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Deadliest School Year; Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Answer Reporters' Questions; Genocide in Our Backyards

Aired May 18, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: You just saw part one of Abbie Boudreau's report from CNN's special investigations unit. Here's part two.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT: There are so many people who are watching this who don't understand truly how it feels and no one can really know, but could you try to explain?

PAM BOSLEY, VICTIM'S MOTHER: It feels like somebody just took a knife and just stabbed you in the heart. And they don't stop. They just continue to stab you in your heart. But you are still living. You can't die.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Pam Bosley's son, Terrell, was shot in 2006 in this church parking lot just before band practice. The police still haven't found the killer. Terrell was not a gang member. He wanted to play the bass guitar in a gospel band. Instead, he was killed for no apparent reason and died a painful death.

P. BOSLEY: The bullet destroyed a lot of things. It destroyed a lot of things in his body. My baby was suffering. He could not breathe. He did not deserve this. It was horrible.

BOUDREAU: Pam and Tom Bosley feel people have become desensitized to all the killings because there are so many.

TOM BOSLEY, FATHER OF THE VICTIM: It can happen to anybody at any time.

BOUDREAU: Tom remembers how he told his other two sons their older brother had died.

T. BOSLEY: I told my sons, I said, your brother, he won't be coming home. I just looked at them and I told them he won't be coming home. And they looked at me and they just stared. And I told them, I said, we'll get through it. I said we'll get through this. And they just looked at me.

BOUDREAU: Though nearly half of the cases have not been solved, police believe most of the killings are gang-related. We went out with members of the Chicago Police Department's Gang Task Force. The unit expanded in January. CHIEF ERNEST BROWN, ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION: I think whenever there is an available of guns and there are certain systemic ills in this generation, generation X, or whatever you choose to call it, where their behavior is just inconsistent with civility. And when you have that circumstance, you're going to have people who act outside of the norm.

BOUDREAU (on camera): So how bad is it?

DETECTIVE REGINA SCOTT, ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION: I mean, this is an inner city. We have crime. as other inner cities do. We are not unique to this in this United States.

You know, we're not -- you have Detroit. You've got New York. You've got L.A. We have a gang issue, and we're dealing with that.

But we are out here every day actively trying to make a difference.

RONNIE MOSELY, STUDENT LEADER: We are fed up, you know. We want a future and not a funeral.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): We also gave Ronnie Mosely a camera for a couple of weeks.

MOSELY: It's a state of emergency.

BOUDREAU: He's a senior class president.

MOSELY: Greg was a freshman here at CMR.

BOUDREAU: Earlier this year his classmate freshman Gregory Robinson was gunned down and killed. Police say Robinson was doing nothing wrong.

MOSELY: The car was gunned down by an AK-47. It was a car full of people and when it looked back and they told him to get up, you know, he was crouched over his family members, one who was a 10-month- old baby and the other was four years old. And, you know, when he got up, he was just breathing like -- and, you know, they saw him take his last breath.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you care?!

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Do you care?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you care?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Do you care?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Part of the solution to gun violence in our city and our neighborhood starts with commonsense gun laws.

BOUDREAU: Mosely has fought for years for stricter gun laws. He's had limited success.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put the gun down!

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Put the gun down!

MOSELY: This is like genocide in our own backyard. And, you know, I see the U.S., we always are, you know, the champions. We go overseas and solve problems, but yet, you know, we still have problems here that, you know, we can't deal with.

BOUDREAU: Mosely isn't like a lot of other 17-year-olds. He knows he is not invincible.

MOSELY: Every day I get up thinking about the work that I do and, you know, this could be my last day here.

BOUDREAU: Ten-year-old Travon (ph) Bosley shares the same fears.

T. BOSLEY: I'm afraid that someone will shoot someone else in my family.

BOUDREAU (on camera): Do you feel like that could happen? I mean, is that the kind of thing you think about often?

T. BOSLEY: Yes.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): And it's the last thing he thinks about before going to sleep each night.

T. BOSLEY: Please don't let anybody get shot. Amen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOUDREAU: Though we were able to find out how many student deaths took place this year in L.A., Philadelphia and Atlanta, most other cities do not keep track like Chicago does. For example, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office told CNN there was 34 school age children killed this school year, but the office would not release the names. And without the names of the victims, school officials can't confirm how many of the children were actually enrolled in school, so there's no way to compare a city like New York with a city like Chicago.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're going to talk more about this in just a second. But first, I've got to take folks to the president of the United States and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Let's take a listen real quickly.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... deepening concern around the potential pursuit of a nuclear weapon by Iran. It's something that the prime minister has been very vocal in his concerns about, but his concern is shared by his countrymen and women across the political spectrum.

I indicated to him the view of our administration, that Iran is country of extraordinary history and extraordinary potential, that we want them to be a full-fledged member of the international community and be in a position to provide opportunities and prosperity for their people, but that the way to achieve those goals is not through the pursuit of a nuclear weapon. And I indicated to Prime Minister Netanyahu in private what I have said publicly, which is that Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would not only be a threat to Israel and a threat to the United States, but would be profoundly destabilizing in the international community as a whole and could set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that would be extraordinarily dangerous for all concerned, including for Iran.

We are engaged in a process to reach out to Iran and persuade them that it is not in their interest to pursue a nuclear weapon, and that they should change course. But I assured the prime minister that we are not foreclosing a range of steps, including much stronger international sanctions, in assuring that Iran understands that we are serious.

And obviously, the prime minister emphasized his seriousness around this issue as well. I will allow him to speak for himself on that subject.

We also had an extensive discussion about the possibilities of restarting serious negotiations on the issue of Israel and the Palestinians. I have said before and I will repeat again that it is, I believe, in the interest not only of the Palestinians, but also the Israelis and the United States and the international community, to achieve a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians are living side by side in peace and security.

We have seen progress stalled on this front, and I suggested to the prime minister that he has an historic opportunity to get a serious movement on this issue during his tenure. That means that all the parties involved have to take seriously obligations that they have previously agreed to.

Those obligations were outlined in the roadmap, they were discussed extensively in Annapolis, and I think that we can -- that there is no reason why we should not seize this opportunity and this moment for all the parties concerned to take seriously those obligations and to move forward in a way that assures Israel's security, that stops the terrorist attacks that have been such a source of pain and hardship, that we can stop rocket attacks on Israel, but that also allow Palestinians to govern themselves as an independent state that allows economic development to take place, that allows them to make serious progress in meeting the aspirations of their people. And I am confident that in the days, weeks and months to come, that we are going to be able to make progress on that issue.

So let me just summarize by saying that I think Prime Minister Netanyahu has the benefit of having served as prime minister previously, he has both youth and wisdom, and is, I think, in a position to achieve the security objectives of Israel, but also bring about historic peace. And I'm confident that he's going to seize this moment and the United States is going to do everything we can to be constructive effective partners in this process. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: President Obama, thank you. Thank you for your friendship to Israel and your friendship to me. You're a great leader, great leader of the United States, a great leader of the world, a great friend of Israel, and someone who is acutely cognizant of our security concerns.

And the people of Israel appreciate it. I speak on their behalf.

We met before, but this is the first time that we're meeting as president and as prime minister, and so I was particularly pleased in your reaffirmation of the special relationship between Israel and the United States. We share the same goal and we face the same threats.

The common goal is peace. Everybody in Israel, as in the United States, wants peace.

The common threat we face are terrorist regimes and organizations that seek to undermine the peace and endanger both our peoples. In this context, the worst danger we face is that Iran would develop nuclear military capabilities.

Iran openly calls for our destruction, which is unacceptable from any standard. It threatens the modern Arab regimes in the Middle East, it threatens U.S. interests worldwide. But if Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, it could give a nuclear umbrella to terrorists or, worse, it could actually give terrorists nuclear weapons, and that would put us all in great peril. So in that context, I very much appreciate, Mr. President, your firm commitment to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear or military capability, and also your statement that you're leaving all options on the table.

I share with you very much the desire to move the peace process forward, and I want to start peace negotiations with the Palestinians immediately. I would like to broaden the circle of peace to include others in the Arab world. If we could, Mr. President, this is a vision, but one that we shouldn't let go, maybe peace for the entire Arab world.

I want to make it clear we don't want to govern the Palestinians. We want to live in peace with them, we want them to govern themselves, absent a handful of powers that could endanger the state of Israel.

And for this, there has to be a clear goal. The goal has to be an end to conflict. There will have to be compromises by Israelis and Palestinians alike.

We're ready to do our share. We hope the Palestinians will do their share as well.

If we resume negotiations, as we plan to do, then I think that the Palestinians will have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, will have to also enable Israel to have the means to defend itself. And if those conditions are met, if security conditions are met, and there's a recognition of Israel's legitimacy, its permanent legitimacy, then I think we can envision an arrangement where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in dignity and security and in peace. And I look forward, Mr. President, to working with you, a true friend of Israel, to the achievement of our common goals, which are security, prosperity and, above all, peace.

OBAMA: Thank you. We are going to take a couple questions.

We're going to start with you, Steve (ph).

QUESTION: Mr. President (INAUDIBLE), your program of engagement, policy of engagement, how long is that going to last? Is there a deadline?

OBAMA: You know, I don't want to set an artificial deadline. I think it's important to recognize that Iran is in the midst of its own elections. As I think all of you, since you're all political reporters, are familiar with, election time is not always the best time to get business done. Their elections will be completed in June, and we are hopeful that at that point, there is going to be a serious process of engagement first through the P5 plus one process that's already in place, potentially through additional direct talks between the United States and Iran.

I want to reemphasize what I said earlier, that I believe it is not only in the interest of the international community that Iran not develop nuclear weapons, I firmly believe it is in Iran's interest not to develop nuclear weapons, because it would trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and be profoundly destabilizing in all sorts of ways. Iran can achieve its interests of security and international respect and prosperity for its people through other means, and I am prepared to make what I believe will be a persuasive argument, that there should be a different course to be taken.

The one thing we're also aware of is the fact that the history, at least, of negotiations with Iran is that there is a lot of talk, but not always action and follow (ph). And that's why it is important for us, I think, without having set an artificial deadline, to be mindful of the fact that we're not going to have talks forever. We're not going to create a situation in which talks become an excuse for inaction while Iran proceeds with developing a nuclear and deploying a nuclear weapon. That's something obviously Israel's concerned about, but it's also an issue of concern for the United States and for the international community as a whole.

My expectation would be that if we can begin discussions soon, shortly after the Iranian elections, we should have a fairly good sense by the end of the year as to whether they are moving in the right direction and whether the parties involved are making progress, and that there's a good faith effort to resolve differences. That doesn't mean that every issue would be resolved by that point, but it does mean that we'll probably be able to gauge and do a reassessment by the end of the year of this approach.

Do you want to call on one of your...

QUESTION: Mr. President, aren't you concerned that your outstretched hand is being interpreted by extremists, especially Ahmadinejad and (INAUDIBLE), much as weakness? And since my colleague already asked about the deadline, if engagement fails, what then, Mr. President?

OBAMA: Well, it's not clear to me why my outstretched hand would be interpreted as weakness.

QUESTION: The example of (INAUDIBLE).

OBAMA: Oh, I think -- yes, I'm not sure about that interpretation.

Look, we have been in office a little over 100 days now, close to four months. We have put forward a clear principle that where we can resolve issues through negotiations and diplomacy, we should. We didn't expect and I don't think anybody in the international community or anybody in the Middle East, for that matter, would expect that 30 years of antagonism and suspicion between Iran and the United States would be resolved in four months. So we think it's very important for us to give this a chance.

Now, understand that part of the reason that it's so important for us to take a diplomatic approach is that the approach that we've been taking, which is no diplomacy, obviously has not worked. Nobody disagrees with that.

Hamas and Hezbollah have gotten stronger. Iran has been pursuing its nuclear capabilities, undiminished. And so not talking, that clearly hasn't worked.

That's what's been tried. And so what we're going to do is try something different, which is actually engaging and reaching out to the Iranians.

The important thing is to make sure that there is a clear timetable at which point we say these talks don't seem to be making any serious progress. It hasn't been tried before, so we don't want to prejudge that. But as I said, by the end of the year, I think we should have some sense as to whether or not these discussions are starting to yield significant benefits, whether we're starting to see serious movement on the part of the Iranians.

If that hasn't taken place, then I think the international community will see that it's not the United States or Israel or other countries that are seeking to isolate or victimize Iran. Rather, it is Iran itself which is isolating itself by being unwilling to engage in serious discussions about how they can preserve their security without threatening other people's security, which ultimately is what we want to achieve.

We want to achieve a situation where all countries in the region can pursue economic development and commercial ties in trade, and do so without the threat that their populations are going to be subject to bombs and disruption. That's what I think the prime minister's interest is. That's what my interest is. And I hope that ends up being what the ruling officials in Iran are interested in as well. QUESTION: Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, can you each react to (INAUDIBLE) statement of a week ago, that we really are at a pivotal place in the conflict, and that if this moment isn't seized and if peace isn't achieved within about a year, year and a half, we could see a new major conflict, perhaps war? And do you agree with that assessment?

NETANYAHU: I think we have to seize the moment. And I think we're fortunate in having a leader like President Obama and a new government in Israel, and perhaps a new understanding in the Arab world that I haven't seen in my lifetime.

You're very kind to be calling me young, but I'm more than half a century old. And in my 59 years in the life of the Jewish state, there's never been a time when Arabs and Israelis see a common threat the way we see it today, and also see the need to join together in working towards peace while simultaneously defending ourselves against this common threat.

I think we have ways to capitalize on this sense of urgency, and we're prepared to move with the president and with others in the Arab world, if they're prepared to move as well. And I think the important thing that we discussed, among other things, is how to buttress the Israeli-Palestinian peace track, which we want to resume right away, with participation from others in the Arab world while we give confidence to each other that we're changing the reality, changing the reality on the ground, changing political realities top-down as well, while we work to broaden the circle of peace. So I think that the sense of urgency that King Abdullah expressed is shared by me and shared by many others, and I definitely know it's shared by President Obama.

OBAMA: Look, I think there's an extraordinary opportunity. And the prime minister said it well.

You have Arab states in the region, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, the Saudis, who I think are looking for an opportunity to break this longstanding impasse but aren't sure how to do it, and share concerns about Iran's potential development of a nuclear weapon. In order for us to potentially realign interests in the region in a constructive way, bolstering, to use the prime minister's word, the Palestinian-Israeli peace track, is critical.

It will not be easy. It never has been easy. In discussions, I don't think the prime minister would mind me saying to him or saying publicly what I had said privately, which is that there is a recognition that the Palestinians are going to have to do a better job providing the kinds of security assurances that Israelis would need to achieve a two-state solution, that the leadership of the Palestinians will have to gain additional legitimacy and credibility with their own people in delivering services, and that's something the United States and Israel can be helpful in seeing them accomplish.

The other Arab states have to be more supportive and be bolder in seeking potential normalization with Israel. And next week, I will have the Palestinian Authority president, Abbas, as well as President Mubarrak here, and I will deliver that message to them.

Now, Israel is going to have to take difficult steps as well. And I shared with the prime minister the fact that under the roadmap, under Annapolis, there is a clear understanding that we have to make progress on settlements, that settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward.

That's a difficult issue. I recognize that. But it's an important one and it has to be addressed. I think the humanitarian situation in Gaza has to be addressed.

Now, I was along the border in Sderot and saw the evidence of weapons that had been raining down on the heads of innocents in those Israeli cities, and that's unacceptable. And so we've got to work with the Egyptians to deal with the smuggling of weapons, and it has to be meaningful, because no prime minister of any country is going to tolerate missiles raining down on their citizens' heads.

On the other hand, the fact is, is that if the people of Gaza have no hope, if they can't even get clean water at this point, if the border closures are so tight that it is impossible for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts to take place, then that is not going to be a recipe for Israel's long-term security or a constructive peace track to move forward. So all these things are going to have to come together.

And it's going to be difficult. But the one thing that I've committed to the prime minister is we are going to be engaged. The United States is going to roll up our sleeves. We want to be a strong partner in this process.

I have great confidence in Prime Minister Netanyahu's political skills, but also his historical vision and his recognition that during the years that he is prime minister, this second go-around, he is probably going to be confronted with as many important decisions about the long-term strategic interests of Israel as any prime minister that we've seen in a very long time. And I have great confidence that he's going to rise to the occasion. And I actually think that you're going to see movement among Arab states that we have not seen before.

But the trick is to try to coordinate all this in a very delicate political environment. And that's why I'm so pleased to have George Mitchell, who is standing behind the scrum there, as our special envoy. Because I'm very confident that as somebody who was involved in equally delicate negotiations in northern Ireland, he's somebody who recognizes that if you apply patience and determination, and you keep your eye on the long-term goals, as the prime minister articulated, which is a wide-ranging peace, not a grudging peace, not a transitory peace, but a wide-ranging regional peace, that we can make great progress.

QUESTION: Mr. President, the Israeli prime minister and the Israeli administration have said on many occasions, on some occasions, that only the Iranian threat will be so (ph) they can achieve real progress on the Palestinian side. Do you agree with that kind of linkage? And to the Israeli prime minister, you were speaking about the political track. Are you willing to get into final status issues negotiations like borders, like Jerusalem in the near future based on the two-state solution? And do you still hold this opinion about the link between the Iranian threat and your ability to achieve any progress on the Palestinian side?

OBAMA: Well, let me say this.

There is no doubt that it is difficult for any Israeli government to -- to negotiate in a situation in which they feel under immediate threat. That -- that's not conducive to negotiations.

And as I've said before, I recognize Israel's legitimate concerns about the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons when they have a president who has in the past said that Israel should not exist. That would give any leader of any country pause.

Having said that, if there is a linkage between Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, I personally believe it actually runs the other way. To the extent that we can make peace with the Palestinians -- between the Palestinians and the Israelis, then I actually think it strengthens our hand in the international community in dealing with the potential Iranian threat.

Having said that, I think that dealing with Iran's potential nuclear capacity is something that we should be doing even if there already was peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And I think that pursuing Israeli-Palestinian peace is something that is in Israel's security interests and the United States national security interests, even if Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon.

They're both important. And we have to move aggressively on both fronts.

And I think that, based on my conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he agrees with me that they're both important.

That's not to say that he is not making a calculation -- as he should -- about what are some of the most immediate threats to Israel's security. And I understand that.

But, look, imagine how much less mischief Hezbollah or Hamas could do if, in fact, we had moved a Palestinian-Israeli track in a direction that gave the Palestinian people hope. And if Hezbollah and Hamas is weakened, imagine how that impacts Iran's ability to make mischief and vice versa.

I mean, so, obviously, these things are related but they are important separately. And I'm confident that the United States, working with Israel, can make progress on both fronts.

NETANYAHU: We've had extraordinary friendly, constructive talks here today. And I'm very grateful to you, Mr. President, for that.

We want to move peace forward and we want to ward off the great threats. There isn't a policy linkage -- and that's what I hear the president saying, and that's what I'm saying, too, and I've always said -- there's not a policy linkage between pursuing simultaneously peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world, and trying to deal with removing the threat of a nuclear Iran.

There are causal links. The president talked about one of them. It would help, obviously, unite a broad front against Iran if we had peace between Israel and the Palestinians. And, conversely, if Iran went nuclear, it would threaten the progress towards peace and destabilize the entire area and disrupt the existing peace agreement.

So it's very clear to us. I think we actually -- we don't see closely on this; we see exactly eye-to-eye on this. We want to move simultaneously and in parallel on two fronts: the front of peace and the front of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capability.

On the front of peace, the important thing for me is to -- is to resume negotiations as rapidly as possible and to -- and my view is less one of terminology but one of substance.

And I ask myself, how do -- what do we end up with? If we end up with another Gaza -- the president described to you those rockets falling out of Gaza -- that is something we don't want to happen because a terror base next door, cities that doesn't (INAUDIBLE) recognize Israel's existence, calls for our destruction and acts for our destruction is not interested (ph) in peace.

If, however, the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state, if they -- if they fight terror, they educate their children for peace and to a better future, then I think we can come to a substantive solution that allows the two peoples to live side by side in security and peace. And I add prosperity (INAUDIBLE).

So I think the terminology will take care of itself if we have the substantive understanding. And I think -- I think we can move forward on this.

I have great confidence in -- in your leadership, Mr. President, and your friendship to my country, and in your championing of peace and security. And the answer is both come together, peace and security are intertwined, they're inseparable. And I look forward, Mr. President, to working with you to achieve both.

OBAMA: Thank you, everybody.

PHILLIPS: The president of the United States meeting side by side there with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. You heard they discussed a wide variety of subject matter, including Iran, what to do about Iran. Also, the Palestinian-Israel conflict as well, among other issues to try and forge a stronger relationship between our country and, of course, Israel.

We will continue to follow, of course, the prime minister's trip. Meanwhile, we're going to take a quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Chicago's the deadliest place in the country for school age kids. It's the third biggest city in America, but leads the nation in murders of children and teens. That number, since the start of the school year, is 36. And we're going to keep that number in the forefront of our coverage as it continues. That's more than one dead student a week. And if that's news to you, if the nation isn't taking note and action, well, many in Chicago say that's a crime in itself.

Abbie Boudreau, as you know, did a two-part special on this. And at the top of the hour, she talked about almost half of these students' deaths are still unsolved.

Why is that?

BOUDREAU: Well, I mean, it depends on who you talk to. The police say that these are really difficult crimes to solve. A lot of them were just random shootings. But if you talk to the parents, they say that a lot of these -- in a lot of these cases, there were witnesses. And the witnesses just aren't coming forward because they're either afraid of retaliation or there's this certain code of silence in this community.

But they say that if people did come forward, a lot of these cases could be solved. They could help police solve these cases.

PHILLIPS: And we are seeing a number of people within the community - the students, special organizations - that have dedicated - former gang members that run organizations there trying to do something about this. You know, what are they doing right now as the number continues to increase?

BOUDREAU: Well, I think what they're trying to do is figure out what needs to happen within these families, because they say the problem really starts in the families. And I mean, that's the main focus is, you know, how do we get better role models for these children? How do we, you know, how do we get some father involvement?

I mean, I went to that memorial service that you saw in the piece, and there were a whole lot of moms and not a whole lot of dads. And the moms were screaming out for the men to step up. And I think that a lot of the community activists that we're talking to are really trying to build stronger families so that these children have places to go.

PHILLIPS: Well, I'm going to tell you about one young man that's stepping up, that's for sure.

Abbie Boudreau, thank you so much.

I'm talking about Ronnie Moseley. He's the young man that met in Abbie's report who's trying to stop what he calls, "genocide in our own backyard." He joins me live from Chicago.

You know, Ronnie, put me into the mindset of these kids. I mean, these kids are your age. What's going on?

MOSELY: Well, what sums it up is for a rally, I found out what the students are telling me their life, the acronym that they came up for it is Living In Fear Every day. And that's what you see going on on your way to school, on your way home, going to a store, you're basically walking in fear every day.

PHILLIPS: Now, do you feel like you walk in fear every day?

MOSELY: I mean, absolutely. Guns have no -- bullets have no names, you know. And a lot of times the shootings haven't even been - you know, the victims aren't the target. So, I don't know -- I could walk out now and go back to my community or anywhere in the city and I can take my last step. It's just that critical here in the city. But not only our city, just across this nation.

PHILLIPS: You know, this is your community, Ronnie. You lost your cousin, you lost one of your best friends. I mean, what kept you from running with one of these gangs? What kept you from being involved in the violence?

MOSELY: I think I was blessed to have a lot of opportunities and a lot of outlets to express myself and learn things. And that's one of the reasons why I'm out here now is I want those same opportunities and outlets to be available and not only available, but for people to have easy access to them, quite frankly, just like we have easy access to guns now.

PHILLIPS: So, give me an example, Ronnie, what went different for you versus some of the other kids, you know, in your same neighborhood that are involved in the violence or running in these gangs. What was it that you had that you were able to get involved with? Was it a role model, was it an activity? What was it that made it click in your mind that, hey, I'm just not going to will roll like they are?

MOSELY: Well, quite frankly, I think it all boils down to everybody wants to belong. Everybody has that feeling to be somewhere and actually be a part of something. I think I've always found outlets. When I got -- in my elementary school, I was always active, could have called me a teacher pet. I stayed at the school, I helped out in the school offices, graduated, went on to high school, played football, student council. Now I'm in Kappa League (ph), I'm the honorary student board members, youth groups in my church. It's those different types of programs and resources that I've always had throughout my life that have, frankly, just kept me out of harm's way.

PHILLIPS: So tell me now what you're doing. We saw a lot of you in Abbie's piece and how you're really being proactive here. Tell me what you're doing specifically, how are you encouraging classmates, how are you going to continue to move forward trying to put an end to what your classmates want to get involved with.

MOSELY: I think what needs to come about is, you know, we as the youth, we always get involved when it's basically too late. We come out to rallies, memorials, after our friends have died and you know, we have lost them. I think we have to take more proactive steps to that. Unfortunately, that's most of the time when you see the youth, is at a rally or at a memorial. We have to start working behind the scenes now.

I think what needs to happen is we need to unify first. We need every school, at least the schools that have lost people to gun violence and want to help out to start to unify. And you know, when you feel that you're ready, you have a core group, raise your flag and fly it upside down as a signal of distress and also a signal that you're ready to get involved in this fight.

On the other hand, by me being the student board member, I want to, one, incorporate civics back into the learning because I believe when they did separation between church and state, it took out something called morals and values and those are things that we are missing greatly today and civics is probably the best way to get it back in.

Then, also, we're starting a student development team at the board. So now you have the youth coming to the table providing you with solutions. We are the ones living the lives. We are the ones closest to it so we can give you the answers in a direct solution that we need. And we are going to go to each region and have a council set up where they're going to talk about in their communities and the problems there. And then we're going to have a representative from each region starting to meet at the Chicago Public Schools Board and you know, just take it from there. Bringing it to not only the board but whoever else it needs to be brought to, whether it's the mayor, the governor. Whoever can help us with our solutions and get it done, that's who we're going to go to.

PHILLIPS: Ronnie Mosley for president. I'm going to be waiting for you to graduate college and move into that role. I tell you what, it takes young men like you to make a difference. You're smart, you're brave and know exactly what you're doing. I admire you tremendously. Ronnie Mosely, thanks so much.

MOSELY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right, read more about what's happening in Chicago. SIU's Abbie Boudreau keeping a blog for us as she continues to investigate this issue. We're going to stay on top of it as well. Just go to CNN.com/siu.

If you're in the market for a new car, this just might be your lucky days. Dealerships closing down, they need to unload the stock, but how do you get the best deal on some wheels? You have been sending us questions on the blog and Twitter. The answers coming at you straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: As Chrysler and GM dealerships that have been told that they must close need to move cars, and if you need to buy one, then there might be some deals out there where everybody wins.

Peter Valdes-Depena from CNNMoney.com here with more.

All right, we're going to get right to the tweet questions if you don't mind, Peter. Is that OK?

Sure. That's fine.

PHILLIPS: Gadymayen says this, "Would the price of Chrysler/GM cars go down dramatically?"

PETER VALDES-DAPENA, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Well, depends on what you mean by dramatically. I mean, I've heard stories of people going into Chrysler dealerships looking to pay $7,000 for a $26,000 car. No, prices probably aren't going to go down that dramatically.

The fact is that, realistically, prices on domestic cars - Ford, Chrysler, GM - are about as low as they probably realistically can get.

Chrysler prices, since they have a very strict deadline and it's coming up fast, Chrysler dealers have until June 9th to close down. And Chrysler said they're not going to buy back their inventory so those dealers may be facing some more pressure to discount. Chrysler may also be facing some pressure to pile on some incentives on those cars, even, as we get to that deadline.

The situation at General Motors is significantly different. General Motors dealers have a much longer period of time, until fall of next year, to wind down their business. So they're not as - they're not under as much pressure to try to sell off their inventory as Chrysler dealers might be. So you might not see as big an impact there as you might see at Chrysler.

But remember, by the way, Chrysler's factories are shut down. So as we go along, you'll be dealing with a smaller and smaller selection of vehicles at those dealers. So you might not get the color and options you want.

PHILLIPS: But you're saying the best deal.

VALDES-DAPENA: Yes. You probably will get a very good deal as we get closer to that June 9th deadline at a Chrysler dealer.

PHILLIPS: Got it. All right, this tweet from Spiderbite. "My question would be about the trade-in values. Just how big of a hit are Chrysler/GM owners going to take when trading in?"

VALDES-DAPENA: Well, right now, this really doesn't have to do with the dealerships closing down. This is more about the troubles that Chrysler, which is in bankruptcy, is having and GM is having, which may go into bankruptcy yet. And that really depends on whether or not these companies survive. Whether or not the manufacturers survive.

And already, we are seeing some hit to the resale value of those cars. As the health of these companies improves and as their prospects improve, assuming they do, going forward, resale values for those cars should pick back up once these companies are out of bankruptcy or through the current crisis and settled in, if that hopefully happens.

PHILLIPS: All right. Got time for one more?

VALDES-DAPENA: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Sheila asks this question on our blog page, "How do we take advantage of these great deals when banks are still not loaning?"

VALDES-DAPENA: Yes. That's a good question. Chrysler in particular right now, Chrysler Financial is no longer going to be financing Chrysler cars. That's being turned over to GMAC. They are looking to places like credit unions and your local banks.

There are still places to get loans, and lending is easing up a little bit even from GMAC and the major lenders. So I think most folks out there should be able to find a car loan somewhere. It might not be at a super low rate, but you should be able to get a car loan out there right now if you spread a wide enough net, certainly.

PHILLIPS: Peter, always appreciate your time.

VALDES-DAPENA: Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: Well, talk about a big get. Michelle Obama headlining a college commencement. So just what does it take to land the first lady? You'll love this story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, talk about never giving up. I got to hand it to the inaugural graduating class at the University of California, Merced. These students are already unique, but their approach to get our first lady as their commencement speaker was pretty darned savvy. Not only did they swamped her office with letters, cards, even valentine's and creative short notes, they also produced a video. And it worked. I can see why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCERS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED VIDEO: We believe in our first lady, Michelle Obama. Dear Michelle, we believe in you.

And we would be honored if you could be our keynote speaker at the May 16th, 2009 commencement ceremony of the UC Merced inaugural class.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now obviously, that was only about 20 seconds of that pretty creative video, but first lady Michelle Obama said after all of that, there was no way she could not honor Merced's request. And as the students had to her, she spoke from the heart in Saturday's commencement address. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Remember that you are blessed. Remember that in exchange for those blessings, you must give something back. You must reach back...

(APPLAUSE)

... and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future.

As advocate and activist Marian Wright Edelman says, service is the price we pay for living, it is the true measure, the only true measure of our success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Mrs. Obama also pointing out that many of the new Merced grads were like her, among the first in their families to go to college.

Congratulations, graduates.

Well, did the Pentagon turn to the good book to brief President Bush on the war in Iraq? An expose in "GQ" magazine brings to light a series of so-called worldwide intelligence updates produced for Bush in the early days of the war. Each has a cover page made up of war photos and a bible verse, such as this one from April 3rd, 2003, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

"GQ" reports that those memos stirred up controversy inside the Pentagon, but the author insisted that the president and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld liked them.

We want to know what you think, e-mail us or tweet us. We'll have a lot more on this story, including your comments and questions, tomorrow.

That does it for us. Have a great rest of the day. Rick Sanchez takes it from here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It's official. He died of swine flu and he's an assistant school principal. And now, schools are closed.

Hecklers get shouted down after they interrupt the president's Notre Dame speech.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science but also in clear ethics as well as respect for the equality of women.

SANCHEZ: Lindsey Graham gets heckled by Ron Paul republicans. You'll see it.

Drew Peterson confronts a judge on first degree murder charges.

Did Donald Rumsfeld manipulate President Bush with, among other things, biblical quotes?

DONALD RUMSFELD, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Your statement, your assertion, is flat wrong.

SANCHEZ: Insiders speak out.

And Mr. Conciliatory, meet Mr. Hard Line.