Tuesday, March 22, 2005
On The O'Reilly Factor...
Segment Summaries
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.
Talking Points Memo
New Stats on Illegal Immigration
"The Pew Hispanic Research Center has issued a report saying there are 11 million illegal aliens residing in the United States right now. There's no question that having 11 million people running around unaccounted for is chaos and a gross violation of US law. Yet little is being done about the situation for political reasons. Talking Points believes that Hispanic Americans, like most of us, want illegal immigration controlled and would not punish a politician for doing that. The left-wing media, however, would. Any President who cracked down on illegal aliens would be demonized and accused of bigotry. Politicians know this and are frightened. The Factor has done all it can to report on this problem honestly. I favor a guest worker program, understand the country needs new blood, and feel diversity is a strength. But chaos is weakness, and bad things are going to happen if the illegal alien situation is not brought under control soon. Outside of the economy and the war in Iraq, the security of America's borders is the number one issue in America today. Do you think our leaders understand that? I don't."
Top Story
Terri Schiavo
Guests: Ken Conner, former Counsel to Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Michael Gross, a Civil Rights Attorney

Two federal courts have agreed with the earlier Florida ruling that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube should not be reconnected. Civil rights lawyer Michael Gross said the federal courts should never have become involved in this case. "The Florida courts affirmed that she has expressed her will. Each one of us could one day find ourselves in Terri Schiavo's condition. If others say your life should be maintained, even if you're in a permanent vegetative state, then your rights are being trampled on." Ken Conner, former counsel to Florida Governor Jeb Bush, countered that Schiavo deserves federal protection. "All we're asking is that Terri Schiavo be accorded the same rights that people like Ted Bundy get. Federal courts routinely review death penalty sentences of convicted felons. Terri Schiavo is going to die pursuant to an order of a court."
Impact Segment
School Shooting in Minnesota
Guest:Ceci Connolly, The Washington Post

17-year old Jeff Weise shot and killed nine people, including five of his fellow students, then took his own life. Cici Connolly of the Washington Post has been covering the story. "We've learned a few new things," Connolly reported from Minnesota. "Weise took two of his grandfather's police-issued weapons, donned his grandfather's bulletproof vest, and drove to the high school. He stormed through a metal detector at his high school, and shot the security guard. Kids were diving under desks and he just sprayed shots all along the ground. This entire episode lasted only about ten minutes, but the horror and carnage will last so much longer."
Personal Story Segment
Controlling Troubled Students
Guest: Anne Erickson, Guidance Counselor and former President of the Minneapolis School Counselors Association.

Jeff Weise had been identified as a troubled child long before his killing spree, and there are many other problem students in high schools across America. Guidance counselor Anne Erickson said behavior has changed drastically over the years. "Students are a lot more assertive about their needs and tend to be more aggressive. They wear their emotions on their sleeves, so you're going to know where they stand more than in the past, when it might have been seen as inappropriate." The Factor argued that school officials have given students far too much control and need to reassert authority. "The public school system has lost its way. The students' needs come first, rather than conforming to the rest of the student population. You need more discipline and strict rules."
Factor Follow Up Segment
Jessica Lunsford
Guest: Donna Coleman, President of the Children's Advocacy Alliance

John Couey, charged with killing 9-year old Jessica Lunsford, had had been arrested 26 times in the past and was a convicted sex offender. Yet no one in the Citrus County Probation Office was aware of those facts and Couey was even employed at Jessica's elementary school. Donna Coleman of the Children's Advocacy Alliance asserted Florida's supervision of sex offenders is out of control. "Governor Bush had better look at his state, and really hard. This is outrageous and pathetic that parole and probation did not know this guy's record." Coleman also suggested a new system. "We need a national sex offender website. The average person should be able to go on line, put in a name, and find out where that person is registered." The Factor expressed outrage at the situation. "Don't expect Governor Bush to do anything, but maybe the folks will start to rise up and ask who the sex offenders are in our neighborhood. We obviously have a lot of work to do in this country or we're going to have more 9-year old girls murdered."
Unresolved Problems Segment
Immigration Chaos
Guest: Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies and Humberto Garcia, Father

An illegal immigrant in Austin, Texas has been charged with killing 18-year old Jenny Garcia. The accused murderer, David Morales, had previously been arrested for allegedly molesting a 12-year old girl but wasn?t deported because Austin is a "sanctuary city," meaning it doesn't report the crimes of illegal aliens to the Federal government. Jenny's father Umberto Garcia expressed both sorrow and rage. "Our beloved Jenny was murdered in my own home with a butcher knife. She was naked, her hands tied behind her back. We have gone from being a happy family of five to four zombies, and this did not need to happen. Unless people sue cities over this type of sanctuary policy, this will continue to happen." Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies claimed the policy is an invitation to tragedy. "This kind of thing is exactly what we feared would happen when these sanctuary rules were passed. Either families need to start suing or we need to squeeze the authorities to change."
Back of Book Segment
Loving Fidel?
Guest: Humberto Fontova, author of "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant"

In a new book, author Humberto Fontova documents how some celebrities seem to be enchanted with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The book mentions Danny Glover, Chevy Chase, Ted Turner, Norman Mailer, Oliver Stone and others. Fontova believes Castro's admirers should be ashamed, given his history. "This is not a little tinpot dictator. He incarcerated a larger percentage of his population than Stalin or Hitler. Yet Jesse Jackson called Castro the most courageous politician he ever met. Danny Glover just signed a letter in support of Castro. Chevy Chase went down there and said socialism works." Fontova suggested that the infatuation with Castro is based on his rebellious image. "Castro has embodied anti-Americanism for the last half-century. He is the cool anti-American."
Books Mentioned


Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant
by Humberto Fontova

Read more...