"With the nation locked in on the Oregon massacre last week, violence is again a hot topic. There is no question the USA is a violent country. Our freedom allows bad people to create criminal enterprises and allows madmen opportunities to commit atrocious crimes. Tough, smart policing and strict mandatory sentencing drove violent crime down in America after the drug-fueled crack carnage of the 1990s. Because many drug criminals worked the minority neighborhoods in big cities, prisons became filled with people of color, prompting the left to label the anti-crime initiatives as racist. President Obama and his first Attorney General Eric Holder believe there is a strong racial element in the criminal justice system. They ignore the fact that drug dealers have devastated poor neighborhoods and enslaved millions of minority Americans. They also believe that selling drugs like crack, heroin and meth is not a violent crime. Never mind that folks addicted to those drugs commit the majority of property crimes in America as well as the majority of child abuse. So now, just in time for Halloween, the Justice Department is set to release 6,000 inmates from penitentiaries across the nation - many of them dope dealers. Also, Congress is getting ready to change some mandatory sentencing. This compassion for criminals is having an effect. In Washington, D.C. the murder rate is up 46% this year; in Milwaukee, 68%; in St. Louis, 51%; in Baltimore, 54 %; in Denver, 75%. Those are facts, but President Obama and the left have not acknowledged them. After the mass prison release this month, expect violent crime to rise even more. The myth that peddling hard drugs is a non-violent act is dangerous and irresponsible. And many of our leaders simply don't care."

The Factor pursued the subject with columnist Jason Riley and criminologist Peter Moskos. "You're making a false comparison," Moskos said, "by talking about murders and talking about releasing 6,000 prisoners. Those are two separate problems, and the huge problem right now is that we have too many prisoners in America. It's a shame on our country, and you can reduce incarceration and reduce crime at the same time." But Riley contended that releasing felons endangers society. "We don't do a good job of predicting which prisoners will turn over a new leaf. One study looked at 91,000 'non-violent' criminals who were released. Within three years, more than 20% of them were arrested for violent crimes, including murder and rape. Why are the administration's sympathies with the prisoners instead of their victims?"

Many in the media have castigated Dr. Ben Carson for seeming to imply that the Oregon victims should have charged the shooter. FNC analyst Monica Crowley dissected the contretemps. "Everyone running for president has to understand," she said, "that every word they utter will be pounded by the left-wing media. Everyone knows what Carson meant, but they don't to this to the Democrats. Carson is a self-made black man, a pro-life, pro-gun conservative, and therefore he has to be destroyed." Crowley, just back from trip to Austria, also reported on her first-hand encounter with the influx of Muslims from the Middle East. "What I saw is not a migrant crisis, I saw an invasion. 80% of the people are fighting-age males, and 10,000 of these Muslims are coming into the Vienna train station every single day. There are rapes, child abuse, and thefts."

Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, who has been following the Bowe Bergdahl affair, reported the latest on the alleged deserter. "The Army newspaper has reported," Shaffer said, "that there are mitigating circumstances that will allow Bergdahl to get a discharge without any further action. What's really going on is that Bergdahl's defense attorney is trying this in the media, but I think the Army will do the right thing." The Factor expressed skepticism as to whether the military will truly mete out justice: "I'm not so sure the Army will do the right thing. I feel bad for Bergdahl, who was tortured by the Taliban, but it's his own fault."

The Factor welcomed Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, harsh critics of President Obama's foreign policy and the mess in the Middle East. "Some Democrats say they are concerned," McCain said, "but a number of them take their lead from the administration. This is the greatest series of crises we have seen since the end of World War II, and we need a strategy that we can all support." Graham theorized that Vladimir Putin is enjoying humiliating the USA. "This is the tale of two presidents - Putin, who is decisive, and Obama, who is weak. It hurts us for Assad to stay in power." The Factor urged all politicians to come together for the greater good: "Fair-minded people know we are in trouble overseas, but we are not seeing any kind of united front in the House or the Senate. It looks like people are playing politics with this issue."

Donald Trump, after noting that Marco Rubio sweats during the debates, sent the Senator some bottled water as a "gift." With that in mind, The Factor asked Dennis Miller what he would give to some other candidates. "I got all the candidates a case of John Boehner's tears," Miller quipped. "I also got Donald Trump a bumper sticker that says, 'My Other Plane is Air Force One.' I'm sending Bernie Sanders a bill for half of what he has, since he wants to go down that road. As for Hillary, what do you get for the girl who has everything now that the stooge Kevin McCarthy said what he said about the Benghazi hearings. Can you believe how stupid that was? I got McCarthy a selfie stick that says, 'I'm with stupid!'"

FNC anchor Martha MacCallum analyzed Bill Clinton's appearance on Stephen Colbert's CBS talk show, where the former president was not asked about his wife's ongoing problems. "When you talk to a former president," MacCallum said, "there is a usually respect for a statesman. But in this case, I don't think you can treat Bill Clinton like a statesman because he is running to be back in the White House. There were opportunities to question him about the Clinton Foundation and about how much money he got paid for all those speeches. And if you're going to be nice to Bill Clinton, you have to be nice to Donald Trump, but Colbert went for the most embarrassing question he could ask Trump." The Factor theorized, "This is speculation, but I think they made a deal that there would be no questions about Hillary."

Sue Froelich, Wooster, OH: "Isn't it interesting that Mr. Obama is visiting the families in Oregon, but still has not called the family of Kate Steinle?"

Stephanie Weiss, Gilbert, AZ: "Respect is not guaranteed. It is not an entitlement. We don't have to respect the office of the President."

Al Anton, La Canada, CA: "Bill, your challenge to Kirsten Powers to produce starving children was brilliant. The only kids starving are victims of child abuse."

Bob Parker, Indian Trail, NC: "I must point out that sadly, Kirsten is right. There are hungry kids that we feed. Without church resources they would starve."

The Fox News Channel, born in 1996, is celebrating its 19th birthday. Many thanks to you for making FNC the most dominant force in cable news.