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Glenn Beck

Operation Helmet Equips Soldiers; Self-Made Millionaire Serves in Army Reserves; Former Miss America Favors Flag Burning Amendment; Elliott Yamin`s Journey on `American Idol`

Aired July 04, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

GLENN BECK, HOST: Hello, everybody. G.B. here. And this is one of our interns. You know, internships are a great way for the youth of America to get hands-on experience here in the workplace. And let me tell you something, here at the GLENN BECK SHOW, our interns are treated with respect and dignity. Isn`t that right, Kenny?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name`s Adam.

BECK: Don`t ever look me in the eye and don`t ever talk back.

You know, in other countries it`s in vogue these days to beat up on America, to look down on everything that we`ve done and everything we`re trying to do. But to me America is not only the land of the free and home of the brave, it is also the land of the awesome. Oh, yes. It`s awesomeland.

And you know what makes this country so great? I mean, we started Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen, surround sound, Six Flags, Home Depot, cargo pants, retsina. Bing. Root beer, TiVo, slam dunk contests. I mean, I could go on and on.

But what really makes this country so great, the people. I have been fortunate enough in the last few weeks to meet with people from all walks of life that truly embody the best of America`s values. They`re what I like to call real Americans.

First up tonight is the Meaders family. As you will see, they have gone to great lengths to keep our troops in Iraq as safe as possible.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): Help protect our heroes. The tagline says it all. The program is called Operation Helmet. It was started two years ago by the Meaders family, when their grandson. U.S. Marine Sergeant Justin Meaders, called home asking for helmet upgrades. Not just for himself, but for his entire company.

Apparently, their Marine-issued helmets are made to protect against gunfire, but did little in the way of protection against a growing danger of bomb explosions. The sharp rise in traumatic brain injuries among troop casualties was causing great concern that their helmets were simply just not safe enough.

The Meaders family took up donations from friends and loved ones and sent the upgrade kits off. That`s when Operation Helmet began. The upgrade to the helmets is actually quite simple. The kit consists of seven foam cushioned inserts which go right into the existing helmet, making it more resistant to bomb blasts and injuries from motor vehicle accidents. The price of each kit is about $70, but the protection it provides can mean the difference between life and death.

Its founder, Dr. Bob Meaders, is looking for support from our own government. He`s testified before Congress and has implored the Pentagon to equip our soldiers with safer helmets.

To date the organization has distributed 11,000 kits, all at no cost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Joining me now is Mark Meaders, Bob`s son, who also works with Operation Helmet and also a good friend of my family`s.

Hi, Mark.

MARK MEADERS, OPERATION HELMET: Hi, Glenn.

BECK: How are you?

MEADERS: I`m doing well, thank you.

BECK: Why is the government not doing this?

MEADERS: You know, I don`t have a good answer to that. Perhaps it`s funding. Perhaps it`s -- they`re fighting the last war, perhaps a myriad of reasons.

And frankly, it doesn`t really matter why they`re not. All we can do as Americans, as citizens, as private people, is to go out and take one of a couple actions.

BECK: Yes.

MEADERS: You can write a letter and send it to all your congressmen and senators, anybody you can think of. You can send some money or you can start an organization that will provide these helmet upgrade kits to our troops at no cost.

BECK: Hang on just a second. I want to show you this -- this helmet here. This is what you`re buying with $7. Actually, Mark, I`ve got to tell you, I think it`s kind of cool that we`re doing it together. For one reason, I think if the government would buy this, it would be like $475. For you, if you act now, only $7 -- but here`s...

MEADERS: Glenn, you got a typo there, $71.

BECK: Seventy-one dollars.

MEADERS: Yes, sir.

BECK: Oh, well, yes, forget it, $71. OK. It`s all of these pieces in here that fit, and you can see that if you didn`t have all of this, if you got hit or were in some sort of an accident, this helmet is really hard and quite heavy. It would rattle around and really do some additional injury, but here if you put these pads in there, it keeps the helmet snug on our soldiers` heads.

And I think -- I actually really like it, Mark that, you know, we the people, are kind of doing this and taking it on ourselves, getting actively involved in doing what we can.

How many soldiers have been affected? How many have received these kits?

MEADERS: Well, we`ve shipped over 11,000 at this point, and frankly, the numbers that are coming in day in and day out are staggering. The book that I have here is the requests, just the requests that we received since the 22nd of June.

BECK: Wow.

MEADERS: That`s six days ago. And in fact, it doesn`t have today`s requests. This is as of yesterday.

BECK: I know that when we first had your dad on my radio show, what was it, Mark, two years ago maybe?

MEADERS: Something like that.

BECK: There were just -- there were just a few people that had requested, and they had kept coming in and coming in. And I know Cher now has gotten involved. She saw your father, I think, on C-SPAN and was, you know, spending a wild weekend watching C-SPAN, and wrote a check for $100,000 to ship a lot off. And now we have even more, because she covered everybody who wanted them at the time.

MEADERS: Exactly. She zeroed our backlog out. And what`s interesting is that that backlog within a few days came right back up, because of the requests that come in. Yesterday alone we received requests for 244 kits from the Marines, from a few Army, from a few Navy, and a lot of Air Force.

BECK: All right. So how do people get involved? If they are sitting at home and saying, "I`ve got $70. I want to get involved." How do I get involved?

MEADERS: Go to OperationHelmet.org, and click on the "get involved" link or clink on the "donate" or "contribute" link. Or if you`re a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine, click on "kit request" and request an upgrade.

BECK: That`s great. Bob, say hi to your father for me. And I have to tell you, this is so weird, because you`re in D.C., I`m in New York, and your daughter is with my daughter tonight here in New York. And I`m going to -- with your permission, Dad, if I can take them to "Superman", we`re going to go see to see "Superman" late tonight. Is that cool with you?

MEADERS: Absolutely.

BECK: That`s great, great. Bob, thank you very much. And again, the address, if you would like to get involved is?

MEADERS: OperationHelmet.org.

BECK: Thanks, Mark.

MEADERS: Thanks, Glenn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You`ve got a right to burn the flag. You`re stupid just for the simple fact that you`re doing it. I mean, what you`re doing in essence is demonstrating exactly why our country is so great. I mean, it`s a celebration. Every time you see somebody burning a flag, you`re like look at that moron over there. What a great country. We don`t shoot him in the head for doing that.

You can be as stupid and fat as you want to be in this country. (singing) God bless America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, I`ve got to tell you, living in this country has -- it`s provided a pretty sweet life for me. I`ve got a great family. I love my job.

Honestly, in my life the biggest sacrifices, you know, that I`ve had to give up bacon on my Whopper Juniors, which honestly only lasted about a day and a half. Now I just give up the bread.

That`s why I have so much respect and admiration for the people who are really willing to sacrifice everything, including their own lives, in order to fight for something that they truly believe in. Here`s a story of somebody who has -- really has it all but has put it on the line for a greater cause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): This is Dennis Witte, a dad, a businessman, a soldier, a man with clear priorities.

DENNIS WITTE, SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT, NATIONAL GUARD: I serve my God, I serve my country, and I serve my family. And they are so closely intertwined.

BECK: Dennis joined the Air Force when he was just 19 years old. Twenty years later, he`s still doing it. Now he`s in the Reserves as a senior master sergeant in the Air National Guard. He supervises mechanic work on fighter jets, and he takes his job very seriously.

D. WITTE: That`s the sound of freedom.

BECK: His story may sound like countless others serving their country, but Dennis Witte is different because he`s a self-made multi- millionaire.

D. WITTE: All right, Dave, I`ve checked. I think you`re doing just fine.

BECK: He didn`t have to be here, but he is.

D. WITTE: This is just something that I have to do. I don`t believe I could sit at home knowing what our country is going through and faced with at this point in time, being an able body, physically able to serve and defend our country.

BECK: Dennis is in the restaurant franchise business. He made his first million when he was 38 years old.

D. WITTE: Business is very good.

BECK: He started with one restaurant in July 2001. Business was booming. He was just about to open his second restaurant, and then September 11.

D. WITTE: I was -- it`s emotional, so, I don`t know that it will ever change. I can remember so vividly. I knew, I knew, I knew what it was, without question. And I remember looking at my wife, and I grabbed her hand and I said, "They`ve got to get the fighter jets up because this is an attack."

BECK: Within just a few hours, Dennis had left his new business and his family to serve his country.

D. WITTE: I dropped everything for everything, really. This is -- this is my country. It`s my country, and it`s my children`s country, and it`s your country. And we were under attack.

HEIDI WITTE, WIFE: We`re a very Christian-based family, and you know, we believe that we have a duty. We have a duty to God, the way we live our life. We have a duty to our country.

BECK: Dennis` wife, Heidi, has stood by his side through all of this. She says the hardest part is explaining to their three children why their dad has to leave.

H. WITTE: I just tell them, you know, Daddy`s doing what he wants to do, and this is protecting our country, protecting our rights, and our freedom.

D. WITTE: How`s it going?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

D. WITTE: What`s new?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing.

BECK: It wasn`t the only time Dennis was called to serve his country. The past year, he was called again. This time, to Iraq.

D. WITTE: Well, I talked to my wife about it right away, so that she had plenty of time to prepare, but the timing was a little odd for us, because Christmas was coming. We didn`t leave until January, so we decided not to talk to our children about it until after Christmas.

H. WITTE: I didn`t really want the kids to be worried about this, especially at that time of the year. And if it was our last Christmas together, certainly, we would want it to be something that was joyous and not sad.

BECK: When Dennis left, his kids understood exactly why he had to go. But that didn`t really make it easier for them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was really weird because we`d only have one parent. I`m really used to being around my dad. A lot.

BECK: And the experience in Iraq for Dennis was unforgettable.

D. WITTE: It was pretty intense, you know, some long days, living in tents, being mortared daily.

BECK: But he came home. And he says the next time his country calls, he`ll be there again, to protect his country and the ideals of the American dream, a thing that he has experienced first-hand.

D. WITTE: I grew up in a small little farm town. No college. Below median income, not necessarily very supportive family. A lot of things, a lot of things going against me.

BECK: He grew up in a time of fear in America. It was the Cold War.

D. WITTE: I remember growing up with a father who really seemed to enjoy that environment. He enjoyed that situation. He liked, I believe, he liked the idea that -- that we could be under attack any minute.

BECK: But Dennis says he actually owes a lot to his father.

D. WITTE: I know when I joined the Air Force, my father was very upset about that, because he`d always been very, really anti-U.S. And I wonder if he`s ever thought about, because of all that, maybe he`s the one who actually, you know, pushed that into me.

BECK: Whatever it was, Dennis has overcome adversity to achieve something wonderful in his own life: a successful business and a beautiful family.

D. WITTE: But only because of the opportunities in this free country have I been able to accomplish what I`ve accomplished, and I want my children and their children to have the same opportunities, and I believe it`s my -- it`s my duty to protect that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Dennis, what a pleasure, sir, to shake your hand.

D. WITTE: Thank you.

BECK: Thank you for your service to your country and also for raising a great, great family. I know your wife and kids are here watching you.

I think it says an awful lot about you, you know, some of the guys from 122nd are here, and they said, "So why did you pick Dennis? I mean, why are you doing a feature on him?"

And Kristen, who did the piece, said, "Well, you know, because he`s a multi-million year."

And they all said, "What?" They had absolutely no idea, which I think says an awful lot about your character. You`re either a really good guy or just stingy as hell, one of the two.

Tell me about growing up. You said your dad was somebody that might even enjoy the idea that we might be attacked at any time. What do you mean by that?

D. WITTE: I just remember so many times having conversations in my house where -- fearful conversations about, you know, the missiles that may be pointed at our country.

BECK: Right.

D. WITTE: And how easy it would be for Russia to strike us and how we probably wouldn`t be able to defend or sustain an attack like that, and it...

BECK: So you grew up in an anti-U.S. home, anti-military home. Where was the turning point?

D. WITTE: You know, I`m not real sure, but I -- when I reflect on that now, I think that maybe because I was afraid so much when I was young, that somebody was going to take those freedoms away from me, that somewhere, that`s where it really began to cultivate, and when I became old enough and able enough, I said no, they`re not going to take that from me, not if I can help it. And that`s what I think perhaps started it.

BECK: How did you get the appreciation for the freedoms and what we have here with somebody who was bashing them?

D. WITTE: You know, it`s difficult to explain. I just know that -- that the appreciation I have today is because of all the opportunities that I have.

BECK: That`s amazing. You and I are -- with an exception, I had a very supportive dad, but with the exception of that, I grew up in a relatively poor family, didn`t have a college education. I`m doing well for myself. You`re doing well for yourself. It is -- it`s amazing to me the opportunities that this country will provide if you just never give up, if you just never give up.

Now, you joined, and you`re serving, and you are lucky enough to have great business partners, apparently, that will allow you to go and serve. Tell me about your business partners.

D. WITTE: I have two business partners, and they -- they`re very supportive. They know -- they`ve known all along. We`ve been together for about ten years, and they`ve known all along really, really where the inside passion lies for me, but they also understand that they wouldn`t be able to accomplish the things that they have either.

BECK: What do you think you`re teaching your kids by -- by doing this?

D. WITTE: That, you know, no sacrifice is too great for the freedoms we have today. That`s what I think I`m teaching them. And I hope they understand, and I believe they do understand that somebody has to stand up, somebody has to defend our freedom. And perhaps even advance freedom around the world.

BECK: And how much of a role does God play in this? Is it intertwined for you?

D. WITTE: Yes, for all -- I would say all my adult life. When I was able to structure the goal sets in my life. You know, faith, freedom and family are all really intertwined together. They are.

BECK: Dennis, pleasure. Thank you for your service, sir.

D. WITTE: Thank you.

BECK: And everybody at 122nd.

D. WITTE: Thank you.

BECK: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK:

You know, when I was in high school, I was basically the white version of Urkel, except not quite as cool. I never hung out with the wrong crowd, or any crowd for that matter. And I never set fire to the American flag. No, in my school that activity was reserved for the hippie dirt bags.

Flag burning, I believe, is a slap in the face to everything American -- America stands for. But you know what? I don`t agree with the constitutional amendment to ban it.

Yes, I know, that puts me in a place where I`m agreeing with Hillary Clinton and the ACLU. And while it makes me want to projectile vomit for about a week and a half, here`s the thing. I cherish the flag. I`ve taught my son Raphe how to fold, how to care for it. Never should touch the ground.

If Michael Moore, however, wants to set fire to his flag, I`d be disgusted, but he has every fat right to do with it. That`s what the flag stands for.

I recently spoke to a former Miss America, who disagrees with me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Heather, you think I`m a dirty hippie, don`t you?

HEATHER FRENCH HENRY, FOUNDER, HEATHER FRENCH FOUNDATION: I don`t think you`re a dirty hippie.

BECK: Come on, be honest.

HENRY: I certainly think that you`re a little misinformed when it comes to protecting our flag, because certainly the luxury that a few people have today of burning the flag today has only been that luxury since 1989.

So the amendment that we`re asking for is actually to restore the Constitution to where it was previously before 1989, before five Supreme Court justices took the majority of the people`s voice and silenced it by their vote, because certainly, this is an issue that is even larger than protecting the flag.

BECK: Right.

HENRY: It`s about democracy, what the flag truly stands for. And when 80 percent of Americans...

BECK: Yes, but it`s a symbol -- wait a minute...

HENRY: Eighty percent of Americans want the flag protected. Fifty states have resolutions wanting the flag protected. So a majority of the people have spoken, and that is what "we the people" mean. It means a majority.

BECK: Right. I get it. The majority of people want to do that, and if that`s what the majority of people want to do, you know, Jefferson said, you know, one of the nice things about a democracy is people can make a mistake and then restore it. And whichever way you look at it, whichever side of the argument you`re on in this, he`s right in this particular case. However...

HENRY: That`s right. That`s right.

BECK: ... the flag, what the flag represents is sacred. To me, the flag is sacred, but when you -- when you really want to speak out, what is the harm with setting the flag on fire? It does command attention.

HENRY: Well, it does command attention, and there are people who will use it for that. The harm is the very fabric of our nation, which is the men and women who have fought and died for this nation. If it drapes the coffin of a man or woman, a brave soldier of our country that has died, certainly it is not appropriate to burn.

And our forefathers knew that there would be people in the future that would want to do this, which is why Thomas Jefferson said at every cost, it should be suppressed, the desecration of our flag should be suppressed at people doing that.

BECK: Right. OK. You...

HENRY: And you know, the ruling at the Supreme Court, Abraham Lincoln said that you should never let a fixed decision be given to the Supreme Court that was for the majority of the people, because people would cease to lead themselves.

BECK: Right, you said -- you said last week -- by the way, thank you for all of the hard work you`ve done with veterans.

HENRY: Thank you, I appreciate that.

BECK: I know you do a lot for veterans.

HENRY: We try.

BECK: You said last week that you believe the dollar bill is flying over the White House. Why -- what do you mean by that?

HENRY: Well, certainly -- there are actually laws that protect the U.S. dollar from being burned, being cemented together, being mutilated. It`s actually under the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

And if the dollar bill can be protected, for goodness sake, is nothing sacred in this country? So we should let the majority of the people speak for themselves. They want the flag protected.

BECK: Heather French Henry, thank you very much.

HENRY: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Ed, you`re on the GLENN BECK program.

CALLER: You know, Mr. Beck, I do disagree with you. I seem to hear you say resistance is futile. I view you as a neocon propagandist more so than a talk show host. And my challenge to you is this.

BECK: OK.

CALLER: You`re big on Bush, aren`t you?

BECK: No, not so much, really.

CALLER: Yeah, well, let me just say this.

BECK: Hold on just a second. Hold on. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, no, no. Let me answer the question. Not so much. Why do you just dismiss a disagreement with what you just said?

CALLER: You back Bush at every turn on this war on terror. You refuse -- and this is where the challenge comes in.

BECK: Yes.

CALLER: Why don`t you bring on Michael Piper from the "American Free Press" newspaper in Washington and see what he has to say?

BECK: Well, I`ve done my homework on the war. I happen to disagree with you, sir. I happen to disagree with you strongly. I`m not going to listen to your propaganda. You don`t have to listen to mine. And that`s OK. That`s what makes America great. Have fun in Washington.

You know, in Hollywood people do some charity things and then they like to tell the whole world about it. In the rest of the country there are people from all walks of life who help others out in incredible ways and never, ever get any attention for it.

Mimi Baker is a physical therapist here in Pittsburgh. She specializes in children with disabilities, something that`s very close to my heart. As I just told you, my daughter was born with cerebral palsy, and she has been the biggest inspiration in my life.

That`s why I think someone like Mimi Baker is a real American hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For many people, when they look at kids with cerebral palsy, they can`t help but feel sorry for them. But look at these kids through the eyes of their physical therapist, Mimi Baker, and instead what you`ll see is potential.

MIMI BAKER, PHYSICAL THERAPIST, PITTSBURGH: Every accomplishment, whether it`s just being able to sit up for the first time, for just a few minutes, is huge. And that`s something that most families don`t have to celebrate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 24 years Mimi`s been helping the hundreds of children in the Pittsburgh area born with cerebral palsy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many, many years ago I was a patient at the Children`s Institute and Mimi baker was my therapist. I was her first patient.

BAKER: You can`t help but feel emotion when they have some success, and you just feel so good about it, or when you know they`re just not going to be able to do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Kim`s case, what Mimi refused to do was take "no" for an answer.

KIM BROZOVICH, PATIENT: She actually spoke to the surgeon while I was on the operating table. He was going to make a cut that -- like right back here, my heel cord tendon release. And he said to Mimi, "Well, you know, I`m going to cut it because she`s just going to be wheelchair-bound anyway."

She said, "Don`t you dare." She said, "Don`t cut that muscle. She has -- she`s going to walk."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing could have prepared Kim and her family for the journey that awaited them. In fact, nothing could prepare any family. Chrissy is the mother of a child born with CP.

CHRISSY BARTOLOWITZ, SON HELPED BY MIMI BAKER: We just knew something wasn`t right. So it was -- it was scary. It was really a scary thing.

BAKER: If you look at an example of a child with cerebral palsy and they discover early on it will be with their child for life, they need time to grieve.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A sentiment Mimi now better understands. Two years ago, Skyann (ph) was Mimi`s patient. Now Mimi is her mother.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now I am a working parent. I`m taking care of a child with special needs. It certainly has helped me be empathetic to what these families need.

She has touched my life like no one else has. And it`s a lot of work, but you just do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it`s more than just hard work. Mimi has succeeded, in no large part, due to the kind of patient so rarely found in this day and age. And her patients will tell you she`s touched their lives in ways, small and large, that will never be forgotten.

Not only did Mimi make it possible for Kim to take her first steps, but Kim was able to walk down the aisle in her sister`s wedding.

BROZOVICH: I had a strong faith. Jesus and prayer, my parents, and Mimi telling me, "Hey, you can do it."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kim is now 28. She has a college degree and she`s just begun a new career, working with special needs kids. And guess who her role model is?

BROZOVICH: That was the thing about Mimi. She made it fun. It wasn`t like - you know, it was hard work and I would sweat and stuff and sometimes I would say, "Oh, well, that hurts." But she just made it fun.

BAKER: When families say they liked having me as a therapist, I just always try to see their child as a child and look at what they can do and not what they can`t do.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BECK: Mimi Baker and Kim Brozovich are with me now. Hi, guys.

BAKER: Hi, Glenn.

BROZOVICH: Hi.

BECK: Angels come to mind. Angels come to mind. You, Mimi, give people hope, as you do, as well.

BROZOVICH: Oh, thanks, Glenn.

BECK: My daughter is going to college and as I said earlier, you know, you don`t know as a parent and it takes a miracle worker like you to let parents who are trying to navigate these waters know that it`s just a different struggle.

You know, we all have different things that we go through with all of our kids. It`s just a different struggle, isn`t it?

BAKER: It is a different struggle. All parents need help, but having a child with a disability is overwhelming. It`s heartbreaking.

BECK: You start to think, "Well, gee, will they be able to do what I did" and I`ve come to a place where I`m not sure that my normal experience is the right experience. You know what I mean? Or the better of the two.

BAKER: Right.

BECK: So, Kim, how important is the attitude of "I`m just not going to let anybody stop me?"

BROZOVICH: Well, it`s the most important thing, Glenn. I think that if you have a positive attitude and you say, "Well, I can do it," then if you have it in your mind, most likely you`ll do it.

BECK: You`re very religious.

BROZOVICH: Yes, I am.

BECK: How important is that?

BROZOVICH: It`s right up there with my physical therapy. It`s very important.

BECK: Has that gotten you through your toughest days? What are your toughest battles?

BROZOVICH: Well, probably right before I started walking, Mimi and I did physical therapy five days a week. So I started out at the Children`s Institute for school, as well.

BECK: How old were you?

BROZOVICH: When I started physical therapy, I was five. So kindergarten age and up through second grade. And we worked three hours a day. So it was a lot of work.

BECK: Your parents are, I imagine, amazing people.

BROZOVICH: They`re the best. They`re the best parents in the world.

BECK: My wife was just relentless. She was a full-time job just making sure she was at the therapist all the time and just relentless on making that sure my daughter received the best care and was constantly working.

I mean, it`s really a combination of the right therapist, the attitude of the child and the parents just making sure that they`re the strongest advocate, isn`t it Mimi?

BAKER: Yes, and the parents, they`re thrown into this role as being - we`re all advocates for our children, but they`re thrown into a role of finding every resource that they can find to try to help this child and they just love. They`re so passionate about their love for their child that they do what they need to do.

BECK: What`s the one thing that you`ve really learned through all of this? At the end of your days, when you close your eyes, what is it that you will remember most?

BAKER: I think I learned by watching my father over my lifetime that you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. And I try to help, but the bottom line is they`re doing the work. They`re making the efforts. The families are the ones that are so invested and passionate about helping their child, that I`m just there to consult and help and guide and they do it.

BECK: I`ve only got a couple of seconds left. Message to parents?

BAKER: Accept and respect the differences, but love the child.

BECK: Mimi, Kim, you`ve been the best. Thank you so much for talking to us.

BROZOVICH: Thank you for having us.

BECK: God bless you both. Thank you.

BAKER: Thank you so much.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Hey, tonight we`re introducing you to real Americans. And some of these real Americans you probably have never heard of.

The next one you probably have. You might have even voted for him as the next "American Idol." To the people of Richmond, Virginia, Elliott Yamin is a hometown hero. He didn`t win the contest, but he won me over with his heart, his attitude, and his voice.

Judging from the response of the first time we shared this story, I have the feeling he won a lot of you over as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BECK: The show, "American Idol." The voice, Richmond, Virginia`s Elliott Yamin.

MELISSA CHASE, RADIO STATION DJ: We got very lucky, the fact that we`ve got such a great idol from our hometown. Elliott is the nicest guy you can possibly imagine, extremely talented and we`re very happy that he`s representing Richmond.

BECK: And the 27-year-old underdog with a big voice just kept knocking them dead.

RANDY JACKSON, JUDGE, AMERICAN IDOL: Very nice job, baby, very nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think everybody kind of thought it was just kind of a passing novelty. But it really started to, you know, take on its own life every week that he survived, every subsequent round.

BECK: When Elliott Yamin became one of the three finalists on "American Idol," all of Richmond came out to celebrate in an all-American way.

A high school dropout, Elliott once had worked as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. Owner Richard Melito was amazed his former employee had become an overnight celebrity.

RICHARD MELITO, RESTAURANT OWNER: The surprise to us was that there was someone that had been working with us that was now an American idol.

BECK: Elliott`s family was no less stunned by his success.

LOUISE HOFFMAN, ELLIOTT`S AUNT: The Wednesday night is so intense. My husband has a defibrillator and a pacemaker. And he`s afraid it`s going to go off at any time. It is just nerve-wracking.

What brings chills to all of us, when they play his music, he really is good. I don`t think I`m being a prejudiced aunt. I really believe he`s good.

PAULA ABDUL, AMERICAN IDOL JUDGE: I think this is the best vocal performance you`ve done this entire season.

SIMON COWELL, AMERICAN IDOL JUDGE: That was the best performance so far.

BECK: It was a triumph. But for Elliott, reaching for fame and fortune on "American Idol" was not the biggest challenge he had to face. He had juvenile diabetes and is almost completely deaf in one ear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s probably had more important priorities in his life up to this point than just singing. Just being alive and hopefully being healthy probably means as much if not more to him than the notoriety that he`s received.

BECK: Ironically, as the auditions for the show neared, his mother was fighting for her life with complications from gastric bypass surgery. But Elliott`s family was determined not to let him miss his big chance.

HOFFMAN: A lot of the family members talked him into proceeding ahead and just going through the audition. And when he got in, it was just overwhelming because he had so much pressure on him, with his mother being in the intensive care. It was just phenomenal. And you could see his mother getting better and better and better as he was going along.

BECK: To compete on "American Idol" Elliott had to leave his day job at a pharmacy. But the citizens of Richmond got behind him. They made his quest possible.

HOFFMAN: All the big companies here have been coming out and helping. They`ve put up banners. They`ve made T-shirts. They have done everything that can be done.

BECK: Elliott`s fans started a major "get out the vote" campaign to help him win the ultimate title of "American Idol."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I actually just got this phone today. Just to vote for Elliott and to see him do as well as he did tonight. He was just absolutely phenomenal. And shoot, I just pressed the wrong button.

BECK: Elliott mania inspired "American Idol" viewing parties throughout Richmond. One of the most popular was hosted by the local radio station, Q94`s morning DJs, Darin and Melissa.

CHASE: The parties have just gotten bigger and bigger every Tuesday. We were over 500 people last week, even more so this week. So the support has been amazing.

BECK: And all the attention swirling around Elliott was great for business in Richmond.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we definitely have noticed that on Tuesday nights we`ve been getting more and more business down here. More and more people are asking for us to turn up the TVs. Recently we turned it into an official Elliott night. And of course that has really helped our business.

BECK: But this young performer was having an impact on his neighbors that went far beyond any economic gain.

BRANDON CROWE, RICHMOND RESIDENT: Elliott`s appearance on "American Idol" has really pulled the community together, the businesses together, and the people together to really come out and support somebody that they really believe in and can be the next American idol.

BECK: In the end this working-class kid from Richmond wouldn`t be the next American idol. But he would forever be a part of the history of his hometown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Joining us on the phone from Los Angeles, Elliott Yamin.

Elliott, I`ve got to tell you, I was actually rooting for somebody else the whole time until it was too late.

I found out I believe who you are, I think America found out who you are, the night you were voted off. You are a real true American success story. And I think you`re phenomenal. You`re the whole package. You`re the real deal.

ELLIOTT YAMIN, CONTESTANT, AMERICAN IDOL: Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. Yeah, you know, I`ve -- it`s definitely been a whirlwind experience, and you know, it`s all been for the positive. And I`m definitely a better man for it.

It`s interesting that you would say that, because I knew you were going to be voted off the night you were voted off. I played it back on television that night and said this is why he`s going to lose, because when Simon, I believe, said to you, "You need to believe it, you need to start believing that you`re there and you belong there," you responded with something like, "Yeah, I do believe it, I`m starting to believe it."

Do you believe it now, that you can be or that you are a legitimate star?

YAMIN: You know, I try not to think of myself as one because I still -- I`ll always be the same person. I`m definitely perceived in a different way than I ever have been before by, you know -- not by my peers, I guess, but by -- well, maybe by my peers also. but by strangers.

And, you know, I do believe. I do believe that I have a legitimate shot at making a career out of this. And you know, I definitely feel like I`ve been validated and I`ve been getting a lot and love and support from well established artists in the business.

BECK: Have you been signed yet?

YAMIN: No, I have not yet. We have to take care of the tour first and, you know, that`s the next big thing for us and then after the tour`s over, you know, that`s when our 90-day contractual obligations are going to be ending and, you know, depending upon whether I get picked up by the show`s management company and record signing things, that`s still to be determined.

But I feel like there is a deal out there for me.

BECK: There is a big deal waiting for you. And best of luck. Believe in yourself, and it`s going to happen. Elliott, thank you.

YAMIN: Well, thank you very much. I want to say thanks also to everybody back home. You know, the love and support back home has just been amazing. And I want to thank each and every one of you who`s present. And each and every one of you guys who`s watching the show. I love all of you, and I can`t wait to get back to Richmond July 29th.

BECK: You know, what would Fourth of July be like without the fireworks? And really what would anything in America be like without an attorney trying to freak the fun right out of you?

Fireworks really are one of the weirdest obsessions that we have as a nation. I mean, think about it. You light something. Then you se half a second of color, half a second of sound, and everybody stands around and goes, "ooh."

Seems pretty stupid, doesn`t it? But a lot of our greatest summer memories revolve around our parents, a picnic, and the bright and loud colors in the sky. One of my favorite memories -- watching my drunk Uncle Bob light the fireworks.

Whether your kids have those memories depend really on whether you live in a certain state or in general if you, you know, are willing to break laws. Right now five states ban all fireworks. What kind of fun is that? Six only allow sparklers and small novelties, which -- sparklers? They`re birthday candles. That`s not a firework. 21 states allow all fireworks. And another 18 allow non-aerial fireworks, which -- they`re fireworks on the ground, right?

Is it just me? Wouldn`t that be more dangerous? Ground is where people are. I don`t know if they caught on to that. Pro fireworks groups claim fireworks are 90% safer than they were 30 years ago. But they`re still berated with safety tips that make us feel like children are exploding all around America.

But now, thanks to this program, you don`t have to just read the safety tips. You can see the exciting video. And watch this. This is the first one. This is why you should never put fireworks in your pocket. Which -- there`s not going to be any baby mannequins coming from that young man. This one -- you should never buy a watch made entirely out of fireworks, I think is what you`re supposed to get on that one. Don`t eat fireworks.

This one is -- I mean, look at this one. I mean, what are you -- don`t light fireworks while you`re staring, you know, right down and looking right into them with big cartoon hands. I mean, what are you supposed to get from that one? And this is my favorite. I don`t know why we`re not supposed to do it. But brother, I`m doing that one. They say, oh, lighting watermelons just doesn`t work out well. Oh, yeah? Well, we won`t be trying that at my house this weekend. I`ll tell you that. So remember, spend as much time with your family as you possibly can, and try your darnedest not to blow them up. I`m just saying. Safety tip from me to you.

(NEWS BREAK)

END