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Planning Road Ahead in Afghanistan; Viability of Afghan Army; Abuse Victims Denied Health Coverage
Aired October 07, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for your top-of-the-hour reset.
I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is 11:00 a.m. in Chicago, where the U.S. attorney general and the education secretary are in town looking for ways to stop kids from killing kids. They plan a news conference shortly.
It is noon in Washington, where President Obama is calling in his war council for another round of debate on Afghanistan strategies.
Let get started.
The nation's top law enforcement official searching for solutions to the deadly teen violence in Chicago. Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan meeting with students, parents, school officials.
We expect a news conference this hour. And, of course, we will bring that to you live.
Just last week, an attack left a Chicago teenager in critical condition. And last month, a 16-year-old honors student, Derrion Albert, was beaten to death in an attack caught on cell phone video.
Anderson Cooper examines what's behind the epidemic of teen violence in Chicago. How can authorities win the battle to keep young people safe? Guests include Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
Watch a special "AC 360" live from Chicago tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
"The Chicago Tribune" takes an in-depth look at the violence and talks with young people about why they fight. I will talk with reporter Annie Sweeney later this hour.
And, of course, we want to hear from you. How do you get at the root of the violence, and what steps should Chicago take? Send us your comments to CNN.com/Tony.
Planning the road ahead in Afghanistan. President Obama preparing for another strategy session with his national security advisers today, the eighth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion.
Live now to CNN White House Correspondent Dan Lothian. And Dan, this will be the third time the president has met with his national security team to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy. So, what does he hope to accomplish this time around?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony, the third of five planned meetings. And what the White House says the president wants to do is get more ideas on what the best way is to go forward in Afghanistan.
Clearly, there is a division among -- within this administration. There are those who think sending in additional troops to Afghanistan is the answer, some 40,000 troops. We saw that in the leaked report, the McChrystal report.
There are others, like the vice president, who are favoring a smaller force. They're using tactical strikes by special ops and also Predator drones to go after these al Qaeda elements inside Afghanistan or elsewhere.
So, those are the kinds of things that will be tossed around today. The president really trying to get all of the facts laid out on the table before he decides whether or not he should send in more troops -- Tony.
HARRIS: Well, Dan, polling numbers suggest that a majority of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan and don't support sending in more troops. Is this something the White House is paying attention to?
LOTHIAN: Well, they certainly can't ignore it, Tony. In fact, Robert Gibbs was asked about this at the White House briefing yesterday, and he said, listen, the president is seeing all of the polling out there. He certainly feels the temperature across the country.
And, Tony, all he has to do is really look out the front windows of the White House. The last couple of days, we've seen antiwar protesters saying the U.S. should not be inside Afghanistan.
But, you know, having said that, the White House says the president will not bow to public pressure, that his decision will not be based on politics, but will be based on the best assessment to go after al Qaeda and go after that terrorist threat.
HARRIS: OK. Dan Lothian at the White House for us.
Dan, appreciate it. Thank you.
This is the deadliest year for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since the start of the war. Two hundred thirty-nine Americans have been killed so far this year. The overall death toll for American troops is 865. Another 570 allied troops have also been killed in the eight- year battle.
The Obama money team is working on new ways to prop up the hobbled economy. Sources tell CNN the administration is jittery about the unemployment rate, which is still rising. Any booster package may include tax credits for small businesses that hire new workers, an extension of the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, and loans to state governments to help them weather the downturn.
Just don't call it stimulus. There is concern at the White House Republicans will argue that a second stimulus means the first failed.
Trying to ease Americans' fears about the H1N1 flu vaccine, the government launched a media campaign today urging inoculation. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the vaccine is safe and effective. She says supplies are rolling off the production lines now and will be available to a large portion of the population by the end of this month.
She spoke to "AMERICAN MORNING'S" Kiran Chetry earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: I think that I know there's a worry that this is a new virus and a new vaccine. The good news is, it's being made exactly the way seasonal flu vaccine has been made year in and year out, Kiran. So, we have millions of cases of data on the safety and security of seasonal flu vaccine.
Children have gotten it forever. What they haven't gotten is the flu. So, H1N1 is targeted at kids. We know kids are the likely victims. And we know this vaccine is right on target with an immune response.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, the CDC has identified five target populations who should be inoculated: pregnant women, health care workers, children, and young adults with underlying health conditions, and older Americans with underlying health conditions.
Now more on our top story.
After eight years of war in Afghanistan, the administration has to make some serious decisions soon about what to do there next. One concern, the viability of the Afghan military.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen went along on a recent Afghan army training mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A few sandbags and some rocks. This is what a battlefield map looks like for these members of the Afghan National Army, the ANA.
Commander Ali Rasan explains the mission under the watchful eyes of his German military mentor, a first lieutenant we can only identify as Lars. Lars has been in real combat with these soldiers before, and he says they didn't perform well. LARS, GERMAN ARMY: Then we get in an ambush, and some of the reaction of the ANA was a bit confusing for us.
PLEITGEN: He says the soldiers didn't stick to their battlefield formation. And as they scrambled to get out of the line of fire, they left their wounded behind. Now German military trainers have brought them here to practice and enhance their performance.
(on camera): Our position here is called Antenna Hill. You can see that antenna over there. And they, the Afghan army, have to take that fortress back there on that hill. That's an old Russian fortress, and that's where they have to go.
(voice-over): Suddenly, a simulated ambush. Several wounded. Old problems come to light.
LARS: Sometimes they don't know how to react on the enemy fire, and using all the stuff they have. For example, smoke or movement and firing. They should use these elements.
PLEITGEN: The U.S. and its allies agree, Afghanistan can only be secured if these men perform. Increasing the capabilities of the Afghan security forces is a centerpiece of NATO strategy to beat the Taliban. But the German mentor says there are obvious challenges.
LARS: The ANA soldiers are very long in missions, and, you know, it's the same as the western soldiers. They are months in missions there. They're over, they're burned out. And so they (ph) want to leave and won't come back, and that's one of the biggest problems.
PLEITGEN: After a short mock battle, the soldiers have taken the fortress.
While commanders noted improvements among the Afghan troops, in the after-action briefing, still some criticism. The ground commander didn't send enough troops on the attack, and some wounded were left behind.
"The commanding general is trying to get his troops up to speed," he says. But the problems seem overwhelming.
"With the security situation," he says, "we simply don't have enough weapons. We need better weapons and more vehicles."
The Germans say the Afghans are brave fighters. And in the end, they show their pride. But it's clear, the security forces still have a long way to go.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Faizabad, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Four hundred fifty calls so far. Thank you.
We are taking a long, hard look at what you, our viewers, are saying about this war. Smart, thoughtful comments coming in on both sides of the argument, 450 calls so far.
Let's listen to some of them.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Tony, how are you? This is David in California.
Look, I think the United States and the allies should pull out of Afghanistan. It is a losing proposition, just like what's going to happen in Iraq as soon as we pull out of there. It's a matter of time.
It's business as usual. So, why not take the American soldiers, pull them back and put some money into the American people's pockets? Thank you.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Hi. I'm calling from Canada. I think it's time for the states to get out of Afghanistan and Iraq forever and devote that money to health care.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Yes, it is imperative that we continue. We cannot defer it.
If we fall back, it will show al Qaeda that we are weak, we do not know what we're doing, we're scared, and this will cause more aggression towards the United States. What people have got to realize is these people are trying to inflict their order on to everybody else.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Now to health care reform.
The Senate Finance Committee could get a price tag today for its reform bill. The committee has been waiting on a cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office before voting on the legislation. The Finance bill calls for insurance co-ops instead of a public option. It would have to be merged with the HELP Committee version that does include the public option.
Imagine if you were denied health insurance because you were a victim of domestic violence. Some key Democrats are working to make sure that never happens again.
Here's CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow Democrats vow to wipe out gender discrimination when it comes to health care. Among their provisions, one calling for changes dealing with women who've been abused.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Think of this -- you've survived domestic violence and now you are discriminated in the insurance market because. You have a pre-existing medical condition. Well, that will all be gone.
SNOW: A federal measure would fill in what some states currently don't have. Eight states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Women's Law Center, don't have laws specifically banning domestic violence from being considered a pre-existing condition.
We contacted insurance representatives from the states named who say they have other laws that would prevent abuse victims from being denied health insurance. And they say it's not an issue that's come up.
Still, several of those states now say they are working to add new laws to eliminate any gray areas. And that's something the insurance industry advocates, saying, "No one should be denied coverage because they are a victim of domestic abuse. Health plans strongly support the National Association of Insurance Commissioner's model legislation that prohibits discrimination against victims of abuse and we are urging all states to promptly adopt it."
TERRY FROMSON, WOMEN'S LAW PROJECT: We think that we need a very specific law that says you cannot take this into account with regard to any insurance action.
SNOW: Terry Fromson of the Women's Law Project says she started working on the issue in the 1990s and it was then she learned that women were denied coverage by insurance companies, who, at the time, claimed the women were living dangerous lifestyles.
FROMSON: They were comparing domestic violence to sky diving or riding a motorcycle -- a very dangerous comparison to make with domestic violence.
SNOW: The outrage, she says, has led to reforms, with a majority of states adopting specific laws. But she thinks a federal law is needed.
(on camera): What's unclear is how pervasive the problem is. Legal advocates say it's not something that's well documented, and they point out that abuse victims may be reluctant to come forward.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Stopping the bloodshed in Chicago. Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are meeting with students, parents, and school officials to discuss the problem of teen violence. We're expecting this news conference from Chicago City Hall to get under way any moment now. When it does, we will take you there live.
And this hour, we are trying to get to some of the root causes.
On the phone with me now is CNN education contributor Steve Perry.
Steve, good to talk to you.
Look, I was really struck by your comments last night to Anderson Cooper on his program, so much so that we ran a bit of your comments last hour. And I guess I want to basically stand in support of some of those comments.
And in this way, look, how do we make young people understand -- and bear with me a second here -- that they can't necessarily count on their schools to educate them, certainly not protect them, that it is not a given? That young people have to understand that they can't count on the government in any kind of general way to make their lives better? That they may not be able to count on their parents to provide the very best guidance? That they have to be self-aware enough of their lives, their environment and of their goals and ambitions to strive in spite of the obstacles?
How do we get these kids, caught up in a set of really bad circumstances, to take a broader view of their lives?
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it's -- you know, I call it playing hurt. The sentiments that you have are essentially these -- whatever it is, if people give you crap, you turn it into manure, which fertilizes. And so when someone doesn't have access to the best of circumstances, our children have to find a way to make the best of them. That is their responsibility.
We find children who come from all over the world who go to some of the worst schools that we have in our country, and they find a way to carve out an education for themselves. But that takes a very special child. And I think that we set a very high standard, sometimes insurmountable, for all children to be able to be in that place.
So, this is where we as adults have to step in. And what that means is it's unconscionable that in our country, that we should say that adults cannot be counted on to be adults, that teachers can be allowed to maintain their positions and get a three percent raise when there's no three percent performance increase, that principals are allowed to stay in their posts when they have schools that have 91 percent of their children performing below basic in areas such as math.
It's unconscionable. So, what we as grown people need to do, while our we pat our kids on the backside and say, OK, no matter what, you got to make the best out of the circumstances...
HARRIS: And Steve -- and Steve, let me interrupt, because we have to get to Mayor Daley.
PERRY: Yes, I hear it. Yes, I do. I want to hear this myself.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
MAYOR RICHARD DALEY, CHICAGO: ... to talk about -- with us about how the federal government and the city of Chicago can better work together to end the violence against our young people.
The needless and brutal violence that continues to take our children from us is an outrage. Even one child lost to violence is one too many in our city. I am very thankful that it is also the outrage of the administration leaders in Washington, D.C.
Every Chicagoan has a responsibility to help prevent and end the violence. So does every level of government -- local, state, and federal.
To help deepen our partnership with Washington, I met this morning with Attorney General Holder and Secretary Arne Duncan and community leaders and faith-based leaders. It was a very, very productive meeting.
Among the things we talked about, how best to focus our resources on the young people and the families who need help the most without sacrificing other priorities; the importance of offering more Saturday and after-school programs at local schools, where our young people can learn and take part in other positive activities; how to get more adults involved with their young people as mentors; and how to more effectively tell the success stories -- and I see the success stories involving many young peoples and families that can serve as role models for their peers in every community of our city.
Yesterday, as you know, I made some specific requests of the federal government, which included asking the Department of Justice to work better with us to align Department of Justice resources in Chicago with our efforts to break up the gangs and address the youth violence; to address the important issue of sharing critical information between schools, professional people in schools, and local law enforcement on youth violence, dealing with federal law and even state law that prevents that; and to provide more funding, not only for police, and dedicating it around our schools, but more funding for good after-school programs and Saturday programs.
Let us remember, much of the violence against Chicago's young people involve gang violence, unfortunately. We need the help of the federal government to help break up the gangs in our city, which does not end at a city limit, end the terror that may bring the communities not only in the city, but throughout the country. We also need the support to provide more after-school and other programs that help us intervene in a child's life before they get on the wrong track.
Their presence here today sends a very powerful message to the gangbangers and dope dealers, that we will not toll rate their violent way of life. And to the people of Chicago, that they support our efforts to provide positive alternatives to all of our children. We look forward to working more closely with the federal government to protect all of our children. This is not just one meeting, we're talking about just one neighborhood or just one school. These are issues brewing beneath the surface at other schools and other communities and other cities.
We need to address them immediately as a crisis. If we get it right together, all of us can truly make a difference.
Now I'd like to ask Attorney General of the United States of America Holder to please speak.
Thank you.
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Nearly two weeks ago, this nation has shocked -- shocked -- by a video showing scenes of such graphic violence, that they left an indelible mark in the mind of every American who has seen them. Now, for many Americans who live with a threat of violence every day, the video was a sad reminder of the harshness and the cruelty that remains all too prevalent in many parts of this country. For others, it was a stark wake-up call to a reality that can be easy to -- for too many to ignore as they go about their daily lives. For me, and for this administration, it was a call to action, to address a challenge that affects this entire nation.
Youth violence is not a Chicago problem any more than it a black problem, a white problem, or a Hispanic problem. It is something that affects communities big and small, and people of all races and all colors. It is an American problem.
The Department of Justice is releasing a new study today that measures the effects of youth violence in America, ,and the results are staggering. More than 60 percent of the children surveyed were exposed to violence in the past year, either directly or indirectly. Either half of children and adolescents who are assaulted at least once, and more than one in 10 were injured as a result.
Nearly one-quarter were the victim of a robbery, vandalism or theft. And one in 16 were victimized sexually.
Now, those numbers are astonishing and they are unacceptable. We simply cannot stand for an epidemic of violence that robs our youth of their childhood and perpetuates a cycle in which too many of today's victims become tomorrow's criminals.
Now, we're here today to continue a public safety conversation that the Obama administration began on day one. It has included a law enforcement summit that I hosted at the Department of Justice, a White House Gang Prevention Conference, and countless episodes of collaboration with local law enforcement. But it's not a conversation where we want to do all of the talking.
We want to listen to educators, to parents, to students, and to experts in the field and find out the best ideas for addressing this urgent problem. We're not interested in just scratching the surface or focussing on generalities, and as we delve in to this problem, we're not going to protect any sacred cows. We're here to learn first hand what's happening on our streets so that we can devise effective solutions.
Now, our responses to this issue in the past have been fragmented. The federal government does one thing, the states do another, and localities do a third.
We need a comprehensive, coordinated approach to address today's youth violence, one that encompasses the latest research and the freshest approaches. We have to ask hard questions, and we have to be prepared to face tough truths.
Our administration is committed to implementing such strategies, which is why we've asked for $24 million in next year's budget for community-based crime prevention programs such as Cease-fire and Project Safe Neighborhood. And it's why our Office of Justice Programs is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide support and assistance to communities affected by violence.
There are no easy, there are no quick fixes. This will not happen overnight. Our approach will need to involve not just law enforcement, but also faith-based organizations, the business community, and social service groups.
Every citizen has to be a part of the solution. We will need a combination of prevention, intervention, and targeted enforcement.
Now, we started by meeting today with community leaders here in Chicago and with students from Fenger High School. I'll be honest, these were not all easy conversations.
There's a lot of frustration and there's a lot of pain right now, and there should be. The status quo is not acceptable. But I want the people of Chicago and the people of this nation to know that we are not going to rest until we've done everything that we can to protect the American people, to protect American children, and to stem this tide of violence.
The Department of Justice has already committed resources to helping keep our children and our schools safe. Just last week, we announced $16 million through our COPS Secure Our Schools program and grants to law enforcement agencies and municipalities throughout the country, including almost $500,000 to the city of Chicago. These grants provide funds to improve security in schools and on school grounds by helping to pay for security measures like metal detectors, locks, surveillance systems and other equipment to help deter crime.
These are only first steps, and we will do more.
I talked to the president about this, and he is firmly committed to this issue, as are Secretary Duncan and myself. So, today is the continuation of what is going to be a sustained national effort on behalf of this entire administration to address youth violence and to make our streets safe for everyone.
Now I would like to turn it over to the secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.
ARNE DUNCAN, U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY: In recent weeks, America has seen a side of Chicago that we all wished didn't exist. The graphic video of Fenger High School student Derrion Albert being fatally beaten is terrifying, heartbreaking, and tragic. It shocks the conscience. This bright and happy young honor student had his whole life ahead of him, but now has been cut short due to senseless violence.
I came here at the direction of the president not to place blame on anyone, but to join with Chicago, with communities across America, in taking responsibility for this death and the deaths of so many other young people over the years. Shining stars like Blair Holt (ph), Takisha Reid (ph) and Danchel Davis (ph) and dozens of others over the years here in Chicago were victims of a society that has somehow lost its way, and this allowed too many of our children to devalue life.
Somehow, many of our young people have lost faith in the future. They've been denied the love, support, and guidance they need, and have grown up believing that their life is not worth anything, so no one else's life is worth anything either.
It's difficult to show love when you've never been loved. It's difficult to build a positive future when you don't think you'll live past the age of 18.
These are problems we cannot solve just with money or by pointing fingers at each other, or by looking the other way. We must engage directly with our children, starting at the youngest age.
And we must engage with them at every stage of their lives and teach them that violence doesn't solve anything, and that respect for others is the foundation for a safe and healthy society. It's an important lesson that every parent, every teacher and every adult needs to understand so they can pass it on to young people, whether it's their own children or someone else's.
Every adult shares in this responsibility. Every adult needs to connect, because all children need adults in their lives. It starts with parents, but always continues with others -- teachers, coaches, mentors and friends.
I came here today not merely out of sadness, but with hope and compassion for our children. I came here because I believe in Chicago's capacity to deal with this openly, honestly, and directly.
This is my home. This is the city I grew up in, where I played ball and tutored children at church in a South Side basement. My friends are here. My family is here. I learned everything I know in these communities and in these schools. And I learned about character. This is a city that never gives up when it's challenged. This is a city that always unites in the face of adversity. This is a city that has produced great leaders and thinkers -- a great mayor, America's first black president, men and women who are shaping the future and giving real meaning to the words like courage and strength and pride.
Chicago won't be defined by this incident, but, rather, by our response to it. So, I came here today to join with all of you and with communities across America, for a national conversation on values. It's a conversation that should happen in every city and every suburb and every town in America, where violence and intolerance and discrimination exists.
Chicago's not unique. Four students have been shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma already this year, Philadelphia, Seattle, Miami, New Orleans, and many rural communities have also lost schoolchildren to violence in recent weeks. And the cost goes far beyond their immediate victims and their families. When children are fearful, they can't learn. If they can't learn, then we are all at risk because our future depends on the quality of education we give our -- our children.
This morning, Attorney General Eric Holder and I started the conversation with Mayor Daley and with faith and community leaders. We talked with elected officials and school officials. We also met with Fenger students and parents and their principal. And the students was amazing me not in a (ph) request for one thing, they want mentors. They want more adults in their lives who care about them. There are extraordinary children in Fenger, and they want us to meet them more than halfway.
We plan to go to other cities and to meet and talk with people and find ways to protect our children. I am committed to this fight. I am committed to this cause. I promise to work as long as necessary to rid our country of this plague. I -- I also told CPS officials, the Department of Education is planning to give an emergency grant to help restore the learning environment at Fenger. They can choose the money -- to use the money as they best see fit, and Principal Liz Dozier is doing an extraordinary job there. Whether it's for counselors of extended day programs or help build mentoring programs -- this money is not just for Fenger but for schools that feed into Fenger as well.
But we all know this is not about money. Money alone will never solve this problem. It's much deeper than that. It's about values and it's about who we are as a society. And it's about taking responsibility for our young people, to teach them what they need to know to live side by side and deal with their differences without anger and without violence. They must learn to love themselves and to love each other.
Every one of us must take responsibility for this. To those who seek to lay blame on anyone else, I challenge you to ask first, what have you done? This is the time to look in the collective mirror and ask whether we liked what we see or whether we can do better and do better together. I challenge every parent, community leader and adult to step up and join in this conversation. No one -- no one should get a pass today. Ii challenge our students to sit down with each other, to talk, to listen and debate and come together to create the kind of action we need. And, again, the students today from Fenger were absolutely phenomenal.
The first responsibility of a healthy society is to find common ground and work together towards the common good. That's what made America, that's what made Chicago, and that's what it will take for communities across this country to bring an end to this violence that has taken the lives of so many smart and gifted and talented young people.
I am forever grateful to all that Chicago has offered me. I was deeply honored to serve this mayor. I'm deeply honored now to serve this president. Above all, I'm honored to serve the people of Chicago and America, and today I ask for your hand in partnership as we work together to raise our children safely, to enable them to grow up free of fear, and to educate them and allow them to fulfill their dreams.
As fathers and as parents, that's what we want for all of our children. Thank you.
RICHARD DALEY, MAYOR, CITY OF CHICAGO: Thank you. I also want to point out -- I want to thank a group of parents over many years called Purpose Over Pain where they lost a loved one and they'll never forget their young child. But, most importantly, they have stepped up to the plate, going to Springfield or Washington, DC on behalf of the effective gun legislation in order to protect the children, not only of our city, but throughout the country. Thank you.
Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Secretary Duncan...
DALEY: Yes, Charles (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You -- you could have given that speech a couple of years ago here in Chicago...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He did (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... or actually you did (ph). I heard you say those things many times. What's different now? What can the federal government do now to change the situation?
DUNCAN: Well, it's not just about the federal government, it's about what all of us do (ph) differently. What's different -- and I think it's probably actually heartbreaking -- that it takes capturing a death on video to awake the country. Not -- anyone (ph) here, but we were dealing with children being shot every single day. I never saw a crowd like this, ever.
And so, something about seeing something on video seems to wake up this country. And we could use this moment, whatever, or critique the past or whatever -- we should use this moment to go forward together. This is a fork in the road. This is a line in the stand and we have to get dramatically better, and it's all of us stepping up, nobody gets a pass.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) funding -- a lot of people are talking about federal funding increase, federal funding to help some of the programs that might keep kids in school longer, for 12 months a year...
DUNCAN: So, we need -- we need more money, but more money alone, as you know, Charles, is never going to solve this problem. So, we need after-school programs, we need Saturday programs. The first thing I asked the students today is, what do you want? All the hands went up -- one thing they all asked. We want mentors. We want mentors.
They're struggling to learn values. They want help. So, yes, we want to help do that, but this is not going to be solved by the federal government. It's not going to happen. This will be solved by parents, by community leaders, religious leaders, the mayor -- the breakfast with the mayor (ph) this morning, there's just unbelievable leadership in the city. This is a national conversation and I think Chicago's going to lead this not -- not just where we are today, but where we need to go. I'm really looking at Chicago to help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you going to engage the parents so that they find the mentor...
HARRIS: OK. Let's recap this, and -- and we've got a lot that we're going to say about this between now and the top of the hour when we're joined by Kyra Phillips here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan calling for a national conversation on values, Chicago Mayor Daley calling for more Saturday and after-school programs to stem the tide of teen violence in Chicago. The mayor asking for more federal dollars to help break up gang activity in Chicago. A number of the speakers making the point that money alone isn't the answer here. Attorney General Eric Holder in his comments said the teen violence story is not just a Chicago story but an American story.
You know, with 45 students killed in just a year on Chicago streets, actor and activist Hill Harper has had enough. He's written about Chicago's bloody streets and has some thoughts on solutions, picking up on themes expressed by Education Secretary Duncan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILL HARPER, ACTOR: We have to actually take an active role in -- in these young people's lives, and if we don't do that, if we don't start stepping up to do that -- mentoring works. If there's one thing that we've seen across the board is that mentoring and having an active presence in a young person's life has a transformative effect.
If we don't do that -- you know, you got to understand that two- thirds of these young people are being raised in single parent households. A lot of these young people don't have positive role models in their life, and it is up to -- it's up to those of us who have the capacity to do that, look outside of our nuclear family and go into the communities.
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HARRIS: Actor and author Hill Harper. On CNN tonight, Anderson Cooper is "Keeping Them Honest" in Chicago. What's behind the epidemic of teen murders in the city and how can authorities win the battle to keep young people safe? Watch a special "AC 360" live from Chicago tonight at 10:00 Eastern time.
The streets of Chicago have become dangerous and deadly for too many teens and young people. What, if anything, can be done to make things better? I'm going to speak to a Chicago reporter who's been covering this story for some time now
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HARRIS: And let's get you caught up on our top stories now. Today marks eight years since the US launched the war in Afghanistan. About three hours from now, President Obama will sit down with his national security team to discuss war strategy. He is considering a request for more troops.
Demonstrators in Turkey throwing firebombs and smashing windows at a second day of protests against the IMF's policies. The violence in Istanbul came as top officials of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank wrapped up their annual session. The money group's -- a public call to establish a new world order in the wake of the global economic crisis.
And Pakistan's military is criticizing a proposed $1.5 billion US humanitarian aid package for the country. Critics say it amounts to American meddling. One part of the bill says the US must have access to the extent of control the government has over the military, including the budget and chain of command.
We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
All morning we have been talking about how to stop the youth violence that is tearing apart schools and families in Chicago. One of the youngest victims of street violence in Chicago is 6-year-old Martrell Stevens. CNN's Gary Tuchman spoke to Stevens and his mother as they tried to remain positive and move forward with their lives.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This six- year-old was shot and almost killed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Martrell?
MARTRELL STEVEN, GUNSHOT VICTIM: Butterfly.
TUCHMAN: Martrell Stevens is partially paralyzed. His mother learned the hard way there is no minimum age for being a gunshot victim in this neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.
LAKEESHA RUCKER, MARTRELL STEVEN'S MOTHER: He was hit in the side and it exited out his back, missed his heart about one inch and missed his spine by one inch and punctured a -- a hole through his lungs.
TUCHMAN: Martell was shot in May 2008 while sleeping in the back seat of his mother's car. The gunman's target was someone near the car. He is still on the loose.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you think people know who it was?
RUCKER: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Are you sure about that?
RUCKER: Positive.
TUCHMAN: And no one's talking?
RUCKER: No one.
TUCHMAN: No one wants to snitch?
RUCKER: No.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Even more stunning, Martrell's mother says she regularly sees the man and is scared of him.
TUCHMAN (on camera): You ride past the man who you believe shot your little baby?
RUCKER: Every day.
TUCHMAN: That's incredible.
RUCKER: It hurts.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But what has kept this mom happy is her son's progress. Martrell describes himself as a fast wheelchair rider and he can get around himself with his walker. He's now in first grade at a public school that specializes in special needs children.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Tell me what happened.
STEVENS: It's a secret.
TUCHMAN: Oh, it's a secret. OK. How come it's a secret?
STEVENS: Because.
TUCHMAN: Can you whisper to me what happened? Whisper?
STEVENS: I was shot (ph).
TUCHMAN: You got shot? OK. Did you go to the hospital? STEVENS: Yes.
TUCHMAN: OK. But how do you feel today?
STEVENS: Good.
TUCHMAN: Good?
TUCHMAN (voice-over): A highlight for Martrell and his family, when he graduated from kindergarten and got what his mom hopes is the first of many diplomas. Tekita Gordan is Martrell's first grade teacher.
TEKITA GORDAN, MARTRELL STEVEN'S TEACHER: Everybody has their different niche, but he is definitely one that -- I don't want your help. I've got it. That's his favorite line. I've got it. I've got it.
TUCHMAN: Martrell's mom dreams he will have a bright future.
RUCKER: I know my son is going to be able to walk again. The doctors are -- they're not telling me anything. They are unable to tell what's going to happen in the long run.
TUCHMAN (on camera): But you're pretty confident about it.
RUCKER: Very confident.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But she worries every day about the safety of all three of her children. She's a janitor and has another dream, about the day she can afford to move her family into a safer neighborhood.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Chicago.
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HARRIS: The Chicago Tribune takes an in-depth look at the tragedy of teen violence and kids killing kids in the city. Tribune reporter Annie Sweeney joining us from Chicago. Annie, good to see you.
Before we talk to Annie, you certainly are aware of the most recent high-profile case of violence, the beating to death of Derrion Albert just a couple of weeks ago. He was attacked in the streets near Fenger High School in an area of Chicago known as The Ville.
Many people say one of the reasons for the fighting in that area stems from essentially a turf war between students who live around Fenger High and students who are bussed in from the Altgeld Gardens area a few miles away.
Let's give you a quick geography lesson here as it relates to this case. We are talking about an area, about 12 miles south of downtown Chicago. And just a few miles southeast of midway airport. The Ville and Atgeld Gardens are separated by about five miles of mostly houses and industrial parks.
Zooming in now on Altgeld Gardens, the public housing complex used to have its own public high school, Carver High, until the school district began transitioning it into a military school in 2004. That's when kids from Altgeld began attending Fenger High located in the area of Chicago known as The Ville.
OK. Let's talk about this. You I'm curious to know here, Annie, what did these young people say to you when you asked the question, why do you fight?
ANNIE SWEENEY, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Well, the kids from Altgeld talked about feeling harassed and bothered and chased, and ultimately at some point a lot of them say they just have to fight back. But when you talk to them generally about fighting, there is a sense that if a fight starts, if someone challenges you, it's -- it's very difficult to back down.
HARRIS: And, Annie, students from the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood began attending Fenger back in 2004 when Carver High School was turned into a military school. Has this violence, this anger, this turf war as it's been described, existed for five years?
SWEENEY: You know, people told us that the past couple of years, it's -- I think 2006, is the year that I kept hearing.
HARRIS: OK. And U.S. secretary of education, Arne Duncan was CEO of Chicago Public Schools beginning in 2001.
Was he in charge when the decision was made to combine Fenger and Carver students, or did he inherit a decision that had already been made?
SWEENEY: No, I think that did happen under his administration here.
HARRIS: And did the Chicago public school system not have -- some would say the forethought to realize that mixing these students from these two difficult neighborhoods might cause these problems? I'm -- I'm supposing it's a question that -- that's been raised and you've asked.
SWEENEY: I'm not so sure that anyone could have predicted that, you know, that when the kids came to Fenger that they wouldn't be welcomed. You know, and it's -- I don't know if it's so much of a turf war as the kids who live in The Ville feel like it's their neighborhood, and there's kids coming from outside and they're just not, you know -- they're just not mixing well.
HARRIS: And what are the young people saying to you, if anything, about what programs they would like to see in their schools, in their communities? We're hearing from the education secretary today that -- that more resources might be made available but that, of course, more resources don't get to the root of the problem. But do the young people that you spoke with believe that more resources and more activities are needed? SWEENEY: Yes, they did talk about more after-school programs. They even mentioned jobs, which I found interesting.
HARRIS: OK. Annie Sweeney from the "Chicago Tribune."
Annie, appreciate it. Thanks for your reporting as well.
Thank you.
SWEENEY: Thank you.
HARRIS: On CNN, tonight, Anderson Cooper is keeping them honest in Chicago. What's behind the epidemic of teen murders in the city? And how can authorities win the battle to keep young people safe?
Watch a special "AC360" live from Chicago tonight, 10:00 Eastern.
Our viewers are certainly weighing in on this issue as well.
What is needed in Chicago? And what many viewers feel officials aren't -- aren't -- are actually giving enough attention to.
Josh, you're following that for us.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am. We saw some of those pop up while you were talking just now. We are following your responses, live. What you feel needs to be discussed and addressed, coming right up.
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HARRIS: The violence in Chicago has got you talking and writing us. Many of you are saying it's a national problem and urgent action is needed.
We heard some of those comments just a moment ago in the news conference. Our Josh Levs is following your responses for us.
What are we getting here, Josh?
LEVS: Yes, Tony, it's interesting. It seems to me that the news conference was in a way responding to the exact kinds of things that our viewers have been talking about. The things that they said need to be address. We're following what they're writing on the blog.
Let's bring up some graphics. We pulled together some quotes from you today, starting with Ed. "We can run more after-school programs and pour in more money, but it will not work. Parents need to take interest and responsibility in raising their children, otherwise stop having kids!"
A lot of comments like that, Tony.
Next from Kate. "If the child is not in school for a legitimate reason, lock up the parent. They're out after hours, lock up the parent. Maybe then they'd start paying more attention, and maybe the kids will think twice."
And then John responds to Kate on this next one. "It might be more effective to hit the parents where it hurts, in the bank account. Fine them each time, and put the money towards programs that teach proper parenting skills, and stop irresponsible reproduction, et cetera."
I'll tell you something, Tony. What's interesting here is people debating on the Web sites whether or not more money going to after- school programs is the answer. Some people say it is. In fact, you got a tweet about that.
Take a look at this here. This is one of your tweets today. More money should be spent on after-school programs for Chicago youth to keep them from their murderous rampages.
So, there are those who are saying you need more money there, others saying it's just not the way to go.
We're hearing on Facebook as well from Dana. "No way to earn a living other than through the sale of illegal drugs."
She's talking about there need to be more opportunities for careers and for jobs.
And let's bump over back to the blog for a second. Jules writing this. "Too many young people spending their time watching violence all day long, extreme this, extreme that." He goes on to talk about movies, TV, video games. Other people mentioning that as well.
Let's get one more from, Mike. He says, "This is out of control. All the drug dealers need to be cleaned out along with the gangs. And he is one of many people, Tony. We hear this a lot about Chicago, calling for the national guard to be called in.
HARRIS: Yes.
LEVS: Saying that there should be checkpoints instituted inside the city. It is really interesting how many people saying they want to see national guard, militarized areas inside Chicago.
HARRIS: Well, I think it's also very interesting, you know, I got to tell you, I was talking to Steve Perry, our CNN contributor earlier, and part of the point I was making is that somehow or another, we, and I guess it's through mentoring, I guess it's through better parenting, everyone being more focused and better focused on the problems and solutions here.
But kids have got to get a sense that their lives aren't defined by their present-day circumstances, that there is a way to overcome the conditions that they find themselves in right now, and it's -- it's part of maybe that discussion, that national discussion, on values that Arne Duncan is referring to. Boy, let's hope that gets started.
LEVS: That's why when I heard that, it really seemed to respond to a lot of people are saying. I know we got to go. Let's show up on the screen, where they can join as the conversation continues after the show.
You hit the blog on CNN.com/Josh or CNN.com/Tony. It's the same thing. I'm up at Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN.
Tony, we're going to keep an eye on this, because people really, what I love that they are discussing, they're listening to each other, contributing ideas to each other. It's great to see that.
HARRIS: And Josh, appreciate it. Thank you.
LEVS: Thanks.
HARRIS: As we've been mentioning on CNN tonight, Anderson Cooper is keeping them honest in Chicago. What's behind the epidemic of teen murders in the city, and how can authorities win the battle to keep young people safe?
Watch a special "AC360" live from Chicago, tonight, at 10:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
And we are also hearing from you on the war in Afghanistan. We are taking a long, hard look at what you are saying to us about the war.
Here are some of your comments.
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CALLER: Hello. The way that I see this is that Islamic militants have waged war on the U.S. Our options is either fighting them where they live or fighting them here. I am very saddened by the loss of troops, and I pray for troops daily. But I would rather see trained soldiers fighting these militants than these militants attacking innocent civilians here.
CALLER: Hello. I really think that we should leave. This is just going to be another Vietnam. For what?
CALLER: Hello. I think that the United States needs to allow the president and his team to review this Afghanistan war. And we just need to go in and try to do what we can to prop up the people and help those people develop a plan where they can help themselves. And then we should be out of there in no less than 24 months.
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