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CNN Sunday Morning
Escaped Hostage Wants Focus on Those Still in Iraq; Chechnya's Leader Killed in Blast; Failed "Spider-Man" Idea Sparks Baseball Debate
Aired May 09, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: A major announcement coming this morning that a court-martial will be coming for Specialist Jeremy Sivits. That's on May 19. Three charges that he's facing: conspiracy to maltreat detainees, dereliction of duty, and maltreatment of detainees. We'll keep you posted with more information on that.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. military in Iraq is just releasing details of the first court-martial connected with abuse of Iraqi detainees, as Thomas just told you.
Speaking just moments ago U.S. officials in Baghdad say Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits will go on trial May 19 in the Iraqi capital. Sivits faces three charges: conspiracy, dereliction of duty and maltreatment of detainees. We know that Sivits is from Pennsylvania.
In the headlines this hour, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has canceled a trip to the U.S. next week. Aides say Sharon wants to rework a plan to pull settlements out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank after the Likud Party rejected his initial proposal. Sharon had planned to address a pro-Israel lobbying group in Washington.
And a Spanish newspaper reports that investigators have doubts that a fingerprint tied to the bombing of commuter trains in March is indeed that of Oregon attorney Brandon Mayfield. Mayfield was taken into custody Thursday and is being held as a material witness in the case. Spanish authorities say they have no evidence that Mayfield recently traveled to Spain.
Also, the Million Mom March organization is back in Washington on this Mother's Day. In about an hour the group will take part in an interfaith service at the capital. Then thousands of participants will march to promote gun control.
Former hostage Thomas Hamill addresses his hometown just hours after returning from his ordeal in Iraq. Hamill thanked his friends and family for their support and offered his prayers for his co- workers still in Iraq.
For more on Hamill's homecoming remarks we head to Macon, Mississippi, and CNN's Mike Brooks.
Hi, Mike.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sophia. Tommy Hamill and his wife, Kellie, returned home to Macon, Mississippi, early yesterday morning. Last evening he made a much- anticipated statement and answered questions about his ordeal in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS HAMILL, FORMER HOSTAGE: I'm thankful for all the support. It's overwhelming.
But there's still men and women, civilian, military, that are in the Middle East that are in harm's way. They are all heroes. I see them every day. They leave out amid transports, up to Landstuhl, some of these -- some of these soldiers, you know, may never make it home. Let's turn this hero welcome back to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: Tommy Hamill even expressed his feelings about the disturbing pictures being released of prisoner abuse in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMILL: When they came out with the tapes of the -- what's going on with the prisoners over there and I hated that. That had an effect on me, captured the last few days. I hate that happening. They asked me about it.
And one thing about it, we're going to take care of -- they're going to justice. They're going to be punished, and -- but the ones that they are holding us hostage over there, they're not going to be held accountable unless we go get them. They don't have anybody that's going to arrest them, put them on trial. So we've got to go get them and we've got to take them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: I just spoke a few minutes ago with Kellie Hamill's father who came in from Dallas yesterday. He said Tommy is still sleeping. They're going to spend Mother's Day together, and he thanked the media for letting them have the day -- Sophia.
CHOI: Mike, I know he says he wants no huge celebration, but I also know that he's getting a lot of book and movie deals offered to them. Any chance that he's going to tell his story that way?
BROOKS: You know, he really didn't mention anything at all yesterday. But talked about a lot. But didn't mention anything about any book or movie deals.
He wants the attention focused on the prisoners who are -- still have not been released and on the troops in Iraq. And he says that he wants his -- their prayers to go to them and not the attention on him.
He told me last night when I spoke to him briefly, he said, "I'm not a soldier. I'm just a proud American" -- Sophia.
CHOI: Mike Brooks, thank you so much.
And we'll be right back after this quick break. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHOI: Nancy Reagan makes a rare public appearance. She showed up last night at a fund-raiser for stem cell research to receive a special caregiver award.
Some experts believe stem cell research may help Alzheimer's patients, and that's an issue that weighs heavily on the mind of the former first lady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY REAGAN, FORMER FIRST LADY: Ronny's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him. We can't share the wonderful memories of our 52 years together, and I think that's probably the hardest part.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHOI: Nancy Reagan came out in favor of embryonic stem cell research many years ago. Now, at or around the same time President Bush signed executive order limiting research using stem cells.
ROBERTS: Seventy floors, scraping the skies at almost 2,000 feet groundbreaking for New York's so-called Freedom Tower is set for July 4.
Now, the glass and steel tower will be built on the site of the World Trade Center. Recently, New York's governor, George Pataki, talked about the symbolism surrounding the groundbreaking date.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI (R), NEW YORK: The Fourth of July, I think, is a great date. It is a symbolic indication that, on the date that our country declared its freedom, we are putting the shovels in the ground for the Freedom Tower as a symbol of our continued belief in that freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Over 60 floors of the new building will contain new office space. But how might the memory of the 9/11 tragedies affect people who are going to be going to work there everyday?
Here to talk about that is Linda Rosen. She's a clinical psychologist, joining us this morning out of New York.
Linda, great to have you with us. Good morning.
LINDA ROSEN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Thank you, good morning. ROBERTS: Let's talk about when this does happen. It's going to be a long process. We have a groundbreaking date coming up on July 4. And then there will be months and months until the Freedom Tower is finally completed.
But when people do go back to work there, how can they prepare emotionally for what they might face?
ROSEN: Well, it's been about three years now. And the wounds have been healing.
And to cope, people have been putting their feelings into a suppression chamber, like a Pandora's box. And you know what's in Pandora's box: anger, rage, resentment, fear, sadness.
And for many people, too, at the World Trade Center there's a great deal of nostalgia there. People actually miss the towers. People have told me they miss the arcades; they miss the restaurants.
So what happens when they go back to the site, that Pandora's box opens up, and all those feelings start to come out again. And that can be overwhelming to them.
ROBERTS: Do you think a lot of people, though, are going to be caught off-guard by their emotions? Because right now a lot of people probably aren't taking the time, maybe, to prepare for the obvious of going back to work in the tower on that site one day.
ROSEN: Well, Thomas, you make a good very point. I think people cope very differently. Some people are big talkers about it. They've been talking about it. We've seen it on the media.
And other people tend to push things away, and they push it even deeper into kind of a repression chamber. So those people who push it away further will have a worse time with it, and it can pop up.
And I found that for an event like this, that's extraordinary, an event that has such magnitude, that new defense mechanisms are really needed. The old coping styles will really not work.
The most typical coping mechanism we have is avoidance, and believe me, that's not going to help. You have to turn to more therapeutic kinds of help in order to cope.
And I suggest three main ones.
The first one is relaxation, where you kind of take a deep breath. In fact, we can do that now. If anyone is feeling anxious or anyone's even anticipating going back, who's watching this segment, it's very simple to do. These relaxation exercises are simple.
You take a deep breath in, Thomas, if you want to join me. You just pretend you're a balloon, hold it for a couple of seconds and then let it out as if you were letting out air out of a balloon that had a little hole in it. And you hear it. It goes "Shhhh."
You can do that in the car. You can do that in the elevator. You can do this in the train.
The other technique is positive visualization. Where you kind of imagine yourself -- it's like a virtual walking through.
ROBERTS: Right.
ROSEN: You imagine yourself going to work, and actually it isn't so bad. You're going in. You're going in the elevator. You're getting to your desk. You're doing what you have to do.
And actually, everything is working out well. If you're feeling anxious you say to yourself, "You know what? I can overcome this."
And self-talk is actually the most important coping mechanism you can do, because what you tell yourself will translate into how you feel. If you tell yourself, "This is going to be horrible; I'm going to hate it," you're going to feel bad.
ROBERTS: Well, Linda, we appreciate your time this morning. I did do the breathing exercise. I just didn't make the loud noise for you.
ROSEN: OK. The best morale...
ROBERTS: I'll do it in the commercial break.
ROSEN: OK.
ROBERTS: But we do have to run. Linda Rosen, clinical psychologist out of New York, joining us today. Thanks again.
ROSEN: You're welcome.
CHOI: Good tips there.
And we'll be right back with more of CNN SUNDAY MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHOI: Chaos reigned in the crowded stadium after the explosion under the VIP stand. The Chechen interior ministry says the bomb may have been planted in concrete three months ago while the stadium was being renovated.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote has a live report now from Moscow.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sophia, the Russian backed leader of Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed in that attack. The Russian president himself, Vladimir Putin, made that announcement a short while ago.
He said that Akhmad Kadyrov was killed in the attack, but that he was not defeated in this incident.
He also -- Russian officials also saying that four other people were killed in the attack and more than three dozen hospitalized, including a three star general, General Valery Baranov, in charge of all Russian forces in Chechnya. And that's tens of thousands of soldiers.
Now, this attack happened this morning. It was about 10:30 local time. The entire Chechen and Russian military and political leadership in Chechnya had gathered for a V-Day celebration celebrating the 59th anniversary of V-Day when this bomb went off -- Sophia.
CHOI: Ryan Chilcote in Moscow, thanks so much for that update.
Well, flowers and fanfare. That's what many moms around the country are getting this morning for Mother's Day.
But one mother-daughter duo, they're not going to be spending the day together physically, but through the magic of TV we are going to bring them together.
Specialist Karina Perez is in the military and currently serving in Baghdad. Her mom, Silvia Perez, is in Los Angeles. And both of them join now live for a special tribute this morning.
Ladies, great to have you with us.
KARINA PEREZ, U.S. ARMY: Thank you so much. Hi, how are you?
ROBERTS: I've been looking forward to this all morning long. First of all, Silvia, happy Mother's Day to you. And I want you to look at the monitor and check out Karina. Tell me how you think your daughter looks.
SILVIA PEREZ, MOTHER: She looks great.
ROBERTS: Karina, what do you think? Mom looking pretty good, too, huh?
K. PEREZ: Oh, yes, especially for this early in the morning, she looks great.
ROBERTS: We're on L.A. time to get Silvia up today.
Silvia, I want to start with you. Today being Mother's Day and all, and being separated from Karina has to be pretty tough for you.
But how often are your thoughts of your daughter, besides today, throughout the day since she left in October?
S. PEREZ: I think about her all the time.
ROBERTS: And for you, obviously, safety is a concern for your daughter. She's right now currently in Baghdad, but she used to be stationed in Mosul. So how often are you keeping up with your daughter's changes and her daily routine in Iraq?
S. PEREZ: She usually calls about once a week, and when she doesn't I really get worried.
ROBERTS: Because you haven't heard from her in over a week's time. And that's normally the routine for the family.
S. PEREZ: Right.
ROBERTS: Here we see a family picture, you with your husband and your other two children. Karina there on the left-hand side.
Karina, for you, how difficult is it to be away from home on holidays like today? You did leave in October, so you missed the major holidays at the end of last year, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
So how do you try and get through days like today where you have to be away from your family?
K. PEREZ: Usually, I mean, it's hard. Yes, we did leave right before the holidays started. So it was kind of rough, you know, spending Thanksgiving and Christmas out here, especially coming from such a big family.
I mean, my dad is one of 13 kids, so holidays are just big and huge and we get together. And so on days like this, when I'm not able to be with my family, I just really try to think about the times that I do spend with my family and try to call them and make sure that they're having a good time.
And I'm really try to emphasize that I'm OK here. I'm safe here. And I just want them to know that I'm OK so that they are more at ease at home.
ROBERTS: And this is going to be a very special moment for the family in years to come. Because Karina, you're going to get to say you wished your mom a Happy Mother's Day on CNN.
So if you want, look to the monitor and tell your mom what you'd like to tell her today.
K. PEREZ: Well, Mom, I miss you so much and I love you so much, Mom. And I really hope that you guys have a happy Mother's Day today, you and my grandmas and all my aunts.
And I really miss you, Mom. And I know it's weird because we're so far away, but I think it took me being halfway across the world to really bring us together, Mom, and I love you so much.
S. PEREZ: I love you too, Karina, and we pray for your well being every single day. Everybody in the family sends their hellos, and we hope that you come home very, very soon.
ROBERTS: Karina, Silvia, we're all starting to tear up here. Thanks for letting us be a part of this special moment.
But before we let you go, Karina, I want to ask you, for all the other moms that you're serving with over in Iraq, are there any special things that are planned for today? Or maybe the ladies getting together to celebrate one another?
K. PEREZ: You know what, I'm not too sure. Today is my day off.
But hopefully -- there's a lot of moms in my unit, and hopefully we'll get together, maybe for dinner or something, because I know there's a lot of moms just in my unit alone.
And I -- just to comfort my mom a little bit. There's a lot of moms in my unit, and they're being moms to the younger soldiers here. So, I mean, we're not without.
ROBERTS: That's wonderful. Silvia, for you I know you guys have a big family celebration planned today, right?
S. PEREZ: Yes, everyone is coming over to the house and hopefully watch the video about this interview.
ROBERTS: Wonderful. We hope, Silvia, you have a wonderful Mother's Day. And hopefully, you'll get a nap in there before the family comes over to the house, because I know it is early for you in L.A.
S. PEREZ: Yes.
ROBERTS: And Karina, we appreciate you taking time, and also thanks for letting us be a part of the wish that you send your mother on this Mother's Day.
Ladies, thanks very much.
K. PEREZ: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Take care.
S. PEREZ: I love you.
K. PEREZ: Bye, Mom. I love, too, Mom.
S. PEREZ: Bye, thank you. God bless you.
ROBERTS: So nice to be a part of that. I know that had to be tough, you know, for Silvia being in L.A. and Karina being all the way in Iraq. But through the magic of TV we get to bring them together and all of us get to share the special moment.
CHOI: It was so touching when she said it took all this distance for us to really come back together. What more can you say?
ROBERTS: I know. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHOI: The reaction from players was mixed.
Some, like Chipper Jones, thought the idea of having a Spider-Man logo on the bases was a little, well, off-base. Others, like Tori Hunter of the Twins said it was good for the kids.
But after a firestorm of bad press and publicity, major league baseball relented and decided against adorning the bases with advertising. But it's not over with yet.
Joining us from Baltimore is Ken Rosenthal of the "Sporting News." And from Charleston, home of his River Dogs, is one of baseball's all-time promoters, Mike Beck.
Thanks to both of you gentlemen for joining us this morning.
Ken, I want to start with you, what was so offensive about putting these ads on the bases?
KEN ROSENTHAL, "SPORTING NEWS": Baseball is a sport that honors its tradition and its history. And the field has always been the same, since Abner Doubleday invented it.
And you've never seen commercialism creep into the sport where it affected the field of play. And that is what was so offensive.
And in a day, an age of commercialism where you're bombarded with corporate names on ballparks, radio and television advertisements constantly, this was the one thing that fans stood up and said, no more.
CHOI: Mike, your take on all of this?
MIKE BECK, PROMOTER: Well, I think that it's true, that fans stood up. But I'm quick to point out that they weren't kids. They were fans who talk about the good old days, the purists, who say it should be this way.
We've lost a lot of kids over the last generation and a half, in terms of being baseball fans. I think this was a good thing. I think the commissioner was right for doing it. And I think it was a terrible decision to cancel it.
CHOI: Yes, Ken, major league baseball officials say they actually did it to attract younger fans, maybe some new fans. So if this isn't such a good idea, what's your suggestion?
ROSENTHAL: First of all, the promotion is going to go on. It's just not going to go on with the webs on the bases.
Second of all, this sport needs to market its fans and younger fans much better than it does already.
Hey, start the post season games earlier on the East Coast and Central Time so those kids there can watch the games to their completion.
Sell the sport. Tori Hunter is a real life Spider-Man in this sport. Barry Bonds is Superman. Juan Pierre can be the Flash. There are many, many things in the sport itself that can be marketed better by MLB.
CHOI: Mike, do you think because of, like in other major sports in baseball, it's basically, you know, going to the highest bidder in terms of advertising anyway, so it doesn't really make a difference whether you put a little Spider-Man sticker on the bases?
BECK: Yes. My first take, Sophia, is do anything you can to attract the kids.
Second of all, because baseball has such a wonderful niche in terms of its price structure. We're the cheapest to the big four. And hustles like this, promotions, if you will, help keep ticket prices down so that people can go to the ballpark with more frequency.
I say any corporate dollars that we can get, more is better. And one time doesn't hurt the sport.
I've been listening to the purists talk about Abner Doubleday and tradition for so many years, none of them are operators. If you waited for the purist, you'd have 65 percent of your seats available at any given time.
ROSENTHAL: I can't imagine ticket prices ever dropping due to a promotion like this and money that it would bring in. It's a reflection of supply and demand.
CHOI: Ken, let me jump in here, because we only have a few seconds left. Why is ad free sports so important to you? And do you think the tide is turning back since the fans did stand up and said they didn't like it.
ROSENTHAL: No, I think the ship has sailed a long time ago, and commercialism is here to say.
But I think in baseball, tradition should not be marketed only when it is convenient. Tradition is the one thing that distinguishes this sport from other sports. And to me, that's what you rely on your marketing for.
You can do other things like it. And I think this promotion is a good idea to get some kids into the ballpark. I just don't think you have to mark up the field while you're doing it.
CHOI: So you're drawing the line there.
All right. We've got to go. Mike Beck, Ken Rosenthal, thanks to both of you. Take care.
BECK: Thank you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: All morning long, we've been asking for everybody's thoughts on our e-mail question. It was about this picture. See this? We wanted you to place your caption here. As you can see, a horse trailer kind of got an unexpected guest.
CHOI: Yes. Six-car accident ended with this Dodge Neon rammed right up inside, actually, that horse trailer. The horse, we can tell you, is OK. Looking back, so what's this horse thinking?
Got some e-mail comments from you. "Wilbur! I told you, the green Alpha Romeo. Red is so not me!"
ROBERTS: And this next one: "Hey buddy, no tailgating." That comes from John in Trenton, New Jersey.
Do we have any more?
CHOI: We had some awesome, awesome comments this morning. My favorite was "That's not how to add horse power to a Dodge Neon" from Dale in Philadelphia.
ROBERTS: And there were some in the newsroom that we just couldn't tell you. But we had a good time with this today, asking about the captions for everybody.
We appreciate, though, everybody taking the time to join us on here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Thomas Roberts.
CHOI: And I'm Sophia Choi. So glad you stopped by. We hope to see you next weekend, same time.
ROBERTS: "INSIDE POLITICS" is coming up next for you this Sunday. But first, we get a check of what's happening now at the top of the hour.
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Aired May 9, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: A major announcement coming this morning that a court-martial will be coming for Specialist Jeremy Sivits. That's on May 19. Three charges that he's facing: conspiracy to maltreat detainees, dereliction of duty, and maltreatment of detainees. We'll keep you posted with more information on that.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. military in Iraq is just releasing details of the first court-martial connected with abuse of Iraqi detainees, as Thomas just told you.
Speaking just moments ago U.S. officials in Baghdad say Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits will go on trial May 19 in the Iraqi capital. Sivits faces three charges: conspiracy, dereliction of duty and maltreatment of detainees. We know that Sivits is from Pennsylvania.
In the headlines this hour, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has canceled a trip to the U.S. next week. Aides say Sharon wants to rework a plan to pull settlements out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank after the Likud Party rejected his initial proposal. Sharon had planned to address a pro-Israel lobbying group in Washington.
And a Spanish newspaper reports that investigators have doubts that a fingerprint tied to the bombing of commuter trains in March is indeed that of Oregon attorney Brandon Mayfield. Mayfield was taken into custody Thursday and is being held as a material witness in the case. Spanish authorities say they have no evidence that Mayfield recently traveled to Spain.
Also, the Million Mom March organization is back in Washington on this Mother's Day. In about an hour the group will take part in an interfaith service at the capital. Then thousands of participants will march to promote gun control.
Former hostage Thomas Hamill addresses his hometown just hours after returning from his ordeal in Iraq. Hamill thanked his friends and family for their support and offered his prayers for his co- workers still in Iraq.
For more on Hamill's homecoming remarks we head to Macon, Mississippi, and CNN's Mike Brooks.
Hi, Mike.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sophia. Tommy Hamill and his wife, Kellie, returned home to Macon, Mississippi, early yesterday morning. Last evening he made a much- anticipated statement and answered questions about his ordeal in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS HAMILL, FORMER HOSTAGE: I'm thankful for all the support. It's overwhelming.
But there's still men and women, civilian, military, that are in the Middle East that are in harm's way. They are all heroes. I see them every day. They leave out amid transports, up to Landstuhl, some of these -- some of these soldiers, you know, may never make it home. Let's turn this hero welcome back to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: Tommy Hamill even expressed his feelings about the disturbing pictures being released of prisoner abuse in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMILL: When they came out with the tapes of the -- what's going on with the prisoners over there and I hated that. That had an effect on me, captured the last few days. I hate that happening. They asked me about it.
And one thing about it, we're going to take care of -- they're going to justice. They're going to be punished, and -- but the ones that they are holding us hostage over there, they're not going to be held accountable unless we go get them. They don't have anybody that's going to arrest them, put them on trial. So we've got to go get them and we've got to take them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: I just spoke a few minutes ago with Kellie Hamill's father who came in from Dallas yesterday. He said Tommy is still sleeping. They're going to spend Mother's Day together, and he thanked the media for letting them have the day -- Sophia.
CHOI: Mike, I know he says he wants no huge celebration, but I also know that he's getting a lot of book and movie deals offered to them. Any chance that he's going to tell his story that way?
BROOKS: You know, he really didn't mention anything at all yesterday. But talked about a lot. But didn't mention anything about any book or movie deals.
He wants the attention focused on the prisoners who are -- still have not been released and on the troops in Iraq. And he says that he wants his -- their prayers to go to them and not the attention on him.
He told me last night when I spoke to him briefly, he said, "I'm not a soldier. I'm just a proud American" -- Sophia.
CHOI: Mike Brooks, thank you so much.
And we'll be right back after this quick break. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHOI: Nancy Reagan makes a rare public appearance. She showed up last night at a fund-raiser for stem cell research to receive a special caregiver award.
Some experts believe stem cell research may help Alzheimer's patients, and that's an issue that weighs heavily on the mind of the former first lady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY REAGAN, FORMER FIRST LADY: Ronny's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him. We can't share the wonderful memories of our 52 years together, and I think that's probably the hardest part.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHOI: Nancy Reagan came out in favor of embryonic stem cell research many years ago. Now, at or around the same time President Bush signed executive order limiting research using stem cells.
ROBERTS: Seventy floors, scraping the skies at almost 2,000 feet groundbreaking for New York's so-called Freedom Tower is set for July 4.
Now, the glass and steel tower will be built on the site of the World Trade Center. Recently, New York's governor, George Pataki, talked about the symbolism surrounding the groundbreaking date.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI (R), NEW YORK: The Fourth of July, I think, is a great date. It is a symbolic indication that, on the date that our country declared its freedom, we are putting the shovels in the ground for the Freedom Tower as a symbol of our continued belief in that freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Over 60 floors of the new building will contain new office space. But how might the memory of the 9/11 tragedies affect people who are going to be going to work there everyday?
Here to talk about that is Linda Rosen. She's a clinical psychologist, joining us this morning out of New York.
Linda, great to have you with us. Good morning.
LINDA ROSEN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Thank you, good morning. ROBERTS: Let's talk about when this does happen. It's going to be a long process. We have a groundbreaking date coming up on July 4. And then there will be months and months until the Freedom Tower is finally completed.
But when people do go back to work there, how can they prepare emotionally for what they might face?
ROSEN: Well, it's been about three years now. And the wounds have been healing.
And to cope, people have been putting their feelings into a suppression chamber, like a Pandora's box. And you know what's in Pandora's box: anger, rage, resentment, fear, sadness.
And for many people, too, at the World Trade Center there's a great deal of nostalgia there. People actually miss the towers. People have told me they miss the arcades; they miss the restaurants.
So what happens when they go back to the site, that Pandora's box opens up, and all those feelings start to come out again. And that can be overwhelming to them.
ROBERTS: Do you think a lot of people, though, are going to be caught off-guard by their emotions? Because right now a lot of people probably aren't taking the time, maybe, to prepare for the obvious of going back to work in the tower on that site one day.
ROSEN: Well, Thomas, you make a good very point. I think people cope very differently. Some people are big talkers about it. They've been talking about it. We've seen it on the media.
And other people tend to push things away, and they push it even deeper into kind of a repression chamber. So those people who push it away further will have a worse time with it, and it can pop up.
And I found that for an event like this, that's extraordinary, an event that has such magnitude, that new defense mechanisms are really needed. The old coping styles will really not work.
The most typical coping mechanism we have is avoidance, and believe me, that's not going to help. You have to turn to more therapeutic kinds of help in order to cope.
And I suggest three main ones.
The first one is relaxation, where you kind of take a deep breath. In fact, we can do that now. If anyone is feeling anxious or anyone's even anticipating going back, who's watching this segment, it's very simple to do. These relaxation exercises are simple.
You take a deep breath in, Thomas, if you want to join me. You just pretend you're a balloon, hold it for a couple of seconds and then let it out as if you were letting out air out of a balloon that had a little hole in it. And you hear it. It goes "Shhhh."
You can do that in the car. You can do that in the elevator. You can do this in the train.
The other technique is positive visualization. Where you kind of imagine yourself -- it's like a virtual walking through.
ROBERTS: Right.
ROSEN: You imagine yourself going to work, and actually it isn't so bad. You're going in. You're going in the elevator. You're getting to your desk. You're doing what you have to do.
And actually, everything is working out well. If you're feeling anxious you say to yourself, "You know what? I can overcome this."
And self-talk is actually the most important coping mechanism you can do, because what you tell yourself will translate into how you feel. If you tell yourself, "This is going to be horrible; I'm going to hate it," you're going to feel bad.
ROBERTS: Well, Linda, we appreciate your time this morning. I did do the breathing exercise. I just didn't make the loud noise for you.
ROSEN: OK. The best morale...
ROBERTS: I'll do it in the commercial break.
ROSEN: OK.
ROBERTS: But we do have to run. Linda Rosen, clinical psychologist out of New York, joining us today. Thanks again.
ROSEN: You're welcome.
CHOI: Good tips there.
And we'll be right back with more of CNN SUNDAY MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHOI: Chaos reigned in the crowded stadium after the explosion under the VIP stand. The Chechen interior ministry says the bomb may have been planted in concrete three months ago while the stadium was being renovated.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote has a live report now from Moscow.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sophia, the Russian backed leader of Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed in that attack. The Russian president himself, Vladimir Putin, made that announcement a short while ago.
He said that Akhmad Kadyrov was killed in the attack, but that he was not defeated in this incident.
He also -- Russian officials also saying that four other people were killed in the attack and more than three dozen hospitalized, including a three star general, General Valery Baranov, in charge of all Russian forces in Chechnya. And that's tens of thousands of soldiers.
Now, this attack happened this morning. It was about 10:30 local time. The entire Chechen and Russian military and political leadership in Chechnya had gathered for a V-Day celebration celebrating the 59th anniversary of V-Day when this bomb went off -- Sophia.
CHOI: Ryan Chilcote in Moscow, thanks so much for that update.
Well, flowers and fanfare. That's what many moms around the country are getting this morning for Mother's Day.
But one mother-daughter duo, they're not going to be spending the day together physically, but through the magic of TV we are going to bring them together.
Specialist Karina Perez is in the military and currently serving in Baghdad. Her mom, Silvia Perez, is in Los Angeles. And both of them join now live for a special tribute this morning.
Ladies, great to have you with us.
KARINA PEREZ, U.S. ARMY: Thank you so much. Hi, how are you?
ROBERTS: I've been looking forward to this all morning long. First of all, Silvia, happy Mother's Day to you. And I want you to look at the monitor and check out Karina. Tell me how you think your daughter looks.
SILVIA PEREZ, MOTHER: She looks great.
ROBERTS: Karina, what do you think? Mom looking pretty good, too, huh?
K. PEREZ: Oh, yes, especially for this early in the morning, she looks great.
ROBERTS: We're on L.A. time to get Silvia up today.
Silvia, I want to start with you. Today being Mother's Day and all, and being separated from Karina has to be pretty tough for you.
But how often are your thoughts of your daughter, besides today, throughout the day since she left in October?
S. PEREZ: I think about her all the time.
ROBERTS: And for you, obviously, safety is a concern for your daughter. She's right now currently in Baghdad, but she used to be stationed in Mosul. So how often are you keeping up with your daughter's changes and her daily routine in Iraq?
S. PEREZ: She usually calls about once a week, and when she doesn't I really get worried.
ROBERTS: Because you haven't heard from her in over a week's time. And that's normally the routine for the family.
S. PEREZ: Right.
ROBERTS: Here we see a family picture, you with your husband and your other two children. Karina there on the left-hand side.
Karina, for you, how difficult is it to be away from home on holidays like today? You did leave in October, so you missed the major holidays at the end of last year, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
So how do you try and get through days like today where you have to be away from your family?
K. PEREZ: Usually, I mean, it's hard. Yes, we did leave right before the holidays started. So it was kind of rough, you know, spending Thanksgiving and Christmas out here, especially coming from such a big family.
I mean, my dad is one of 13 kids, so holidays are just big and huge and we get together. And so on days like this, when I'm not able to be with my family, I just really try to think about the times that I do spend with my family and try to call them and make sure that they're having a good time.
And I'm really try to emphasize that I'm OK here. I'm safe here. And I just want them to know that I'm OK so that they are more at ease at home.
ROBERTS: And this is going to be a very special moment for the family in years to come. Because Karina, you're going to get to say you wished your mom a Happy Mother's Day on CNN.
So if you want, look to the monitor and tell your mom what you'd like to tell her today.
K. PEREZ: Well, Mom, I miss you so much and I love you so much, Mom. And I really hope that you guys have a happy Mother's Day today, you and my grandmas and all my aunts.
And I really miss you, Mom. And I know it's weird because we're so far away, but I think it took me being halfway across the world to really bring us together, Mom, and I love you so much.
S. PEREZ: I love you too, Karina, and we pray for your well being every single day. Everybody in the family sends their hellos, and we hope that you come home very, very soon.
ROBERTS: Karina, Silvia, we're all starting to tear up here. Thanks for letting us be a part of this special moment.
But before we let you go, Karina, I want to ask you, for all the other moms that you're serving with over in Iraq, are there any special things that are planned for today? Or maybe the ladies getting together to celebrate one another?
K. PEREZ: You know what, I'm not too sure. Today is my day off.
But hopefully -- there's a lot of moms in my unit, and hopefully we'll get together, maybe for dinner or something, because I know there's a lot of moms just in my unit alone.
And I -- just to comfort my mom a little bit. There's a lot of moms in my unit, and they're being moms to the younger soldiers here. So, I mean, we're not without.
ROBERTS: That's wonderful. Silvia, for you I know you guys have a big family celebration planned today, right?
S. PEREZ: Yes, everyone is coming over to the house and hopefully watch the video about this interview.
ROBERTS: Wonderful. We hope, Silvia, you have a wonderful Mother's Day. And hopefully, you'll get a nap in there before the family comes over to the house, because I know it is early for you in L.A.
S. PEREZ: Yes.
ROBERTS: And Karina, we appreciate you taking time, and also thanks for letting us be a part of the wish that you send your mother on this Mother's Day.
Ladies, thanks very much.
K. PEREZ: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Take care.
S. PEREZ: I love you.
K. PEREZ: Bye, Mom. I love, too, Mom.
S. PEREZ: Bye, thank you. God bless you.
ROBERTS: So nice to be a part of that. I know that had to be tough, you know, for Silvia being in L.A. and Karina being all the way in Iraq. But through the magic of TV we get to bring them together and all of us get to share the special moment.
CHOI: It was so touching when she said it took all this distance for us to really come back together. What more can you say?
ROBERTS: I know. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHOI: The reaction from players was mixed.
Some, like Chipper Jones, thought the idea of having a Spider-Man logo on the bases was a little, well, off-base. Others, like Tori Hunter of the Twins said it was good for the kids.
But after a firestorm of bad press and publicity, major league baseball relented and decided against adorning the bases with advertising. But it's not over with yet.
Joining us from Baltimore is Ken Rosenthal of the "Sporting News." And from Charleston, home of his River Dogs, is one of baseball's all-time promoters, Mike Beck.
Thanks to both of you gentlemen for joining us this morning.
Ken, I want to start with you, what was so offensive about putting these ads on the bases?
KEN ROSENTHAL, "SPORTING NEWS": Baseball is a sport that honors its tradition and its history. And the field has always been the same, since Abner Doubleday invented it.
And you've never seen commercialism creep into the sport where it affected the field of play. And that is what was so offensive.
And in a day, an age of commercialism where you're bombarded with corporate names on ballparks, radio and television advertisements constantly, this was the one thing that fans stood up and said, no more.
CHOI: Mike, your take on all of this?
MIKE BECK, PROMOTER: Well, I think that it's true, that fans stood up. But I'm quick to point out that they weren't kids. They were fans who talk about the good old days, the purists, who say it should be this way.
We've lost a lot of kids over the last generation and a half, in terms of being baseball fans. I think this was a good thing. I think the commissioner was right for doing it. And I think it was a terrible decision to cancel it.
CHOI: Yes, Ken, major league baseball officials say they actually did it to attract younger fans, maybe some new fans. So if this isn't such a good idea, what's your suggestion?
ROSENTHAL: First of all, the promotion is going to go on. It's just not going to go on with the webs on the bases.
Second of all, this sport needs to market its fans and younger fans much better than it does already.
Hey, start the post season games earlier on the East Coast and Central Time so those kids there can watch the games to their completion.
Sell the sport. Tori Hunter is a real life Spider-Man in this sport. Barry Bonds is Superman. Juan Pierre can be the Flash. There are many, many things in the sport itself that can be marketed better by MLB.
CHOI: Mike, do you think because of, like in other major sports in baseball, it's basically, you know, going to the highest bidder in terms of advertising anyway, so it doesn't really make a difference whether you put a little Spider-Man sticker on the bases?
BECK: Yes. My first take, Sophia, is do anything you can to attract the kids.
Second of all, because baseball has such a wonderful niche in terms of its price structure. We're the cheapest to the big four. And hustles like this, promotions, if you will, help keep ticket prices down so that people can go to the ballpark with more frequency.
I say any corporate dollars that we can get, more is better. And one time doesn't hurt the sport.
I've been listening to the purists talk about Abner Doubleday and tradition for so many years, none of them are operators. If you waited for the purist, you'd have 65 percent of your seats available at any given time.
ROSENTHAL: I can't imagine ticket prices ever dropping due to a promotion like this and money that it would bring in. It's a reflection of supply and demand.
CHOI: Ken, let me jump in here, because we only have a few seconds left. Why is ad free sports so important to you? And do you think the tide is turning back since the fans did stand up and said they didn't like it.
ROSENTHAL: No, I think the ship has sailed a long time ago, and commercialism is here to say.
But I think in baseball, tradition should not be marketed only when it is convenient. Tradition is the one thing that distinguishes this sport from other sports. And to me, that's what you rely on your marketing for.
You can do other things like it. And I think this promotion is a good idea to get some kids into the ballpark. I just don't think you have to mark up the field while you're doing it.
CHOI: So you're drawing the line there.
All right. We've got to go. Mike Beck, Ken Rosenthal, thanks to both of you. Take care.
BECK: Thank you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: All morning long, we've been asking for everybody's thoughts on our e-mail question. It was about this picture. See this? We wanted you to place your caption here. As you can see, a horse trailer kind of got an unexpected guest.
CHOI: Yes. Six-car accident ended with this Dodge Neon rammed right up inside, actually, that horse trailer. The horse, we can tell you, is OK. Looking back, so what's this horse thinking?
Got some e-mail comments from you. "Wilbur! I told you, the green Alpha Romeo. Red is so not me!"
ROBERTS: And this next one: "Hey buddy, no tailgating." That comes from John in Trenton, New Jersey.
Do we have any more?
CHOI: We had some awesome, awesome comments this morning. My favorite was "That's not how to add horse power to a Dodge Neon" from Dale in Philadelphia.
ROBERTS: And there were some in the newsroom that we just couldn't tell you. But we had a good time with this today, asking about the captions for everybody.
We appreciate, though, everybody taking the time to join us on here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Thomas Roberts.
CHOI: And I'm Sophia Choi. So glad you stopped by. We hope to see you next weekend, same time.
ROBERTS: "INSIDE POLITICS" is coming up next for you this Sunday. But first, we get a check of what's happening now at the top of the hour.
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