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Glenn Beck

Is Alcohol Excuse for Mel Gibson`s Tirade?; Former Secretary of State Weighs in on North Korea; Marine Holds Online Auction for New Name

Aired October 13, 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: Coming up, Mel Gibson. Is he on the road to recovery or despair?
Plus, former Secretary of State James Baker on the chances of Armageddon.

I mean, it`s Friday. Can we relax for a few minutes, please?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is brought to you by Glenn Beck`s Preachy Preach Choir Robes. If you`re a self-righteous windbag who likes to lecture other people on their alcoholism, buy Glenn`s Preachy Preach Choir Robes. If you don`t, shame on you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: All right. It is Dress Down Friday. We`re going to take a break from talking about the end of the world for a couple of minutes. Hang tight. We`ll get back to the doom and gloom.

But first, I want to talk to you about Mel Gibson. The second part of Mel`s interview with Diane Sawyer aired today on "Good Morning America", and here is what Mel Gibson had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEL GIBSON, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: Let me be real clear here, in sobriety, sitting here in front of you on national television, that I don`t believe that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. I mean, that`s an outrageous, drunken statement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I mean, it`s creepy the way he`s talking to us like this.

Here`s the point tonight. May -- Mel Gibson may end up killing somebody or killing himself. This story most likely will not end here. It could, unfortunately, be a very early chapter in a very sad book. Here`s how I got there.

My name is Glenn, and I`m an alcoholic. Actually, I`m going to take a step further. I`m worse than that. You can fill an entire Peter Jackson movie with the things that I`ve done, been addicted to or have woken up next to an empty bottle of.

Not only have I done approximately 1.6 trillion things that I am truly ashamed of, I am constantly on the precipice of moral collapse. I think we all are. It could come at any time with me, and I ain`t kidding.

There you go. All of my cards are played face up on the table, and the reason why I tell you this is because you need to know exactly where I come from. And I come to this story with bias, and that bias is I hate it when people use alcohol as an excuse.

With that said, here`s Mel Gibson with Diane Sawyer, discussing why he said the things he said about Jews.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIBSON: OK, now, when you`re loaded, you know, the balance of how you see things, it comes out the wrong way. I know that it`s not as black and white as that. I know that you just can`t roar about things like that, that it`s wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, I don`t know how I feel about that last statement.

I see alcohol as a giant painkiller. It`s like Percocet. Have you ever had that when your wisdom teeth are taken out? Percocet doesn`t make the pain stop. You`re still in pain; you just don`t care about the pain.

Here`s the thing: any alcoholic will tell you that the first step to recovery is hitting bottom, and by bottom, I mean running down the freeway in your underpants kind of bottom. If you haven`t experienced that, well, then you`re most likely not really going to change. Now, is this Mel Gibson`s low point? Gosh, I hope so, for his sake.

What I didn`t hear from him, though, was anything that really sounded genuine on the Jew thing. You know, something like, "My father`s been grappling with these issues my whole life, and maybe some seed of that has been planted in me. I`m struggling to deal with that."

Instead, I heard things like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SAWYER, CO-HOST, ABC`S "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": People say, alcohol just liberates you to say what you really feel. It`s what you really feel. It`s not changing.

GIBSON: Well, that statement is false.

SAWYER: But if it`s not in you, is it going come out?

GIBSON: It has to have some kind of place somewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK. Yes. The thing that he`s wrong on is that alcohol is a truth serum and a giant magnifying glass at the same time. It allows you to say the things that are in you already. It`s already in your head. It`s not manufacturing, not putting words into you. It may magnify them, but until Mel Gibson really realizes that, I fear that this sad story is only going to get worse.

The fact that Mel Gibson hasn`t possibly hit bottom yet isn`t entirely his fault. The people who make money off him and could potentially lose money off him need to share some of that blame.

I -- I fear that Mel Gibson is in a world where there`s just too much money at stake to let the guy fail and hit bottom. His films have grossed billions of dollars and made a lot of people very, very rich.

Do you think these people are going let him implode or hit rock bottom? No! Their fates are financially tied to his. Mel Gibson went into rehab because he either was, A, horrified at his own behavior or, B, compelled for financial reasons. And the people around him said, "Go. Go into rehab. We need to hold this together."

I hope to God that it is, A, but after hearing this interview, I`m not convinced. And I do wish Mel Gibson either a speedy recovery or a quick and relatively painless descent to the very bottom.

Trust me, Mel. That is the only way things have a chance of getting better. So, tonight, here is what I know.

I know that hitting rock bottom is a nasty place to be. I know what it feels like. For me, it was several years ago. I used to tuck my daughters in and tell them stories about three mice, Inky, Blinky and Stinky. And they would get on their marshmallow boat and sail to the isle of cheese. I would make these up every night and tuck them into bed.

Well, one morning, they came downstairs and sat at the breakfast table and they said, "Daddy, tell us a story from last night about Inky, Blinky and Stinky."

Not only did I not remember the stories that I had told, I had no recollection of even tucking them into bed. And that is when I knew I needed help.

This, by the way, was eight months after my doctor told me that if I kept treating my body this way and kept drinking this way I`d have six months to live.

Is this what Mel Gibson felt like after his arrest? Only he could answer that.

Here`s what I don`t know. I`m an alcoholic. So, really, I don`t know anything. I`m a drunk. Am I being too tough on this guy? I really do like Mel Gibson. He`s always struck me as one of Hollywood`s nice guys, and I`m rooting for him to get better, whether I liked him or not, but is he being sincere? Or is this just another drunken excuse?

Gary Stromberg, he is the author of "The Harder They Fall: Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories of Addiction and Recovery". Gary, you`re in recovery, as well. What do you think?

GARY STROMBERG, AUTHOR, "THE HARDER THEY FALL": I`ve been recovered for almost 24 years. Thanks for having me on.

BECK: You bet.

STROMBERG: You know, I was following you and I was going along with you all the way up until the point you said you wish him a speedy recovery.

BECK: And from my experience I wish him a slow recovery. Because I think what we`re seeing here is a rush to judgment and a rush to recovery.

STROMBERG: OK. And this is a process that takes a while, you know. I recognize what you said about the Hollywood industry, and I think that`s probably true. They`re trying to rehab this guy very quickly to get him back on his feet again so that he can be the moneymaking machine he was before, but recovery doesn`t happen overnight like that.

You`re correct. He has to hit a bottom, but he also has to get back into a mode that`s very different from where he is right now, which is slow, contemplative recovery.

BECK: I`ve got to tell you, you know, what really blew me away is when he said in the interview, "Yes, and somebody came and handed me a drink." Who are you working with or who are your friends that they would - - I mean, I work with people -- I surround myself with people who know I`m an alcoholic and would -- I would never be in that situation where somebody would hand me a drink. You know what I mean?

STROMBERG: Of course, I know what you mean.

BECK: Yes. I mean, you`ve got to -- he`s got to change his whole world. Do you believe that alcohol is a truth serum, kind of...

STROMBERG: That`s a tough question, Glenn. You know, I`ve kicked that question around in my own mind now for a while since this thing happened. I remember saying all kinds of stupid things when I was drunk, you know, and wake up the next morning going, "Oh, my God, what did I do?"

BECK: Yes.

STROMBERG: But I don`t ever remember doing something like -- that Mel Gibson did and making an accusation or saying something disparaging about a group of people...

BECK: Yes.

STROMBERG: ... in such a way that was totally contrary to who I was.

BECK: Right.

STROMBERG: So you know, I may have lied to a girlfriend or a woman that I met at a bar at night, but I don`t think I ever said something that was that deep.

BECK: Yes. You know, what -- maybe what this is and why I have such empathy for Mel Gibson, even though it may not sound like it to some, is facing the -- the reason, at least for me -- the reason why I drank is I didn`t like who I was. I didn`t like -- I didn`t like what I had allowed myself to become, all of the sins of the past and everything else.

And facing that, I remember feeling like, gosh, you know, if I face this, what if I find out that that`s really who I am? What if I find out there`s nothing good in me?

If Mel Gibson has this kind of feeling in him they I believe could have been planted there by his father, that`s a scary thing to face, to open yourself up and just -- I don`t care, warts and all, I`m going to expose it internally.

STROMBERG: Yes. That`s the root of alcoholism in many instances that there`s something wrong with me. And I drink and I drug to fill up that hole, to fill up that, you know, void that I`m not good enough. That there`s something essentially wrong with me.

And if I get high and I get drunk, it just kills and takes the pain away.

BECK: Right.

STROMBERG: And all of a sudden I am handsome and I am smart and she does like me.

BECK: Well, not so much. Not so much.

With Mark Foley in the news, last week, did blood shoot out of your eyes when he said that he was an alcoholic?

STROMBERG: This is the first guy I`ve seen that`s giving alcoholics a bad name.

BECK: I said the same thing.

STROMBERG: Can people stop giving alcoholics and drunks a bad name?

BECK: We`re having a hard enough time as it is.

I mean, Gary, thank you so much.

STROMBERG: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

BECK: You bet. Bye-bye.

Back in my drunken days, I have to tell you, honestly I was a pretty scary dude. There`s a reason I didn`t like myself. I actually fired a guy on his second day of the job because I asked him for a Sharpie and he gave me a ballpoint pen. And I am not kidding about that, and I am eternally sorry for that mistake. I was a nightmare.

And now that I`m sober, I think, man, if I just would have harnessed all of that energy, you know? To make money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Hey, kids, are your scary Halloween costumes not scary enough? Well, then, why not pay a visit to the Boozy Glenn Halloween Emporium?

We have literally hundred of scary costumes to choose from, including the crazy, drunken, Top 40 radio D.J. from 1994.

Or if you really want to scare your neighbors, there`s the guy who downs Jack Daniels and then begins to question his own sexuality.

The Boozy Glenn Halloween Emporium. It will scare you nearly sober.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is GLENN BECK.

BECK: Nearly sober.

Coming up, former secretary of state, James Baker, puts North Korea`s nuclear headline grab into perspective. His thoughts on a world at war.

Also, what`s in a name? How about $26,000? Meet a Marine who is auctioning off the rights to call him whatever the heck you want to.

Also the tradition of Halloween haunted houses turned on his ear. The evangelical hell house. It will scare the Jesus into you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Exactly what is happening right now in North Korea is going to happen in Iran. Anybody who`s freaked out by this, what a surprise. You knew this was coming. This is exactly -- Iran was emboldened by the U.N. doing nothing with North Korea.

They thought, if they`re not going to do with the Security Council with North Korea, like they`re going to take on an Islamic state? I don`t think so. Europe is too scared.

Europe is in such denial they`re never going to do anything. Of course not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: The alleged North Korean nuclear test now has doubled the list of countries facing the sanctions from the U.N. Security Council. Boy, they`re afraid.

Iran, of course, missed their deadline back October 31 to comply with the Security Council resolution and the U.N. immediately -- well, actually, they haven`t done anything, but you know, it`s the U.N.

So now you have two countries, one Muslim, one not Muslim, one in the Middle East, one in Asia. One threatening to start a nuclear program, one who`s already proven they have one.

How do you handle the two scenarios that are so similar on their face but so different in substance? You know, we always talk about resolutions and sanctions and multilateral talks. Do any of those things actually work with people like Saddam Hussein or leaders of these countries that only speak the language of military action?

James Baker is a former secretary of state, author of the new book called "Work Hard, Study, and Keep Out of Politics". Wow, what great advice.

How are you, sir?

JAMES BAKER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Fine, thank you.

BECK: What a pleasure to meet you.

J. BAKER: Thanks for having me.

BECK: First of all, thank you for all of the service that you have given our country over the years.

J. BAKER: Thank you very much. That`s very kind.

BECK: Here we have the news of the day with North Korea. Is there any way to trust these -- everybody`s talking about dialogue.

J. BAKER: No. No trust.

BECK: So what do you do?

J. BAKER: No trust. Well, I really think this time, primarily because of what China has said -- China -- China was not happy with this test.

BECK: Right.

J. BAKER: China does not want a nuclear armed Korean Peninsula, because if something happens there, the refugee problem is going to be China`s problem.

BECK: Right.

J. BAKER: So if you notice their statement this morning, it was very, very robust. And I now think that there may be some opportunity to do something meaningful in the Security Council.

I think we need to understand that the military options in North Korea are very, very minimal. It`s a very tough problem.

BECK: Yes. I don`t think we`re -- well, you know, we`re not really in military action mode, are we, even with Iran. That`s insane to try that now, isn`t it?

J. BAKER: No. Absolutely. Absolutely.

BECK: So how do you -- let`s go to Iran for a second. How would you deal with Iran, because you can`t -- I mean, even flying a plane and dropping a bomb on them is damn near suicide.

J. BAKER: Yes, and North Korea is almost even tougher, because we have 38,000 Americans on the 38th Parallel in Korea.

BECK: Right.

J. BAKER: And they are -- they have a million men under arms only 30 miles away from Seoul. Very difficult problem. But again, let me say I think we may now have an opportunity in the Security Council that we haven`t had before because China is very unhappy.

BECK: We went into Iraq for the weapons of mass destruction, but another really big reason was to pop the head of the snake, which is Iran, didn`t we?

J. BAKER: No -- into Iraq to pop the head of the snake?

BECK: Of Iran.

J. BAKER: No. No, that`s not in my view why we went into Iraq.

BECK: Really?

J. BAKER: No. Iraq...

BECK: I`m saying we went in for weapons of mass destruction. That was nice. But we also went in to pop the head of the snake, to put democracy on both sides and to crush that thing and hoping that the Iranian people would rise up.

J. BAKER: Well -- well, it would have been very -- it would have been very good if that had resulted immediately after our going in.

BECK: Right. Sure.

J. BAKER: It`s still not too -- you know, we shouldn`t say it`s all over. It isn`t.

BECK: Yes.

J. BAKER: It isn`t. There can still be significant success, and a democratic Iraq or even an Iraq that is not a Jeffersonian democracy in the Euphrates...

BECK: Right.

J. BAKER: ... but has some representative form of government can be a very good bulwark against Iran.

BECK: Well, in your book you talk about -- because you were there when we went into the first Gulf War.

J. BAKER: That`s right.

BECK: And you talk a little bit about this. Isn`t what we`re seeing now exactly one of the reasons why the first George Bush didn`t go in, because that thing is so fragile that -- I mean, we`re hearing talks now about breaking it up into three -- three parts.

J. BAKER: It`s one of the reasons, but it was not the only reason back then. There were -- you know, back then we were operating under a Security Council resolution.

BECK: Right.

J. BAKER: First time the Security Council ever come in and voted the use of force against a member state.

It didn`t -- it didn`t authorize us to go to Baghdad. Regime change was not our policy at the time. That -- that became the policy of the United States under the Clinton administration.

Twelve years had passed. Saddam had thumbed his nose at a lot of resolutions, and we`d had 9/11. Plus, our intelligence, wrongly, as it turned out, was telling us there were weapons of mass destruction.

So there was a different situation when -- when 43 went in this time.

BECK: Is there anything more useless than the U.N.? I think they`re actually working -- I think actually work against us.

J. BAKER: There are a lot of problems with the U.N., Glenn. Serious problems.

BECK: You`re a statesman.

J. BAKER: No, no, no, no. I`m giving you an honest answer.

BECK: You`re going to answer this one honestly.

J. BAKER: I`ll give you an honest answer.

BECK: All right. And I`ll translate from bull crap to English.

J. BAKER: No bull crap here. No bull crap here.

BECK: All right.

J. BAKER: Let me tell you, the U.N. can be very useful in U.S. foreign policy. It was really useful to us in 1991.

BECK: Right.

J. BAKER: When we -- when we went to war to kick Iraq out of Kuwait, we had the entire international community behind us. So it wasn`t just a cowboy action by the United States alone.

BECK: Right, right.

J. BAKER: So it was very helpful there. There are some social and educational organizations affiliated with the U.N. that are very productive and very helpful. But it is a huge bureaucracy that is badly in need of reform.

BECK: Yes. James Baker, I wish I could spend much more time with you, sir. Again, thank you for everything.

J. BAKER: You bet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: You know, when I was a kid people always made fun of my name. They called me Glenda, or you know, Glenn, the big, fat pale kid. But still, I never wanted to actually change my name.

Sergeant Cody C. Baker, however, is a little different. He`s not only changing his name, but he`s letting the world do it for him. And that`s one of the reasons why he is going to be able to help out an orphanage in Thailand.

Joining us now is the man who on January 1 will be known as formerly Sergeant Cody Baker.

Cody, tell me why you are doing this.

SGT. CODY BAKER, SELLING RIGHTS TO HIS NAME: I`m doing this for my family and we`re raising awareness for an orphanage in Thailand, the Im Jai House.

I`m going to be separated from the Marine Corps in about a year and a half, and I`ve got to take care of my family. And the way to do that is to go back to college, and I want to do that full time. I never had the full- time experience.

So I thought of a way to supplement my income when I`m doing that. So I started this ChooseMyName.com, where people can go and bid on changing my name.

BECK: Right. How much money do you need to be able to go to college full time?

C. BAKER: That`s a good question. I guess I`ll find out in a year and a half.

BECK: Yes. You -- you`re currently up to $26,000. The name that is being picked for you, I mean, this is as of January 1, if $26,000 is still the highest bid, you will be named Finest Freshest Fastest.

C. BAKER: That`s correct. Who wouldn`t want to have their first name Finest?

BECK: Well, me, I guess. This comes from a company called CupOfJoe.com, Marcus Seigle. I don`t think you`ve even met this gentleman. He`s the guy bidding on the name, and he`s on the phone.

Marcus, are you there?

MARCUS SEIGLE, CUPOFJOE.COM: Yes, Glenn. Good afternoon.

BECK: OK. How are you, sir?

SEIGLE: I`m doing great. How are you?

BECK: Good. The finest, freshest, fastest. Have you thought about naming him CupOfJoe.com?

SEIGLE: Well, we did think about that, but our motto on our web site is finest, freshest and fastest coffee on the Internet, so that`s what we chose. It reflects, if you look at a phone dialing pad, the amount we offered is coffee one.

BECK: Where is this -- Where is this. -- right. Are you -- where is your coffee from?

SEIGLE: We have coffees from throughout the world.

BECK: OK.

SEIGLE: We can -- you can get coffee from India, Indonesia, Hawaii, Jamaica, any country.

BECK: OK. Because I read on the web site that you -- you`ve got coffee from the Middle East, and I thought, how ironic that this would be selling coffee from the Middle East to a Marine.

SEIGLE: Very few of our coffees are. I think we have a coffee from Yemen.

BECK: Right. Oh, that`s got to be good coffee.

Cody, are you excited about the Yemenese coffee bean?

C. BAKER: Oh, yes, yes. I`ll take -- I`ll take any kind of coffee.

BECK: Right. So how much are you willing to pay for this, Marcus?

SEIGLE: We offered $26,333.31.

BECK: Yes, I know, but somebody is going to bid this up by January 1. Somebody else is going to do it. How much you got -- how much have you got at CupOfJoe.com?

SEIGLE: Well, we -- we`ve decided that this is a good investment for us. It certainly brought us a tremendous amount of notoriety.

BECK: Sure.

SEIGLE: And we wish Sergeant Baker the best. I have a nephew who`s an active duty Marine in Iraq. He`s going to be back this week.

BECK: Cody, when do you -- are you going to be serving in Iraq. Do you know -- do you go back into active service?

C. BAKER: I could be going back sometime in the near future, but I don`t know. That`s always a possibility in the Marines.

BECK: Sergeant, thank you so much for your service and best of luck. We`ll check back with you in January. Marcus, thank you, as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Welcome to "The Real Story." This is the section of the show where we try to cut through the media spin and try to figure out why a story is actually important to you.

First tonight, Mexico`s foreign secretary said that his government is conducting a legal investigation to determine if America can actually build a fence along their own border. Right. Now, try not to be too frightened when I tell you the next piece of news. He said they may actually have to go to the U.N. and ask them to intervene. Oh, no! Maybe they`ll pass a resolution against us and then never enforce it.

Now, as much as I`d like to spend the next two to three hours trashing the U.N., the real story is that Mexico is throwing stones from the world`s largest glasshouse. I want you to take a look at this: This is a page out of a booklet published by the office of the very same secretary who wants to take his case to the U.N. It is called "The Guide for the Mexican Migrant."

It is made to provide, quote, "practical advice for crossing the border illegally." This particular page is offering helpful tips on how to properly cross a river. But there are also tips on how to hire personal human traffickers, how to survive in the desert, what your rights are if you`re arrested in the U.S.

But Mexico`s glasshouse gets even bigger when you consider that their immigration laws are more strict than ours. You know, if you enter Mexico illegally, you can be thrown into jail for up to two years, fined, and then deported? If you try to enter again, you will face 10 years in a Mexican jail.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Mexican businesses, they`re not allowed to hire illegals. And if they have any doubt as to the employee`s status, they must consult with a government entity first. And if they don`t -- get ready for this -- the business owners face fines and prison time. Man, Americans are just such hatemongers to want to build that fence.

You know, I read a quote from a guy the other day who was just deported back to Mexico. And I think he summed it up perfectly and what this is really all about. He said, quote, "Wall or no wall, I will try at least three more times to enter the U.S. I have three girls to support. And in Mexico, there is no work," end quote.

Let`s be honest: The real reason Mexico doesn`t want a fence is simple. When the poorest and the least-educated people from their country come to our country, it does nothing but help their economy, as it destroys ours.

Next, a company in California said they have found E. coli bacteria in the water used for irrigation. That, of course, comes right on the heels of the E. coli spinach outbreak that killed three people and hospitalized over 100.

But the real story tonight is that, until proven otherwise, we need to consider the possibility that at least one of these incidents was intentional. Even if they turn out to be unintentional, this should serve as a warning to all of us on just how vulnerable our food supply really is.

You know, I read years ago -- and I don`t even if most people are aware of this -- in 1984, there was a small town in Oregon. They saw that vulnerability firsthand. There was a religious cult in the town. They wanted to take control of the city. And what they thought they could do was influence the election by poisoning people, poisoning the food and kill enough or hospitalize enough people so they could steer the polls in their direction. Not kidding.

After researching hepatitis, and typhoid, and typhoid fever, they settled on salmonella. This was their weapon of choice. Beginning that summer, they began to poison the town`s water supply, the salad bars at local restaurants, and the produce at the supermarket. By September 9th, the first illnesses were reported. And by late September, nearly 1,000 people had chills and fever and dizziness and nausea. Local hospitals was overwhelmed, and it was a breaking point. By the time it was all over, 750 people had gotten ill.

Now, remember, this is one small town with one small religious group. About 11,000 people in the town. Imagine what a serious terrorist organization intent on mass casualties could do on a national scale?

But the other frightening part of the story is that it took officials nearly a year to figure out that this was an attack. That`s why I said at the beginning that we shouldn`t all just assume that the current outbreaks are natural, even though all signs point that way now.

Luckily for the people in Oregon, the food was poisoned at the salad bar, which is at the end of the distribution line. It`s at the beginning of the chain -- the farms, the factories -- where things can really spread and do the most damage.

The speed and efficiency of our food distribution system is what makes it the best in the world. But it`s also those very things that also makes it the most vulnerable in the world. Two different governmental agencies are currently in charge of our food safety, but unfortunately, homeland security is just not one of them. Maybe it`s time for a change.

Dr. Irwin Redlener, he is a author of "Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Mega Disasters and What We Can Do About it Now."

Doctor, what leads us to believe that the food being poisoned would not look like what we`ve just seen?

DR. IRWIN REDLENER, M.D., AUTHOR, "AMERICANS AT RISK": Well, it`s hard to completely rule that out, in fact, Glenn. I think your point is very well-taken, that, you know, we have a very vulnerable food supply and food supply chain. And that applies to livestock, as well as grown food and agriculture.

So we do have a lot that we have to worry about, because there`s actually a significant amount of access that ill-wishers for us can get to our food supply, either in the farming of it, or the production of it, or the distribution of it to really cause problems.

BECK: So the lettuce or the spinach, that comes because we`ve got all of these farms, and everything from all of these farms taken and put into one place, and then mixed up in different bags, and shipped all over the country, right?

REDLENER: Exactly. So it`s like a built-in distribution center, not just for the food products, but for people that want to contaminate the food. And I don`t think we need to get overly paranoid about it, but it is clearly an area that has been neglected, in terms of homeland security and what it should be focused on, because that`s one of the main things that I think make us vulnerable that we do need to pay attention to.

BECK: What would this look like if somebody did attack us?

REDLENER: Well, it would depend on what part of the agricultural system or livestock production they went after us on.

BECK: Well, without giving anybody any tips, where are we really the most -- where should we be looking to shore ourselves up?

REDLENER: Well, there`s a couple of things we should do, even before we start the looking, and one of them is that, by research, we can actually make some of our plant material and certainly some of the animals less susceptible to some of the agents that might be used, by vaccinations and by growing certain species that are able to not be so susceptible to the kinds of things that might endanger us.

But beyond that, we need to be looking at the fields, where they`re grown, at the places where they`re packaged, and then what the distribution process is like. And I think so just it would make sense, if you think about it, that a terrorist might be thinking about the place where you get the biggest bang for the buck, that is, where is the most material at one time that can be contaminated before distribution?

That is actually probably the point. And without getting into much detail about that for obvious reasons, I think we can all imagine where that might be, not to mention the fact that, along many of our highways and byways where we`re going through farm country, it`s absolutely beautiful, but totally open. And it does present that kind of threat to us.

BECK: All right. So is anybody really pushing, I mean, in a credible way to spend this money? This would take millions of dollars to be able to do this. Is anybody out there ringing the bell, saying, "Hey, let`s watch our farms"? Or are we just purely, "Take the shoes off at the airport, once we have that threat"?

REDLENER: Well, there`s certain amount of that. We`ve gotten addicted to that M.O., which is that something happens, then we react to it, we pour a lot of money into it and neglect everything else. In this particular case, the Department of Agriculture has been looking at it, and they have been working to a certain extent with the Department of Homeland Security.

The question is: How fast are they working? Do they have enough resources to do the job? And that`s where it starts to get a little bit shaky. And I do think this is an area where we obviously have to spend a lot more time and a lot more money. But it`s among many other priorities, of course, that we have in trying to deal with prevention of terrorism and the preparation for any kind of major disaster we might experience.

BECK: Gosh, imagine the price of a salad if we had to put in these kinds of things.

REDLENER: I shudder to think.

BECK: All right. Doctor, thanks a lot.

REDLENER: Thanks, Glenn.

BECK: That is tonight`s "Real Story." And if you`d like to read more about the vulnerability of our food supply or if you`ve found a real story of your own, please tell us about it. Visit glennbeck.com, click on the "Real Story" button.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: What do you think about building a fallout shelter?

CALLER: Well, I was just down in the basement.

BECK: Yes?

CALLER: Scoping out the space for it. I have...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: You`ve already got the shovels?

CALLER: Oh, yes.

BECK: No, I`m being serious. What do you think your family would say if you and I -- we`d be pariahs, wouldn`t we?

CALLER: Yes, you know, we`d just be paranoid.

BECK: So you`re scoping out the space. What part of the basement do you think we should dig up tonight?

CALLER: I don`t know. You know...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: Right where we -- maybe where we keep the Christmas tree?

CALLER: Maybe. Yes, that would be a good spot.

BECK: All right, good.

CALLER: Kind of in the corner tucked away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: You know, it seems like every day we wake up to some other news that we don`t want to deal with, whether it be North Korea or a tragic school shooting. Countless reasons why this might be happening. It could be our culture. It could be the overall moral decay of our society. Nobody seems to have any answers.

One man, Pastor Keenan Roberts, thinks he may have found one: "Hell Houses." It`s sort of an interactive morality play designed to scare kids straight before they turn to evil. They`ve been popping up all over the country for Halloween. We checked out a performance in Brooklyn. One clip that we`d like to show you is strangely similar to a story right out of Missouri today where a student brought in an AK-47 into school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, Jeremy. What do all those heavy metal songs tell you to do? Come on, Jeremy, finish the problem. It`s so easy!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jeremy, please, put the gun...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time to eliminate the problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Pastor, is the point here that heavy metal songs are making people kill people? Is that what it is?

PASTOR KEENAN ROBERTS, NEW DESTINY CHRISTIAN CENTER: Well, the point, Glenn, really, overall, is that ultimately what we`re trying to reach young people with is a message that sin is going to really jack your life up. All of "Hell House" says, sin -- it either says sin destroys or Jesus saves. And that`s what we`re wanting to reach young people with.

BECK: OK. And I appreciate it. You know what I feel like? I feel like one of those "Yes, but" Muslims that I always talk about when it comes to terrorism. Yes, I disagree with what they`ve done, but I understand what they`re doing. It`s the same thing here.

As a Christian, I think like, "OK, yes, I think that`s a good thing, but I don`t know if I agree with what you`re doing here." Let me take another piece from the "Hell House" that we witnessed. This is about AIDS. Go ahead and roll this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss your groom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turning rebels like you into...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) The party`s over!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are they taking you, Steven? Steven?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I`ve never seen anything like this. I mean, you`ve got the devil performing this ceremony -- I mean, political incorrect doesn`t even begin to describe this.

KEENAN: Thank you. We appreciate that. We do.

BECK: OK. Let me show you the third clip. This one -- and I want to warn you, we had to blur part of this. We`re only going to show 13 seconds of it. It is -- I watched it in stunned disbelief. If you have children in the room, I`m going to give you about five seconds to say, "Turn your backs, children." Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to have to sedate the next one who comes in here like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And there will be...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Well, congratulations to Conway Cliff, our producer, who has homogenized that. You should see the way this really is. It is truly a frightening scene.

Pastor, don`t you think we need less violence, not more?

KEENAN: Well, you know, the issue really isn`t violence, Glenn. The issue is the fact that abortion, in reality, is tremendously frightening.

BECK: Yes, but who`s coming to this? I mean, look, I agree with your principles. I`m not a fan of abortion. I`m a conservative. I`m a Christian. But good God, man, who is coming to this?

KEENAN: Well, it`s mainly a 20-something and a teens audience by design.

BECK: It is junior high.

KEENAN: By design, junior high, high school, 20-somethings are coming to it. And we absolutely want to impact them with the reality that abortion is killing a human life, simply.

BECK: Honestly, Pastor, no disrespect to you, but I think this is the kind of stuff that gives Christians a bad name. I really do. Don`t you think -- I mean, look, fear...

KEENAN: No, I couldn`t disagree with you more, and I`ll tell you why, Glenn. The point of what we are trying to accomplish is we want to create access into people`s lives. Consider the decisions that you`re making.

And we understand this, that you absolutely -- in fact, a ministry mentor of mine many years ago, what he said to me was this: You can`t have an impact without a collision. And we are intentionally colliding with a lot of the nonsense that young people are fed, the things that they are told, misinformation that they are given. And what you`ve shown in terms of the abortion scene, we want them to know abortion is murder, and murder is sin.

BECK: Appreciate it. Pastor, thank you very much. Fear is not real, unfortunately. We`ll leave it at that. Back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Let`s go to the e-mail. And, in a minute, I will tell you about a new way to get involved in this segment and get your face on the magical TV box, as well.

First, tons of e-mail, like this from Molly in Iowa, on the segment I did yesterday on the crazy new church-run haunted houses. "Glenn, your segment on `Hell House` made me angry enough to sit down and start writing this e-mail before the show even ended. As a Christian, I am fed up with such displays. Making a gruesome spectacle out of an already horrible reality of school violence, AIDS, and abortion is repugnant."

It is unexplainable. It really is. It`s kind of like the fusion of the fundamentalist gospel and "Saw 3." Luckily, these things aren`t widespread. I mean, I got to tell you, I have a tough enough time seeing Jesus coming back and saying, "Hey, add a little more blood in that abortion scene." Or, "We need to get a tad more teenage brain on the blackboards." And maybe it`s just me. I can`t see it.

Alex in Seattle wrote in, "Dumb as a rock, clever as a donkey, the `Glenn Beck Show` is a complete dud."

Alex, I`m not the smartest guy, but I think what you just said is that a rock was equally as intelligent as a donkey, which would be an insult to all donkeys, although you are absolutely right on the show.

Ed writes in from Tampa, "Glenn, relax. On North Korea, everything is going to be OK. This situation is all a setup by FOX Television to promote the new season of `24.` Remember, Jack Bauer was kidnapped by China, so he`s already in the area and he`s going to take care of North Korea and their bomb. P.S.: Been here from day one."

Wow, so you`re the one that`s been sticking around from the beginning, huh? Thanks, Ed. I hope that you`re right. We need some real-life Jack Bauers right about now, minus the hot daughter that almost gets thousands of people killed every season.

You can e-mail me at GlennBeck@CNN.com or, better yet, send me your thoughts on video. That`s right: Just film yourself with your camera or your cell phone and then go to CNN.com/Glenn and click on the "Video Mail" link. It`s kind of like YouTube, except not quite as many people getting kicked in the groin. And Google will also never want to buy us for $1.65 billion.

Anyway, a couple of ground rules on this: Use a microphone. Keep it short. No groin-kicking, unless it is incredibly vital to your point and then go ahead. So we`ll see you tomorrow on the radio and then back here tomorrow night, you sick, twisted freak. Thanks for watching.

END