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| All content taken from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. Each weeknight by 6 PM EST a preview of that evening's show will be posted and then updated with additional information the following weekday by noon EST.
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| The Factor began with a live report from Fox News correspondent Leland Vittert, who had a run-in with Al Sharpton Thursday afternoon when he tried to question Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "We caught up with Al Sharpton at a church," Vittert said, "where he was rallying and saying he was trying to bring the community together. But he seemed to be acting as the mayor's bodyguard, making sure she didn't have to answer any tough questions about why she gave a stand-down order to the police." Vittert reported that Mayor Rawlings-Blake ordered her police department to avoid confronting looters during Monday night's mayhem. "Multiple sources have told us that not only was there a stand-down order, but cops were ordered not to wear certain protective gear and some cops were injured because of that. There was the promise of a press conference where we could ask questions, but the mayor slipped out the back door with her security detail and never answered any questions." |
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| "As we have been telling you, every excuse in the book is being used by some Americans to justify the violence in Baltimore. Let's start with what ignited the rioting. 25-year-old Freddie Gray died in police custody of severe spinal injuries. Today there is a report in the Washington Post that says Mr. Gray may have inflicted some of his own injuries, and that a police document says after he was taken into custody and put into the back of a van, he was banging his body into the framework. The truth is, we don't know what happened to Mr. Gray, the same way we did not initially know what happened in the Ferguson confrontation. It's fine to report about possible evidence; irresponsible to speculate about it. It is also irresponsible to make insane statements, trying to justify vigilante violence. And that's what we've been hearing all week. The litany of excuse-making is excruciating. The rioters are angry because America is a country of 'mass incarceration.' People who burn down buildings and loot are just 'misdirected' folks who feel hopeless. You see, it's not really the fault of those who commit crimes, it's the fault of America because we don't provide jobs for everyone. Here's the truth: How can anyone provide a job that pays a decent salary to somebody who can barely read or write? To somebody who cannot speak English? To somebody who has tattoos all over their body, who is defiant, who is disrespectful and who doesn't even want to work because they have a sense of entitlement that says they are victims? These politicians out on the street trying to justify riots by saying we don't provide jobs are dishonest in the extreme. If you get educated and are willing to work hard, you can get a job. It may not be well paying at first, but you work your way up. This is not a country that promotes white supremacy. Bigoted people are everywhere and they come in all colors, but there is no systemic effort to keep down black people in America. This has been a bad week in America, made worse by dishonest politicians, foolish pundits, and hateful morons." |
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| Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a strident critic of the rioters in Baltimore, entered the No Spin Zone and declared that he would never have obeyed any order to go easy on rioters and looters. "I would defy an order to stand down," he declared, "because I represent the people. I would have sent my officers out there and made sure they had the proper resources and the authority to use a reasonable amount of force. It is unconscionable that I would send men and women into harm's way without the resources to accomplish the mission. We have the support of the overwhelming number of people, particularly in the black community. The black community knows that we are the firewall between them and the criminal element." |
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| Bernie Goldberg evaluated President Obama's complaint that the media has focused too much on the burned-down CVS drug store in Baltimore. "There were over 40 buildings set on fire by the rioters," Goldberg pointed out, "and more than 100 cars set on fire. President Obama said 'a handful' of people were involved, but that's wishful thinking. Reporters did not inflame anything, but I understand why the president and city officials in Baltimore are unhappy with the coverage. They understand the power of images and they understand how Americans are perceiving those images. Liberals see people being oppressed, while conservatives see dysfunction. They see crime, drug use, kids without fathers, and kids dropping out of school." |
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| Commenting on the Baltimore unrest, Hillary Clinton has called for reform of the criminal justice system. FNC's Ed Henry reported on the reaction to that prescription. "It's been fierce and it's been mostly negative," he said. "Republicans like Rand Paul are saying she's flip-flopping because Bill Clinton pushed for longer sentences for drug offenders. She's also gotten a lot of criticism from the left for running away from her husband's legacy. The bottom line is that she's entitled to disagree with her husband, and if we spend more time dealing on criminal justice in the 2016 campaign, that'll be a lot better than debating whether she had a chicken or a beef burrito at Chipotle." The Factor turned to Dana Perino, who analyzed the government's role in ameliorating inner city dysfunction. "Government can do some things well," she said, "but it can't do everything well. Government is cold, the government can't deal with the root causes of the problems in Baltimore, things like family structure and education and jobs." |
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| Finally, Geraldo Rivera weighed in from the streets of Baltimore. "The vast majority of these people are well-intentioned," he said, "but there is a fringe of thug demonstrators who are different. The people in general have a legitimate beef - there are 35,000 abandoned buildings and unemployment approaching 40%. Why not give the buildings to a developer or a non-profit or families to rebuild? There are some real issues that need to be addressed apart from the Freddie Gray investigation." The Factor made a clear distinction between legitimate grievances and outright anarchy: "The right to protest is sacrosanct, but once you go over the line and you want to destroy things then all of it goes down the drain." |
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Don Clapp, Salado, TX: "Bill, you were rude to the two gentlemen in Baltimore. They tried to answer your questions, but you cut them off when they went against your preconceived notions."
Dan Nelis, Sinking Springs, PA: "Bill, for the life of me, I can't understand why some of your guests will not answer the questions. It appears they think you are trying to trick them."
Sheryl Hamilton, La Paz, Mexico: "O'Reilly, you hit the nail when you asked 'who exactly is marginalizing the rioters?' Not one of your guests could answer that question." |
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| A thug in Oregon actually stole a high tech track chair from a wounded vet. If you have any information about the crime or the miscreant, call Lt. Mike Budreau of the Medford Police Department at 541-774-2250. |
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