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Panel: Prostate Test Not Needed; Jobs Nobody Wants; Man Arrested for Beating Video
Aired October 07, 2011 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Don Lemon, in today for Brooke Baldwin. We want to get you caught up on everything that is happening in the news right now, so let's do it, "Rapid Fire."
Let's go.
Governor Rick Perry talks to conservatives this hour. He speaks in about 25 minutes at the Values Voter Summit in D.C. You heard our Paul Steinhauser talking about it.
Perry made a big splash about eight weeks ago when he jumped into the Republican race for the White House, but he's taking a tumble in the polls in recent days, and we're going to bring you some of his remarks live when he takes to the mike in just moments.
The economy is picking up. More jobs. That's according to the September jobs report.
Hiring was stronger than expected, 103,000 new jobs created last month. But it didn't make a dent in the unemployment rate, which remains unchanged at 9.1 percent. So far the economy has regained 2.1 million of the more than eight million jobs lost since the recession began.
Occupy Wall Street. Protesters are taking to the streets for the 21st day, and the grassroots movement, well, it is spreading. Rallies are being held in D.C., New York, and other cities all around the country. Demonstrators are venting their anger over what they call corporate greed.
We're getting personal messages from CNN iReporters who are attending the protests. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here because people are talking about the issues that affect everybody, and I realize that my success does not depend on stepping upon somebody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: In other news, hazmat teams and federal investigators are looking at the wreckage of a train derailment in Illinois right now. Railcars overturned early this morning, exploding into a fireball. Now, they were carrying ethanol. Local residents were evacuated just as a precaution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KASEY KELLY, AMERICAN RED CROSS: No one is being forced out of their homes. The authorities are just suggesting that people leave for safety reasons just until the fire and the wreck has been contained and taken care of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So far, we should tell you, there are no reports of injuries.
The mother of a missing 10-month-old girl says she is cooperating with the police. Police have a different take though.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. STEVE YOUNG, KANSAS CITY POLICE: Tonight they decided to stop talking to detectives, and I don't have to illustrate how that affects the investigation. It speaks for itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And again, that is a missing 10-month-old girl. The baby, Lisa Irwin, disappeared from her Kansas City bedroom on Monday night. Her mother says police accused her of failing a polygraph and of having something to do with her daughter's disappearance.
In Britain, Rupert Murdoch's News International is urging employees to call a hotline if they believe their colleagues are acting illegally. London's "Telegraph" newspaper reports ethics policies have been re- circulated to all News International employees. It is the latest fallout from "The News of the World" tabloid scandal and allegations that reporters bribed police officers for tips.
Prince Harry here in the U.S., and he will be here for two months. The prince will be doing helicopter gunship training in California, also in Arizona. If he passes, he will be one step closer to being combat-ready, which could mean going back to the front lines in Afghanistan.
Now, some of that training space is famous in its own right. Much of the movie "Top Gun," you might remember, was filmed at the El Centro base in California.
A Florida lawmaker wants to repeal a 20-year-old ban on dwarf-tossing. You heard me right.
According to "The Palm Beach Post," Senate Representative Rich Workman has filed a bill to make dwarf-tossing legal again. What's the reason? He says unemployment. He says all the law does is prevent some dwarfs from getting jobs they could be happy to get.
Well, happening this hour, California is cracking down on the medical marijuana industry. Federal prosecutors are expected to outline a plan for targeting the sale, the distribution and cultivation of marijuana. More than a dozen medical marijuana dispensaries in the state have been ordered to be shut down. More could follow. Owners who buck the order could face criminal charges.
The Justice Department is asking a federal appeals court to block Alabama's tough new immigration law. The Obama administration contends the law invites discrimination and says only the federal government is in charge of immigration.
Now, in just a moment, we're going to show you an unintended consequence of Alabama's immigration law and how it could cost you money. We'll show that in just moments.
We've got a lot more to cover in the next two hours, including a shocking video. You have to see this. A man tapes himself shaving a young boy's head, his eyebrows, and then he beats him. The reason? To teach the kid a lesson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): The video sent to a radio station. The man sent to jail. Wait until you hear who this guy is and the point he wanted to make. Wendy Walsh is fired up. She joins me live.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A school (ph) of torture, a school (ph) of genocide.
LEMON: A police officer tells women, if you don't want to be raped, don't dress provocatively. The actual word they used sparking a worldwide story.
A new warning to men: Don't get prostate exams. Many say this advice is a death sentence. I'll speak live with the doctor who is behind this controversial study.
Plus, the polls show he's sinking fast, and moments from now Texas Governor Rick Perry takes the stage to convince voters his star is still shining.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Live free or die.
LEMON: We'll take his speech live.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, guys, I want you to listen up. Ladies, as well, because this next story has life-saving information about the most common cancer found in men other than skin cancer. I'm talking about prostate cancer.
So I want you to throw out everything you've been told about testing and treatment, because we're starting over here.
A government panel says the PSA blood test, the one that screens for prostate cancer, is no longer needed. So what is going on here? Dr. Michael LeFevre is a member of the task force making this recommendation.
Doctor, thank you for joining us.
You know, this affects a lot of guys. One out of six will eventually get prostate cancer. So why the radical change now?
DR. MICHAEL LEFEVRE, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: Well, thanks for having me, Don.
The task force has issued a draft recommendation statement against using the PSA for screening for prostate cancer, basically saying that the harms of screening outweigh the benefits. The common perception that PSA-based early detection of prostate cancer prolongs lives is not supported by the scientific evidence.
LEMON: OK. So, listen, I just had this conversation with my doctor. I fall into that age range. So talk to me as if you were my doctor.
How do I -- you said it doesn't -- does it outweigh the risk, the testing? Is it in the testing, or is it in the actual treatment where the risk come in?
LEFEVRE: The risks really come in, in the treatment. In the United States, about 90 percent of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer through screening are, in fact, treated, and treatment for prostate cancer is not benign at all.
About five out of a thousand men will die within 30 days of surgery for prostate cancer. About 10 to 70 out of a thousand men will experience a serious complication, but survive. And longer term, about 200 to 300 of those thousand men will experience either urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction -- that is impotence -- or both.
And so the risks are very real. Unfortunately, the benefits seem to be, from the best science that we have, somewhere between small and none.
The two best studies that have looked at this issue came up with slightly different results, but in spite of that, neither of them were what we would call conventionally statistically significant. The trial in Europe --
LEMON: Go on. Finish your thought.
LEFEVRE: Yes, the trial in Europe would suggest that about seven men out of 10,000 will benefit from prostate cancer screening. That is, avoid a death from prostate cancer. The trial in the United States actually showed an increase risk of prostate cancer death in the screened group of three per 10,000. And the truth is probably someplace in between, which means that if there's any benefit, it is very small.
LEMON: All right. So, Dr. LeFevre, what should men do who are worried about prostate cancer, especially men who fall into a high- risk category, African-Americans, minorities? What should they do?
LEFEVRE: Well, I think there's two answers to that question.
First of all, know that this particular recommendation applies to men without symptoms. And so, if men have symptoms that could be consistent with prostate cancer, they should talk about those symptoms with their doctor and get recommendations about what the next steps should be.
As far as asymptomatic men goes, while the task force discourages the use of screening tests for which the benefits do not outweigh the harms, we certainly recognize that this test is in widespread use today, and expect that some men will continue to request and some physicians continue to offer this test in practice. I think that an individual man who places a higher value on the possibility of benefit, however remote, than he places on the probability of harms, remains a logical candidate for screening. But if that's not the case, then I wouldn't be screened.
LEMON: So the best thing to do is to have the conversation with your doctor and know what you're talking about with the information that we've given you here.
Thank you, Dr. Michael LeFevre. We appreciate it.
A young boy is humiliated and beaten by a mentor. That mentor is now facing charges. And it was all caught on camera.
This is one of those stories that you're going to be talking about for days now, and we have the video and the story behind it. That is coming up. You don't want to miss it.
Plus, the immigration law in Georgia and Alabama heating up. And coming up in just about two minutes, we'll show you how it could cost you money even if you don't live in those states.
And we've heard from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney just hours ago, and now we're awaiting Rick Perry to come out and speak at the Values Voter Summit.
We're going to carry it for you live here on CNN. He is expected in about 25 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Tough new laws to cut down on illegal immigration are having unintended consequences in two southern states, and they could end up hitting you in your wallet. Latino farm workers are hightailing it out of Alabama and Georgia so fast, that they're leaving fruits and vegetables rotting in the fields, and farmers are having a hard time finding anyone to take up the slack.
I want you to watch this video. It is from my colleague Rafael Romo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SR. LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): It was supposed to be an informational meeting, but the conversation quickly heated up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your answer to our problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think there is an answer for the short term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, so, when we go broke, boy, you're sitting there --
ROMO: These farmers in Alabama say they are facing a crisis. Their fruits and vegetables are rotting in the fields because there aren't enough farm workers. They say that a law that cracks down on illegal immigration has scared away the Hispanic immigrants they once relied on.
FRANK MCGEE, ALEX CANTOS FRUIT COMPANY: After we did everything we could do to replace them, nobody wants the jobs. That is a misconception.
LANA BOATWRIGHT, HUSBAND IS 4TH GENERATION FARMER: Basically, this law is shutting us down, and that's the money that we live on.
ROMO: Listening to their concerns is Alabama state senator Scott Beason, the Republican who wrote the immigration law.
SCOTT BEASON (R), ALABAMA STATE SENATE: I don't think you can write it to say agriculture is exempted or anything like that. It either has to be you're going to decide what you're going to do with the illegal aliens that are in the state -- are you going to make it easy for them to stay here or not easy for them to stay here? And my position is to stay with the law that we have.
ROMO: Farmers in Georgia, where a similar immigration law was approved, reported they were 11,000 workers short over the summer. To bridge the gap, state officials had felony probationers work at the farms, but the 10-hour days in 90-degree heat drove most of them away. In Alabama, farmers are making desperate efforts to replace the Hispanic migrant workers who left, including offering to increase pay, but they've had little success.
For decades, Giuseppe Peturis and his family have relied on migrant labor at their farm.
GIUSEPPE PETURIS, ALABAMA FARMER: The Americans are not going to get out in the heat and work, they're not going to bend their back all day long, and they are not as hard as workers as Hispanics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Rafael Romo joins us now.
We're talking about $75 million so far this year for farmers. The thing is, how does this translate? Does this mean higher prices at the grocery store?
ROMO: Well, the problem is that they are going to have to find the money somewhere, and according to this study by the University of Georgia, they have lost $75 million so far this year. And the problem is that the workers are gone. They're not going to return anytime soon. And so they need to find somebody to pick those fruits and vegetables.
LEMON: All right. Rafael Romo, thank you very much. We appreciate your reporting.
And I want you to listen to the latest plan that Georgia reportedly is floating to help farmers use non-violent inmates near the end of their prison term to pick fruits and vegetables. What's in it for the inmates? Well, according to "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution," it's money and the chance to land a full-time job after they are released.
The farmers get workers now and tax credits, and if they hire the inmates after they get out of prison, it should work. That's what they say.
All right. When does discipline of children turn into a criminal act? Coming up in just two minutes, we'll tell you the story of a little boy whose beating was caught on camera, and now the man responsible is facing charges after he uploaded the video to YouTube.
We're going to show you some of that.
Plus, we're waiting for Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry to take to the microphones now. He's expected to come out at 25 minutes after the hour, just a few minutes.
We're going to carry it live for you right here on CNN. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: I have to warn you here that this next story is quite disturbing. It's about child abuse, the Internet, and the outrage sparked by a man who posted a video of himself allegedly beating a 7- year-old boy online.
Orlando police say 25-year-old Devery Broox severely beat and cursed at a boy he had been mentoring for about a year. Broox was arrested and charged with child abuse after detectives spoke with and examined the boy.
I want you to take a look at what happened on camera.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEVERY BROOX, CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE: You can't get hair back until you decide that you're going to behave yourself in school. All right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir. BROOX: And then after I cut your hair, we're going to go back into the room and I'm going to put this belt back to work. And then after I finish whooping your ass, we're going to go back outside and you're going to work out like you just came out of boot camp.
All right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. That was just a small part of it.
Broox admitted to police that he posted this video on YouTube. And he can be seen -- you can see him there shaving the boy's head and eyebrows as a punishment for him acting up in school. You can also see the belt hanging around his neck.
Now, Broox then goes off camera into another room, and that's when you can hear the horrifying sounds of the belt and the boy screaming. It's so disturbing, we decided not to show it to you. But we can show you this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOX: Fifteen of them. Go. Up, down. Down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That is Broox forcing the boy into a boot-camp-style exercise regimen after shaving him and allegedly whipping him with a belt. A doctor later found multiple loop marks and scars on the child's upper thighs consistent with a belt.
At the beginning of this video, Broox justifies his actions by pointing out the number of African-American men in prison versus those in college. We treed to reach out to Broox for a statement, but our calls were not returned.
Joining me now to discuss this is Doctor of Psychology Wendy Walsh.
Wendy, it's so disturbing to even watch, and you haven't really seen its. You have to watch it online. It's unbelievable.
Would you characterize this as child abuse, or is this just discipline?
WENDY WALSH, DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY: It's absolutely child abuse. Don, the guy used a belt. He was whipping, he was abusing. He left marks on the body.
That's a criminal event. That's assault.
And the fact that this man wasn't even a parent or a legal guardian makes it even worse, in my mind. I know -- I mean, if we try to figure out what his rationalization was for posting it online and trying to believe that this is good discipline, we have to remember that this man who assaulted this child probably was parented that way himself. He thinks this is normal.
LEMON: Yes. He thinks he's doing the right thing. And it's interesting, because he does rationalize it by saying, hey, listen, the number of African-American males who are in jail versus college -- and to many, that's a good argument, but when you look at the totality of this, and you look at his execution, it's obviously not good.
And listen, there is --
WALSH: I must challenge him on this though, Don. He said that in his mind, there seemed to be more African-Americans in jail than in college, but it's also well known that there is an African-American cultural practice of using more corporal punishment than in some other cultures. So this, I think, teaches kids how to hit and how to be bullies, and might send them to jail. So I don't know how hitting a child gets them to college.
LEMON: We talked about that. Do you think it's cultural or do you think it's -- I don't know, do you think it's class or a certain -- because kids in my day, and probably in your day, there was a lot more corporal punishment going on. But not these days.
WALSH: Definitely. There is a culture piece, there's a social class piece. But the question is, where is the line and when do you cross it?
Now, child abuse laws are different from state to state. Here in California, where I am, it is an open hand on the buttocks that leaves no mark. Anything else, emotional abuse, burning, sexual abuse, hitting them on the face, leaving a mark in any way, using a weapon, against the law. So it's where people don't know where the line is.
LEMON: All right, Doctor. Other than the obvious physical damage, what sort of psychological problems could a beating like this cause for a child? And I'm sure there are many.
WALSH: Huge, huge, huge. And for everybody out there listening who says, well, I was beaten as a kid and I turned out just fine --
LEMON: Spare the rod, spoil the child, all that.
WALSH: Exactly. There are a bunch of other kids who are severely mentally disabled.
Everyone comes into the Earth with a biological predisposition. Our environment then suppresses or enlivens those genes.
Some children even with the least amount of abuse or corporal punishment can become so psychologically damaged. Others, sometimes with terrible abuse, come out relatively functional as adults.
We don't know which kid is going to be which. But for sure, the research is clear that this kind of physical abuse teaches kids to hit and bully and makes them more aggressive in school.
LEMON: So, listen, then let's -- there are a lot of single parents out there these days, especially moms who are looking for mentors.
WALSH: I'm one.
LEMON: Yes. And for a male figure to guide their child, male or female. This is a self-described mentor.
Is this common, for a mentor to practice this sort of behavior?
WALSH: No. And I believe it's completely illegal.
And let me say this thing, Don -- and there are lots of great nannies out there, child care workers, coaches who are amazing guys, who are helping out so many kids and mentoring them along. So I don't mean to say anything disparaging about them, those great guys who are doing a good job.
But one interesting statistic from the National Marriage Project says that if a child lives in the home with a non-biological male, a mommy's boyfriend or mommy's new husband, he has an eight times chance of suffering physical, mental or emotional abuse. This non-biological male doesn't seem to have the same degree of empathy that a father would.
LEMON: I just have a second here -- go ahead. Go ahead.
WALSH: My advice is, fathers, whether you're married to the mother or not, get involved in your children's life. Get involved. I sound like Obama, I know, but it's very important.
LEMON: Well, get involved, that's not a bad message. I think everyone would agree with that.
Listen, I have to go to a live event. But real quickly, is there every a case for corporal punishment like this?
WALSH: Like this, with a belt? Never. Sorry.
LEMON: With a belt. Never.
Thank you, Dr. Wendy.
WALSH: Not with a weapon ever.
LEMON: Appreciate it.
WALSH: Thanks.
LEMON: We're going to go now to politics, and we're going to hear from Rick Perry in just a moment. He is speaking in Washington. It's supposed to happen in 25 minutes after the hour, which is -- they're introducing him now.
So, earlier today, I want to tell you before we go to him that his rival, Mitt Romney, laid out his version for America's role in the world. Romney argued for a robust U.S. presence around the globe, promising to bolster support for Israel, expand the Navy's war fleet, and strengthen relations with Britain and with Mexico.
He also had some tough words for President Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: An eloquently justified surrender of world leadership is still surrender. I will not surrender America's role in the world.
This is very simple. If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on Earth, I'm not your president. You have that president today.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was Mitt Romney speaking earlier.
At the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., they are introducing Rick Perry now. And we will bring that to you live.
Very strong criticism of President Obama. You heard that by Mitt Romney. But he's not the only Republican speaking out today.
Again, we're expecting Rick Perry to take the stage in just a few minutes now at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. His remarks are straight ahead.
Don't go anywhere. You're not going to miss any of this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, live now to Washington and GOP hopeful Rick Perry speaking now at the Value Voters Summit. It is sponsored by the Family Research Council. And he just got through thanking Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.
Let's listen in now to Rick Perry.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And it really strikes me as interesting.
There is no voter in America who is not a value voter. It's just a question of whose values that they share.
(LAUGHTER)
PERRY: You think about that. Some hold this world view that government must be central in our lives and serve as our caretaker.
They seek more than equal opportunity. They seek equal outcomes. And those in the White House today don't believe in American exceptionalism. They would rather emulate the failed policies of Europe. But we see what the policies have led to, 14 million Americans out of work, 45 million Americans on food stamps.
And according to Wednesday's "Wall Street Journal," Bob, nearly half of Americans now receive government benefits. In response to this economic misery, liberals are now pointing the finger of blame at successful employers under the guise of fairness.
But when they utter phrases like fair share, you just know they're once again playing fast and furious with the truth. And the truth is, you can't rev up the engine of an economic growth by keeping higher taxes on job creators. You can't spread success by punishing it. You can't unite our country by dividing it.
The answer to our troubles lies in a positive, optimistic vision with policies rooted in American exceptionalism. See, American exceptionalism is the product of unlimited freedom and there is nothing troubling our nation today that cannot be solved by the rebirth of freedom, nothing.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: I happen to believe in this great country of ours. I believe in the capacity of our people to create prosperity through private ingenuity. I believe in the values of the American people.
Americans know anything worth achieving in life requires hard work and not government's handout. And this present generation of Americans, they are not looking for government to lead the way. They're looking for America to get out of the way, so that they can make the most of the freedom for their families.
But you can't live free if you can't find a job. And you can't live free if you inherit a $46,000 bill in the federal debt. You can't live free when the government gets between you and your doctor.
I believe it's time to revive freedom for our families and our employers. If we're going to get entrepreneurs and small businesses off the mat and on their feet again, we need to freeze all of the pending federal regulations are that are out there for the next six months, freeze them all.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: We need to cut taxes for families and employers because the only kind of stimulus that will work is the kind that puts more money in your pocket, not government's. We need to repeal the job-killing bureaucratic nightmare that is known as Obamacare.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: You know, there are three pillars that serve as the foundation of our country,strong economy, strong families, and a strong military.
In my home state, we have created about 40 percent of all American jobs since June of 2009. Our success is based on four rather simple principles. One is don't spend all of the money. And number two is keep the taxes low. Three is provide a fair and predictable regulatory climate. And, four, stop the frivolous lawsuits. They kill jobs.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: We passed the most sweeping tort reform in the nation, and which I might add includes a new loser-pay law in the state of Texas.
You know, at the same time as the Fed chairman warns that the recovery is close to faltering, just yesterday the Texas Comptroller's Office said our tax revenues have rebounded to pre-recession levels.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: Our August home sales rose. Our employment expanded. Our exports increased. Manufacturing activity started climbing again.
And, yet, there was President Obama standing in front of the White House press corps doubling down on the same failed strategy that had worsened our economic crisis and doubled our deficits.
It just goes to show you that those blinded by tax and spend, big government ideology will never see the truth. Every day, every day, it is clear that the United States economy for it to grow and to succeed, we need new leadership.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: President Obama's commitment to the same old pro-tax, pro- government, pro-regulation policies, they failed our nation.
America needs a new leader with a proven record of job creation and sound economic policies. Texas is not immune to the effects of the national economic environment, but recent reports show that low, flat, and fair taxes, reasonable and predictable regulations, restrained government spending is a proven recipe for job creation.
The key to prosperity is liberty. Yet, the larger government grows, the smaller our circle of freedoms. The most basic unit of governance is family. And as a conservative, I believe with all my heart that the government closest to the people is the best for the people.
There should not be a single policy coming out of Washington, D.C., that interferes with decisions best made by the families.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: And I'm proud to be the son of two tenant farmers. Where I grew up, we didn't have much in the way of material goods, but we were sure rich.
We were rich in spirit. We were abundant in faith and we were devoted to family. Happiness wasn't a product of what we had, but what we believed. And we believed we were blessed to live in the freest nation on this Earth, that we were fortunate to grow up where there was a strong sense of community, that there was nothing that we couldn't achieve in the land of the free and home of the brave.
In fact, my little country school where I grew up and graduated had a motto. It said no dream too tall for a school so small.
(LAUGHTER)
PERRY: There are millions of Americans that are born into less-than- ideal circumstances. Maybe they were born into poverty, born without a parent.
But as a society, we must stand for the principle that every life, every life is worth living, regardless of the circumstance.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: In America, it's not where you come from that matters, but where you're going.
As Americans, we must affirm the value of life, not just in our Declaration of Independence, but in the ways that we live. For some candidates, pro-life is an election year slogan to follow the prevailing political winds. To me, it's about the absolute principle that every human being is entitled to life. All human life, all human life is made in the image of our creator.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: And every innocent life must be protected, from the most frail who are elderly to the most vulnerable who are unborn.
That's why as governor I have consistently worked for pro-life legislation, policies such as parental consent for minors seeking an abortion, a ban on third trimester abortions, an informed consent law. And I'm proud to fight for and was proud to sign a budget that defunded Planned Parenthood in Texas.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: And our obligation is not only to protect life and bestow freedom on future generations, but it's also to instill character.
Young Americans must never be taught about rights without also learning about responsibilities. We must not...
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: We must not proclaim the responsibilities of a free society and ignore the responsibilities of free individuals. We must never mistake liberty for license. One's a right. The other leads to bondage.
For more than a generation, our culture has emphasized a message of self-indulgence, at the expense of social obligation. We have reaped the consequences in the form of teen pregnancies, divorce and broken families, the cycle of incarceration that joins young men with their fathers behind bars.
The fabric of our society is not government or individual freedom. It's the family. And the demise of the family is the demise of any great society.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: This great country of ours has never been steered off course when we have advocated policies that expand freedom and promote strong families.
But neither can it be preserved without an unwavering commitment to our national security. As Americans, we are blessed to have the greatest fighting force for freedom in this entire world, our men and women of the United States military.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: There are some out there, some misguided souls that just say you can't find heroes anymore. My, my, are they ever wrong.
We have heroes today. They are fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan, the sands of Iraq. There are those on covert missions in places we don't even know about to find and destroy the enemies of this country.
They put their lives on the line every day, so that we don't have to. Over the years, I have been so honored to have met a great many of those American heroes as I have traveled to their outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I have signed letters to their loved ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
I consider myself so fortunate to have been able to wear the uniform of our country. And that experience informs my perspective about our defense policies. Specifically, I believe we must never put the military on the chopping block for arbitrary budget cuts as part of some political horse-trade. Never.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: The question we must ask is not what we can afford to spend on our military, but what it costs to remain secure and free.
See, a real key component of keeping America secure is keeping Israel secure.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: We can never forget -- we can never forget that it was Israel that took out the nuclear capabilities of Iraq in 1981 and of Syria in 2007.
Israel is our ally. They are our friend. And when I'm president of the United States, America will again stand with our friends.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: We're not going to compromise when it comes to our national security. And that is true when it comes to defense spending and it's also true when it comes to border security. And let me say this about border security. I have lived and breathed this issue for over a decade as a border governor. I have signed budgets that contain a total of $400 million of state security operations along that border. I have dealt with the carnage caused by those who traffic in drugs and weapons and people.
As a border governor, I know firsthand the failures of our federal border policies. And I know the answers to those failures is not to grant amnesty to those who broke the laws to come into this country.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: I was proud to sign legislation requiring a photo I.D. to vote in order to protect the integrity of our elections.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: And for the obvious security reasons, I vetoed legislation to give driver's license to illegal aliens.
There is no homeland security without border security. Let me repeat that. There is no security without border security. And make no mistake about it. What we are seeing south of our border is nothing short of a war being waged by these narco-terrorists.
They represent a clear and a present danger to our country. They are spreading violence to American cities. They are peddling poisons to our children. In the face of this threat, we shouldn't take any options off the table, including security operations in cooperation with the Mexican government, as we did with Colombia some years ago.
You can't have liberty, you can't have opportunity, you can't have prosperity without security. The issue before our leaders of both parties is securing a better future for all Americans.
You see, economic security is the topic of discussion at millions of dinner tables all across this country of ours. In the past two months, I have had the great privilege to travel across this country and I have listened to thousands of Americans. And they are not under any illusions about the current state of our country.
They have never mistaken hope for a handout, because they want to earn their keep. They aren't looking for soaring speeches. They are looking for commonsense solutions. And they know our first order of business to getting America working again is sending our current president to the private sector.
(APPLAUSE)
PERRY: And, like all of you in here, I still believe in the exceptionalism of America.
And to paraphrase both Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, America remains the last, best hope of mankind. We must never forget that the exceptionalism of America can be traced right in our founding principles, the fact that the framers of our Constitution were the first in history to declare that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.
The hand of providence has guided America throughout our history, from those first colonists who arrived in the real world, to the courage of George Washington during those darkest hours of Valley Forge, to the defeat of tyranny during two World Wars and the Cold War.
Time and time again, America has been the source of light in a world that's been beset by darkness. And like a lighthouse perched on the shore, we have provided the safe harbor to millions who have been adrift in a sea of economic misery. We can still be the country we aspire to, a source of light and hope to all who live here and those who come here.
Anchored by our ideals, we can rebuild on the solid foundation of truth, instead of the shifting sands of moral relativism. We can restore hope at home, while projecting our values abroad. We can be the freest, most prosperous people to ever occupy the planet, if we remain one nation under God.
God bless you. And thank you all for coming and allowing me to participate today. God bless you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
LEMON: Texas Governor Rick Perry and GOP presidential hopefuls speaking at the Value Voters Summit in Washington, D.C., hitting on a couple of themes here, really saying that he's going to protect the defense budget. Mitt Romney said the same thing earlier today, also saying that he'd like to go back to a time when he felt America was greater and better, his childhood.
He was born in 1947, back in the '50s and '60s, he said, to two tenant farmers, talking about the military, the loss of jobs, hitting on abortion, and also on immigration.
Let's talk more about that, especially the immigration part, because he has been hit hard about what he has said in debates and a law that he passed back in 2007 saying that immigrants, some illegal immigrants should shall able to get -- granted in-state college tuition.
CNN's political correspondent Jim Acosta is at the Values Voter Summit, where Rick Perry was making his pitch to conservative activists.
And, Jim, I think it's fair to say this is pure and simple red meat politics. What do you think of what he said? Did he make his case today when it comes to immigration?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, that is a sore point with a lot of conservatives, Don, about Rick Perry. They have not liked the way the Texas governor has answered the question on that issue of in-state tuition for the children of undocumented workers down in Texas.
And he's gotten beat up on it quite a bit. He did make it pretty clear in no uncertain terms in this speech today at the Value Voters Summit that he says that there should be no amnesty for undocumented workers.
But he went further. And we have heard Rick Perry talk about this in recent weeks, talking about the drug war that is going on down in Mexico and he used a phrase today that I'm not sure we have heard before from Rick Perry. He referred to the drug war down in Mexico as a clear and present danger to the United States and he also said that no option should be taken off the table when it comes to dealing with Mexico and that the United States, under a Perry administration, might enter into some kind of military cooperation with Mexican forces the way that the United States did with Colombia to fight the drug cartels down in South America.
So I thought that was very interesting.
LEMON: And, Jim, just more specifically, he said, first of all, he said that being a governor in a border state, he has lived and breathed this issue for decades now.
And this is what I think was very strong language. He said some illegal immigrants he said they spread violence to American cities and they spread, they peddle poison to our children.
That's strong language.
ACOSTA: It really is, Don. And he took a little dig at the president, speaking of border security and the violence that is going on down in Mexico when he was talking about taxes and the rich paying their fair share.
He called Democrats -- he said Democrats are playing fast and furious with the facts when it comes to taxes. That fast and furious dig was not an accident. That was a dig at the president on that whole gunrunning scandal that has been going on for the last several months. It's being investigated internally inside the Obama administration. So Rick Perry is definitely trying to address that weakness that he has politically by going after the president on this issue.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I have got to run. If you can do it within five seconds, is this enough for him to gain his momentum back?
ACOSTA: Sure.
I think so. I think this is one of those speeches that he needed to give. He also went after Mitt Romney on abortion. It was a subtle dig, did not mention Romney by name, but he said that being pro-life is not something you should just do during an election year. It's something that you should have in your portfolio your entire life.
It was a little subtle dig there at Mitt Romney. I think Rick Perry is raising his game. He's going to be back in this. Don't count him out yet. A lot of people have done that down in Texas and have paid the price.
LEMON: All right, Jim Acosta, thank you very much live at the Value Voters Summit -- 4:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, we're going to carry Herman Cain's speech. He's going to speak live at the same event. So make sure you tune in for that.
How many times have you changed jobs, changed cars, changed friends in the last 10 years? Well, life is different for you since then, I'm sure. Well, not for a group of soldiers we're going to meet today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I do every year is I call the family, either the spouse or the parents of the individual that has been associated with me that was lost in combat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We're going to introduce you to a group of soldiers today whose lives have been on repeat, another mission, another sortie, another friend lost in battle. We want you to think about them today, the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.
