classic pies in the face get thrown over and over on the Web, be they directed at Bill Gates, saw Anita Bryant attacked by gays back when she used to campaign against them.
ANITA BRYANT, PIE IN THE FACE: Well, at least it's a fruit pie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's pray for him right now, Anita. Let's pray.
BRYANT: Father, we want to thank you ...
MOOS: First her husband prayed, then he went out and splattered one of the pie throwers with their own pie. Protesters love to post their pie jobs on YouTube and hid the face of the person throwing the pie at a Fox reporter covering anti-Iraq war demonstrations.
Reporter Jennifer Jolly was anything but --
JENNIFER JOLLY, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Who's that coward? Who did that? Why don't you guys talk to me in my face!
MOOS: Usually it's the pie throwers who tend to be left-leaning, going after conservatives like Ann Coulter.
ANN COULTER: You take away the terrorism and labels (INAUDIBLE)
MOOS: Which is what made the attack on "New York Times" columnist Thomas Friedman different. He tends to be a hard-to-label hawkish liberal. Friedman did finish his speech, but he didn't do what Ralph Nader once did -- give his attackers a piece of his mind as well as a piece their pie.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: I say "Free Pie." Thank you very much. Thank you for being with us tonight. We certainly appreciate it. We'll see you again tomorrow right here at 10:00. I'm Rick Sanchez leaving you tonight with the best sights and sounds from New Orleans from Jazz Festival.
