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"Cult" Remark Stirs Controversy; Occupy Wall Street: Day 22; Pilot Lands in Pacific; Pianist Roger Williams Dies; Kansas Baby Missing

Aired October 08, 2011 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Thank you so much for joining us. Here's what's happening at this hour.

We're going to start with two topics that always spark controversy, especially when they are paired together -- politics and religion. At the center: Mitt Romney. He's got a good chance for winning the Republican nomination for president. He's also a Mormon. And that bothers some people, even some in his own party.

An influential Dallas pastor has revived the debate over Romney's faith by using remarks at this week's Values Voter Summit to label Mormonism a, quote, "cult."

Here's how he explained his views to CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. ROBERT JEFFRESS, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF DALLAS: The Southern Baptist Convention, which is the largest Protestant denomination in the world, has officially labeled Mormonism as a cult. I think Mitt Romney is a good, moral man, but I think those of us who are born again followers of Christ should always prefer a competent Christian to a competent non-Christian like Mitt Romney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Reverend Jeffress leaves a huge Baptist Church and we should note that he also supports Romney's rival, Rick Perry, for president.

Veteran conservative and CNN contributor Bill Bennett today joined the debate, linking the minister's comments about Romney and Mormonism to bigotry and questioning the pastor's political wisdom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BENNETT, NATIONAL TALK RADIO HOST: And I would say to Pastor Jeffress, you stepped on and obscured the words of Perry and Santorum and Cain and Bachmann and everyone else who has spoken here. You did Rick Perry no good, sir, in what you had to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Well, after Bennett, it was Romney's turn. He didn't address the pastor's remarks directly. Instead, he called for a truce in this debate. But he did address the speaker who would follow him and who had criticized his faith in the past.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Poisonous language does not advance our cause. It's never softened a single heart or changed a single mind. The blessings of faith carry the responsible of civil and respectful debate. The task before us is to focus on the conservative beliefs and the values that unite us. Let no agenda narrow our vision or drive us apart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Earlier today, I had a chance to discuss this whole debate with the man who knows all about this country's long history of debates over politics and religion and freedom as well.

As a key player in the civil rights movement, the Reverend Joseph Lowery has lived those debates like few of us ever will. He's now celebrating his 90th birthday. And I asked him about that pastor's remarks that Mormonism is a cult.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REV. JOSEPH LOWERY, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Well, I'm not going to vote for Mitt Romney but it has nothing to do with his religion. I think he's free to pursue religion at whatever level he chooses. I think -- I believe in equal rights, which includes the right to worship as you choose, to believe what you want to.

I think a person who deny Mitt Romney and anybody else the right to worship as they want to, they reflect on their own religion.

LEMON: So was --

LOWERY: My religion teaches me that I have to respect everybody's rights.

LEMON: Isn't that one of the principles upon which our country was founded, freedom of religion?

LOWERY: Yes.

LEMON: So, then, why is this an issue?

LOWERY: Because you have people who come out of bags of ignorance. You have those who have other reasons for taking their positions. I don't -- I don't for one minute condone the condemnation of any party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, before religion became the talk of the summit, today's Republican presidential straw poll was expected to be the big headline. Texas Congressman Ron Paul came out on top, defeating some of the candidates more often identified with socially conservative views. Paul got 37 percent of the vote. Herman Cain finished second with 23 percent, and Rick Santorum was third with 16 percent. By the way, Rick Perry came in fourth and Mitt Romney was fifth, both in single digits.

The "Occupy Wall Street" movement is now entering its fourth week. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today blasted the demonstrators, saying they are, quote, "trying to destroy the jobs of working people in the city."

CNN's Susan Candiotti is in Washington Square for us tonight.

And, Susan, what about the police? Do you see a lot of them and what are they doing?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there were a lot of police earlier this afternoon when hundreds of protesters were filling this particular square, Washington Square Park. It's about two miles north of that park near Wall Street. But now, a lot of the protesters have fanned out, have left this park.

There is still a bit of police presence, but certainly there being here has caused some difficult feelings between protesters and the police because of incidents that happened over the past couple of weeks here.

For example, you had an incident at Brooklyn Bridge last Saturday night where there was a tussle between the crowd. A protester said that -- accused the police of trapping them into the roadway and not letting them leave and forcing them to be arrested and let them go with tickets. The police said that they simply, the protesters weren't following orders not to get into the roadway. That kind of thing.

There was another situation during that Wall Street march earlier this week. But the chief of police here, the Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, told us in an inclusive interview that he thinks that his officers are trying to do the best they can to try to protect public speech, free speech, as well as public safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE DEPT.: Many times people who have a certain point of view will only give you a snippet or a small portion of the video. You don't know what precipitated it. You don't know the culmination of the event. So, I think it's important -- that's what these investigations do. They look at the totality of the circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: So, in fact, there is a citizens review panel that is now investigating complains and some protesters have lobbied against the police department, alleging that there was abuse involved here and the use of pepper spray, that kind of thing. So, again, that board is looking into it.

Protesters say that certainly more has to be done about this and here's what one of them told us.

And so they are saying, as a matter of fact -- we don't have that sound ready for you -- but the protesters are saying that the police have not been completely fair in how they have been trying to coral them, they feel, or the use of pepper spray or sometimes the use of a baton. Some of that video you have seen. But, again, there is an investigation going on to look into that.

LEMON: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: And protesters also have lawyers working for them, talking about the possibility of a class action suit. So, we'll see whether that actually happens. But for now, many more protesters are here today at a second location, Don, which they didn't have in the past.

LEMON: Yes, basically saying that the police have been heavy-handed. Thank you very much, Susan Candiotti, in New York City.

And it's not just New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Similar demonstrations have been held in places like Washington and New Orleans, to name just a few.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: We are the 99 percent! We are the 99 percent!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Many of the videos and images that we're receiving like this one is in Chicago are coming to CNN from our iReporters. Other "Occupy" rallies have taken place in Philadelphia, college towns like Austin, Texas, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

While the gatherings have attracted a wide range of causes and groups but all seem united in the general belief that the country's economic problems were caused by a financial system that favors the wealthy.

And coming up in just a little bit here on CNN, we're going to speak with one of the "Occupy Wall Street" organizers to learn more about what message they are trying to get out, at 20 past the hour.

A sad day for the National Football League and especially Oakland Raiders fans. Al Davis, the Raiders owner who helped shape the game as we know it, has died at the age of 82.

HLN'S Joe Carter looks back at his amazing six decade-long career. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE CARTER, HLN (voice-over): Dressed in black with his hair slicked back, Al Davis was a Raiders picture for almost five decades. He arrived in Oakland in 1963 when, at the age of 33, he was named head coach and general manager. Though he was successful for three seasons on the field, it would be the front office where his legacy was forged.

After a brief stint as the NFL commissioner in 1966, Davis became the CEO and general partner of the Raiders. His teams were renowned for playing hard and rough. His only request: just win, baby. And the Raiders did, taking home 13 division championships and four league titles, including three Super Bowls. He was inducted in the pro football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Almost as strong as his will to win was the desire to beat the NFL itself. As the AFL commissioner, Davis thought his league would be better than the NFL. Although the merger went through, the fight didn't end there. He sued the NFL twice in the ensuing years and was the only owner to side with the USFL in their anti-trust suit against the NFL.

You can argue that one of Davis' biggest contributions to the game beyond his team's success occurred through his diverse hiring practices. He hired the first African-American head coach, the first modern day African-American head coach, and a first female CEO in league history.

In the 1990s, the Raiders were an average team, but returned to the Super Bowl in 2003. Oakland lost that game by 27 points, which was the beginning of a freefall. Davis hired and fired several coaches and the team suffered through seven straight losing and often embarrassing seasons.

Davis, once thought to be a savvy football mind and ahead of his time began to be viewed as a man out of touch. None of that criticism affected him, though, as he retained his iron grip on the team until the end. His legacy leaving an indelible mark on the team, the league, and the sport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: A small private funeral for Apple founder Steve Jobs was held on Friday. That's according to "The Wall Street Journal" and other media. Details were not released about exactly when or where. Jobs family says no public ceremony is planned but a Web site will allow fans and others to express their thoughts and their condolences.

Up next here on CNN, the U.S. puts a $10 million bounty on the head of al Qaeda's leader in Iraq.

And later, police in Kansas City, Missouri, are frantically searching for a missing 10-month-old baby girl. We'll have a live report updating the investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The U.S. State Department hopes $10 million is a big enough bounty to help capture the man believed to be the senior leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. Awwad Ibrahim also known as Abu Dua was added to the government's global terror list earlier in the week. He's accused of a long list of offerings, including a series of recent attacks in Iraq that killed more than 70 people and in attack that killed 24 people just three days after U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden.

And in Libya, the fighting has intensified in Moammar Gadhafi's home town of Sirte. Rebels say the town could be in their control in days.

That cannot be soon enough for Libya's new leaders on the National Transitional Council. Now, they plan to declare liberation once the birthplace of Gadhafi is under control.

If the last decade has taught us anything in Afghanistan, it's how difficult it can be to spur a cultural change in the region that is so set in its ways.

Well, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh visits a tribal area where the old ways are returning and blurring the line between justice and retribution. And we want to warn you, you're about to see some disturbing images. Viewer discretion is advised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're witness to a public execution. The crime: murder. The judge: a local warlord. The executioner, the victim's father.

But this mobile phone footage isn't from the Taliban era. It's from September of this year.

After a decade of American troops here, a brutal tribal form of justice is back. On his knees, Naruz (ph) condemned for killing his lover's husband. The father approaches his son's alleged killer. "Hold the gun right," he's told.

(GUN FIRE)

"Stop shooting," they say. The warlord ordered the father to only shot twice, we're told, but the father just didn't stop. "He's still alive," they say.

But not for long.

(on camera): That video was shot in Gur, a remote area in the west of the country, out of the reach of the Afghan government and NATO. The warlord, Mullah Mustapha (ph), and his men ruled by the gun, keeping the Taliban out, we're told. In exchange, the government let them run their own victim.

It's not the kind of compromise the United States imagined a decade ago, bringing a kind of swift and brutal justice as one eyewitness to the killing told us. JALALUDIN, EYEWITNESS TO EXECUTION (through translator): Mullah Mustapha gathered mullahs to carry a verdict according to Islamic Sharia law. The mullahs asked the father to forgive Naruz to forgive him and take some of his family's land and women in compensation. But the father refused. So, the mullahs ordered an execution.

Mullah Mustapha doesn't take bribes, everyone say. Naruz tried to buy his release but the mullah refused.

WALSH (voice-over): The executed man's cousins say they were beaten during the questioning, but understand the mullahs form of justice.

ABDUL GAFOR, EXECUTED MAN'S COUSIN (through translator): After the murder, Naruz was the suspect but said that he had been helped by me and my cousin. For that reason, we were interrogated and beaten alive during the questioning. But once the case went to the mullah, Naruz changed his story and said he had carried out the murder alone.

SIKANDAR, EXECUTED MAN'S COUSIN (through translator): (INAUDIBLE) would be good here. We would like strong government. There is no police or government presence here. And Mullah Mustapha has government contact. If Naruz hadn't murdered someone, then Mullah Mustapha would not have touched him.

WALSH: The story is simple. A jealous man kills his lover's husband. The punishment: an eye for an eye.

NATO spent billions trying to bring law and order, but a decade after the Taliban, compromise and continuing chaos still leaves some Afghans with an old clumsy form of justice.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kabul

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: As we mentioned earlier, a huge anger movement that began on Wall Street is spreading across America. And next, we'll try to get some answers on what the protesters are after.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Let's get to the bottom of the "Occupy Wall Street" thing.

So, the anger, we know it's palatable. The passion is undeniable. But the message so far is inscrutable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In occupy Wall Street.

CROWD: In occupy Wall Street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have --

CROWD: We have -- (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, the occupy Wall Street movement entered its fourth week just today and what began in Lower Manhattan has spread across the country. Thousands gathering in cities to march, to chant, calling for -- well, it's kind of hard to nail it down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a lot of anger and we don't feel our needs are being met.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're specifically complaining the bailouts that the banks got.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm about to get my PhD and I have very little job prospect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corporate lobbyists owning all of our politicians.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think there's ever going to be one set demand from this movement.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

LEMON: All right. So that's the most comment knock against the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. That it has -- its lack of a cohesive message. That's what the critics say about it.

And that's why we invited Tyler Combelic, he's a media rep for the movement.

Thank you so much for coming on. We know you are busy.

So, listen, you're getting a lot of comparisons to the Tea Party here. I'm sure you heard them. If you boil down the Tea Party's message to one thing, it's no taxes. Or if you want to say two things, it's a smaller government, right?

So, can you do the same with the "Occupy Wall Street" movement right now, Tyler?

TYLER COMBELIC, MEDIA RELATIONS, OCCUPY WALL STREET: In a way, we can. It's active democracy and everyone has a voice in government. Those are the two messages that we're really trying to resonate.

LEMON: OK. Thank you. Everyone has a voice and active democracy.

So, what changes specifically are you asking for?

COMBELIC: I don't think we're asking for specific changes from government yet or from the financial sector yet. I know we're trying to broaden the discussion base first. We're trying to represent 99 percent of the country that's felt disenfranchised over the last five years because of the recession and what we think is more important right now is to make everyone American feel like their voice matters again and being willing to express their opinions and talk to Congress people, talk to all of society about what they feel should be the changes to happen.

LEMON: OK. So you said to talk to their Congress people.

But I've got to ask you this, then. So if you want to talk -- and listen, you know, to demonstrate, to protest, that's part of being an American. Can you do that, though, when you see people arrested, you know, no matter whose fault it is, whether it's the "Occupy Wall Street" people or the police's fault, can you achieve what you want talking to your congressman by doing that?

COMBELIC: I think we have developed a system in this country where the corporate economy and corporate influence on government has become so great where you can't just talk to your congressman. You can't just expect to have your one vote matter as much as the lobbyist or the corporation that gives thousands of dollars to political campaigns. And so, going to the street, gathering together, is the best way to let government know that the people matter first.

LEMON: OK. So talk to your congressman and then also do other things, protest, if you want, take to the streets, correct?

COMBELIC: Correct.

LEMON: OK. All right. A lot of supporters specifically online have criticized the media for not covering this or not understanding this. But unless you reach a certain threshold with the clear message, I mean, do you merit the attention? Because now I think, obviously, most people think you merit the attention. But in the beginning, the media got a lot of attention when there were protests in New York City and other cities that were bigger than the Wall Street -- "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Do you understand that now?

COMBELIC: We understood that it was going to be very hard to have this message resonate with most media, most press in this country when we first started. That's why we created our own media system internally with Twitter and Facebook, and using social media to get the message out. And we were upset at first that media wasn't covering us.

But as we grew, we realized we garnered more coverage, we garnered more respect, because we showed lasting power.

LEMON: Got you. OK. Mayor Bloomberg criticized the occupy protest by saying they're trying to destroy jobs for working people in the city. What do you say about that?

COMBELIC: He also said that we need to not be criticizing the banks because the banks are hurting as well. It's a little hard to take him at his work at this point. He hasn't really represented all of New Yorkers here. The fact that there are thousands and thousands of us out on the street and he's not really recognizing that we're a movement.

LEMON: OK.

COMBELIC: And we should be heard by New York politicians.

LEMON: OK. Just for the sake of time, I want to get to this. I don't mean to cut you off. Do you worry about politicians or other figures co-opting your message?

I want to play something for you. It's Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Listen and we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're going to see more protests and it's a tribute to the absolute failure of Obama's policy, that somebody who is elected by the left now has the left rebelling and demonstrating and arguing against his policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So is Newt Gingrich right here? Is this movement actually a rebuke of President Obama?

COMBELIC: I think this entire protest is a rebuke of government. And that includes the right and the left. They have not come together and not to come to compromise on anything and there's a reason why there's a 13 percent congressional approval rate in this country.

LEMON: Tyler Combelic, thank you. We appreciate your time.

COMBELIC: Thank you for having me on.

LEMON: Now, whether or not you agree with the "Occupy Wall Street" protest, one thing is certain, it's attracting a colorful group. And if you've been watching scenes from the movement in New York, you've noticed a certain white suited preacher. He is firing up the crowd, a preacher man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. BILLY TALEN, THE CHURCH OF EARTHALUJAH: Help shut down public space as much as they can, but they don't know -- they don't know what shape our Tahrir Square will take.

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, that's Reverend Billy Talen on the first day of the protest in Manhattan three weeks ago. He's a fixture among the protesters, but he's not your typical preacher. He's part comedian, part performance artist, and part anti-consumerism activist.

And I asked him if there's a cohesive message here or are they just making it up as they go along.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TALEN: The demands on the "Occupy Wall Street" Web site are a live document that are in development every day. But from the very beginning, "Occupy Wall Street" has been very precise. It's been specific. We're occupying public space with our bodies.

And as we said in the clip, the five freedoms of the First Amendment -- speech, worship, press, peaceful gathering and protest, they -- they are being exercised there in Liberty Plaza. And it is having a tremendous impact. There we are in the shadow of the 65 floor -- the 65-story Wall Street banks. And people are just joining up. They understand in their commonsense what it's about.

LEMON: Boil down the message for me, then, Reverend. Boil down the message for me.

TALEN: The banks, the big banks and big corporations have corrupted our democracy. And we're starting to democracy over in "Occupy Wall Street." We're sitting in circles. It's consensus.

You can talk, you can listen. We're learning how to practice democracy live. And it's amazing how joyous it feels.

LEMON: And I think that it's OK, then, to say, we don't have one cohesive message. That this is democracy, a living democracy in action, and that we're learning every day. There's nothing wrong with that.

So then why not just say that? Just say, we're upset with Wall Street. We're upset with the big banks and this is democracy in action.

And so, maybe we don't have a clear message here but we're learning every day. What's wrong with that? You're the first person I've heard say that.

TALEN: You know, what you're saying is -- what you're saying is true. But occupying Wall Street is precise -- embodying your democracy, coming down and being with us bringing your skills with us, and we got many tasks. We've got feeding. We've got making media. We've got education. We've got direct action. We've got parades. We've got a lot of work to do.

Come down and join us. The era of the online petition is over. Now, it's a revolution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And just in case you're wondering, Reverend Billy Talen, is, in fact, a real reverend. He leads the Church of Earthalujah and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir.

A pilot pulls off a daring ocean landing when he discovers he is out of gas. That and more and your top stories after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Headlines rights now. A pilot is forced to ditch his plane in the ocean all because he ran out of gas. You can see the plane dropping and plowing into the water. The Coast Guard says a 65-year- old man was piloting this Cessna 310 twin-engine aircraft. He was on his way from California to Hawaii. But he alerted authorities that he was low on fuel. Now after the splashdown, he climbed out of the plane, out of the cockpit, and on to the wing. You see him right there. Rescuers plucked him out of the water. He is reportedly doing OK.

Acclaimed pianist Roger Williams has died. His 1955 recording "Autumn Leaves" went to number one and is considered the best-selling piano recording of all times. Williams also became famous as a White House performer and friend to presidents. Roger Williams dead at the age of 87.

As the world watches, the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, is happening. Fan gather in Cardiff, Wales for a tribute concert for the late king of pop. All three of Jackson's children were said to be in attendance, along with more than 40,000 others. The lineup included performances of Jackson's brother Tito, Smokey Robinson, Celo Green, Christina Aguilera, Gladys Knight and Jennifer Hudson.

A frantic search is under way in Missouri for a missing 10-month-old baby girl. A live report from Kansas City next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Some new developments to tell you about the case of a missing 10-month-old baby in Kansas City, Missouri. Everyone sympathized when baby Lisa first went missing. That was on Tuesday. Her parents said that they woke up and their baby girl had vanished from her crib.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY IRWIN, FATHER OF MISSING BABY: We just want our baby back. Please, bring her home. Our two other boys are waiting for her. Please, just drop her off anywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. So then days later Kansas City police accused the parents of not cooperating but now that seems not to be the case. So for the latest development on this, let's go to CNN's Ed Lavandera. He joins us live from outside of the parents' home in Missouri. What's the update here?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, this has changed in just the last few minutes. We received an update from Kansas City Police officials who say that the parents of missing 10-month-old Lisa Irwin are now meeting and talking again with investigators in this case. They say this is the best way to get to the bottom of what has happened with this missing baby.

But, of course, this has overshadowed this investigation over the last couple of days when the police say that the couple abruptly stopped talking to them on Thursday but now these investigators say that they are back at the table and meeting with investigators. This is what one of the officers had to tell us just a short while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. STEVE YOUNG, KANSAS CITY POLICE: There's a lot of people hustling around, trying to put this thing together and find this child. I'm sure there's a fair amount of frustration. Like I said I just came from the command post. And there's no plan to shut it down. We're chasing things as they come down and we're going to keep trying. No worries.

Absolutely. I said that all day yesterday that no doubt about it, the best thing is for us to find this child. That's our number one priority. So we couldn't be happier about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now, clearly there's been some sort of tension building here over the last couple of days. We continue to ask the officer if this meant that there was a lawyer present during these conversations or if the couple was being interviewed separately. The officer won't answer those questions on the specifics of how these meetings are taking place, anxious to see what kind of developments this could mean for this investigation but the most important part here is what the detectives aren't able to say. That is that they have no leads in this investigation. No idea what has happened to little Lisa Irwin. So that is the most disheartening, the most frustrating part and you can really start to sense that on behalf of these officers that are working this case. Don.

LEMON: Ed Lavandera, thank you very much.

Recent CNN poll showed more than a third of teens say they have been bullied while their peers stand by and do nothing. Coming up next, we'll show you one high school student is taking action.

But first, a big hug, a kiss, that's what troop usually get from family members returning home from war zone but in tonight's "Making Their Mark" it's not people but dogs that are making a difference.

We'll have that coming up after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You know, it isn't really news that kids get bullied. But the latest CNN poll shows more than third of teen say they have been ridicules or threatened while their peers standby and do nothing but one high school student is taking some action. Our education contributor Steve Perry has the story in tonight's "Perry's Principle"

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): For some bullied victims like Joey (INAUDIBLE), school must be survived. JOEY : We don't go to school to get an education. We go to school to make it through the day without being killed or without being to the point where we feel the need to kill ourselves.

PERRY: Joey's trouble started in middle school when word got out that he was gay.

(on camera): So what did the kids do to you?

JOEY KEMMERLING, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: A lot, lot of threats. One kid said that he wanted to light me on fire, like the faggot I was.

PERRY: The child was not reprimanded.

KEMMERLING: The child suspended. The child was not given anything other than a talking to and sent back to class.

PERRY: If I'm your son's principal and this has happened, what can I do to help you as a mom feel like I'm doing my job?

JOYCE MUNDY, JOEY'S MOTHER/EDUCATOR: Teachers need to be trained or be given permission in their classrooms to simply succinctly address intolerant comments and behavior.

PERRY (voice-over): Joyce Mundy is Pennsylvania's 2010 middle school principal of the year. She's also Joey's mom, together they are teaching current and future educators how to stop bullying.

MUNDY: The culture in schools don't really change until the whole school community take it on.

KEMMERLING: Most schools have a 45-minute tolerance assembly in their schools but if it's only once the entire year, it's like trying to put a Band-Aid on some one who needs surgery. It's not going to work.

PERRY (voice-over): Joey has created a Facebook page where everyone can share stories and give support to those being bullied.

(on camera): I really want you to keep up the amazing work. I wish I had the guts to help you without people judging me.

KEMMERLING: The messages are all the same. Schools across America do not know how to deal with the issue of bullying.

PERRY (voice-over): But Joey and his mom are hoping that that will change.

KEMMERLING: There is a part of me that is dead and that no matter how hard I work will always be gone. And I don't want any other child to have to deal with that. When I get that diploma, it's not going to be about the education I received. It's going to be about finally I can go through life in peace and I can get out of that survival mode and move into my life.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: A quick update on this story. Joey and his mom recently moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. Joey now goes to a high school where he feels safe because, as he put it, the administration is more accepting. He's looking forward to graduating in the spring and heading to college.

Next, a woman's protest movement against sexual attacks is causing controversy with the name they have chosen to make their point.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Women outraged over the idea that what they wear could be responsible for a sexual attack, are taking to the streets. But not everyone likes the way their message is delivered. I have to warn you that this story has language that some viewers may find offensive. The so-called slut walk movement is growing globally and our own Brooke Baldwin talks to protesters about their controversial approach to ending violence against women.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost 3,000 supporters lining the streets of New York City chanting carrying banners and standing in solidarity for the cause known as the "slutwalk movement."

HOLLY MEYER, SLUTWALK NYC ORGANIZER: The name originated in Toronto in a response to a police officer's comment telling a group of college women after a rash of sexual assaults on their campus that in order to not be victimized they should stop dressing like sluts.

BALDWIN: Those words sparked controversy a global movement in 70 cities from Berlin to Philadelphia, South Korea to Grand Rapids, a diverse group all carrying one message.

DAN KLEINMAN, SLUTWALK NYC: Blaming the victim, shaming the victim is unacceptable.

TARA PENNY: Rape in our society - it's been used a as tool of torture, a tool of genocide.

BALDWIN: While the name has sparked controversy, the organizers defend it as a vehicle to getting their message out. Some see it as a revival of feminism.

BETTY MALONEY, SLUTWALK NYC ORGANIZER: In different times of society, women have stood up. And burning bras at one point was considered provocative, not wearing a bra was considered provocative. I think at different times to meet what's going on in the culture and society, women have taken different avenues to do that.

BALDWIN: Caroline Turner says that clothing is never supposed to be an excuse for an assault.

CAROLINE TURNER, MARCHER: You can't ask a woman not to wear what she wants to wear and say that that will prevent rape from happening. Rape happens to women in military uniforms, it happens to women wearing sweaters and jeans.

BALDWIN: Not everyone agrees with the SlutWalk's approach in an open letter to the members of the SlutWalk movement, founders of the advocacy group, Black Women's blueprint say they cannot self-identify with terminology meant to dehumanize, words these young organizers are cognizant of even as they plan their next steps.

MEYER: It's about an entire movement of people who want to come together all around the globe who don't want to see sexual violence occur any longer. It's not about the name, it's about the message.

BALDWIN: Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Atlanta.

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LEMON: Critics of the movement say the exhibitionist nature of many of the marcher detracts from the message. I'd be interested to see what you think. Make sure you reach out to me on Facebook @donlemoncnn. You can tweet me at donlemoncnn as well.

Coming up, what Courtney Love says what she would do to Kurt Cobain if her husband were alive now. It's not loving but boy is it honest.

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LEMON: "The Simpsons" on Fox is the longest running scripted television show in history. And for good reason.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god, that's my hero, Michelle Kwan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You remind me of a young Dorothy Hammel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't know you could talk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The last - well, they were in danger. A labor dispute between the network and the cast threatened the show. However, the two sides saved themselves from a doh moment by resolving their issues.

CNN entertainment report Shanon Cook joins us now with the details. Shanon, first of all, do you like my doh! And this was over salaries, right?

SHANON COOK, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I do. You a better doh than the cast of the Simpsons themselves. Yes, it was over salaries. Renewal talks hit a big snag when the main actors who voice the characters in the show reportedly asked to take a 45 percent pay cut. Fox TV claimed that they couldn't keep the show going with its existing business model.

But we now know that the show will go on for at least two more seasons and that the cast members have all signed on. Fox hasn't actually indicated whether or not they took a pay cut, but it's expected that they most probably did. So, regardless, we're going to see a 24th and 25th season of this beloved program which, Don, has been going since 1989, I believe.

LEMON: I know. I can't believe it. Is that the last season? It's too early to tell, the 25th?

COOK: There's been no indication as to whether or not that 25th season will be the last.

LEMON: OK.

COOK: But Fox's statement on the matter actually quoted Homer Simpson. And he very humorously bragged about outlasting Andy Rooney. Very proud of that apparently.

LEMON: All right. On now to rocker Courtney Love. You know, we're used to her being outrageous. But what she told "Vanity Fair" is shocking, even for her.

COOK: Yes, not a very graceful moment from Courtney Love. In her interview with "Vanity Fair" magazine, she was basically asked, "Are you still angry with your ex Kurt Cobain for committing suicide." And here's what she said, "Mad, you think? If he came back right now, I'd have to kill him for what he did to us."

I'm not going to read the rest of my quote because my mother is probably watching. And she's had enough of my potty mouth over the years, Don. But Love also talked in this interview about her relationship with her estranged daughter. And no doubt she's going to expand on these things in her tell-all memoir which has been much hyped and is supposedly coming out in about a year.

LEMON: Right. Speaking of telling all, Sharon Osborne, reality TV star, TV talent show judge opens up about her breasts. What?

COOK: Kelly O, yes, maybe telling a little bit too much, Don, on CBS's show, "The Talk." Osborne revealed that she woke up one morning and one of her breasts was longer than the other. Apparently, it was leaking. She said her surgeon said it was actually leaking into the wall of her stomach. You just can't make this stuff up.

So she had surgery and she had her implants removed and she said she's loving it. She's very happy. She said she no longer feels like she has a water bed lying on her chest. Don, what would Saturday night be without you and I talking about breasts, I mean, come on?

LEMON: It would be a very boring Saturday night. I would say, but I mean, that can be dangerous depending, though, seriously whether it's silicone or - I don't know if they still use it. I don't know that much about implants, or saline I don't think it could be that dangerous. But it could be very dangerous.

COOK: Well, right, especially when it leaks into the wall of your stomach which sounded dire. Sounds like she did the right thing.

LEMON: OK. Maybe we shouldn't be talking about that. So, listen, can we go back to Courtney Love? Because you know, people - with all of the expletives, you said you wouldn't read it. We bleeped out the f-ings and all that. We just put dots on the screen.

COOK: Look at you, you just go for it, don't you?

LEMON: Yes, let me say this, that is quite - whatever you think of Courtney Love, that's quite an honest statement to say "If he came back, I'd kill him." Imagine seriously what she and her family and his family went through when, you know, when he killed himself.

COOK: Oh, yes, incredible stress. She's not handled it well at all. You know, we often see her coming out with these sort of - sort of crazy things that she says. And she continues to maintain a career, though. She still makes music. Last year she released an album that got fairly good reviews. So she manages to keep it together enough, but then she comes out and says things like this and people think, "Oh, gosh, Courtney, please just be a little bit more tactful." But I'm actually curious to read her memoir. I think it might be an interesting read.

LEMON: Yes, people are going to want to hear, of course, about the early years and about how she reacted when he died. I'm sure she's going to get some sort of insight into that. But, yes, it's going to be very interesting. Always outspoken, sometimes she's a mess, sometimes she's right on. That's Courtney Love. That is -

COOK: Always entertaining. That's for sure.

LEMON: That's Shanon Cook. You're always entertaining as well. All right. See you soon.

All right. I'm Don Lemon, the CNN World headquarters in Atlanta. CNN presents "DEATH BY MAIL: THE ANTHRAX LETTERS," next.