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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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Guests: Charles Krauthammer
"Emotion is running high after 20 children were murdered in Newtown, Connecticut. The President, Congress and we the people all want to do something constructive to make sure this horror doesn't happen again. Before acting, let's take a look at the facts. Mass shootings in the United States are actually on the decline and murders of school age children have declined 42% in the past 15 years. That's not to diminish the horrible crimes we have seen in Connecticut and other places recently. We do have a 'gun culture,' no question about it, and if the feds can tighten up gun laws without violating constitutional rights they should do so. To build a better and safer country, we don't need knee-jerk reactions after heinous crimes, we need smart solutions. It's interesting to see the far left calling for a ban on all handguns, which is clearly unconstitutional. The truth is that they don't like the Constitution, they want the federal government to have far more power, and they use appalling crimes like Newtown to push that agenda. In the months to come, Talking Points will take a very hard look at how the Obama administration handles the public safety issue vis-a-vis guns. As always, our analysis will be based on facts."
The Factor asked Charles Krauthammer how the powers in Washington should respond to the Newtown massacre. "There are people who want to use this for partisan advantage," Krauthammer said, "or to scapegoat the NRA. One way to get around that is to do what Joe Lieberman suggested, which is to appoint a commission, which would be far better than passing weapons laws that would be completely useless. The commission should not just look at guns, but also the commitment laws for the dangerously mentally ill, which are extremely lax, and the culture, the violence in the movies and video games. Children are desensitized to violence, which is glorified or trivialized to a point that is truly shocking." |
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Guests: Lou Dobbs
The Obama administration and House Republicans still seem light years apart when it comes to dealing with the deficit. Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs analyzed the situation. "We're nowhere," he declared. "Speaker Boehner has relented and says he's willing to raise taxes on people making a million dollars a year or more, while the President says wants to raise taxes on those making $400,000 or more. On the spending side, the President says there will be a trillion dollars in cuts over ten years, but we have no idea what will be cut. This is political theater." On a different financial topic, The Factor provided a concrete example of why California is going bankrupt: "Jeff Talbott, the head of a Highway Patrol division in California collected about a half-million dollars in his last year on the job and he retired on a $175,000 a year pension. We're sorry to pick on Jeff, but this is the crux of the matter everywhere - the folks don't have enough money to pay these pensions." |
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Guests: Olivia and Jon Hammar
Former Marine Jon Hammar, who was arrested in Mexico when he took an antique shotgun across the border to hunt, has been in a prison for four months. The Factor welcomed Hammar's parents, who were guardedly optimistic. "Jon met with a judges in Mexico today," Jon Hammar Sr. said, "and they promise that they will have a decision by the end of the week that should lead to his release." Olivia Hammar described her son as a model Marine. "He went through two combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and after getting out he was in a nine-month inpatient treatment program. It's an exhausting program and when he got out he wanted to go to Costa Rica to hunt and tried to drive through Mexico." The Hammars added that they have not heard from Secretary of State Clinton or President Obama, while The Factor pledged to keep the pressure on Mexico: "If the Mexican government doesn't do the right thing, there will be hell to pay. We'll get your son out of there, one way or the other." |
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Guests: John Stossel
As demands for greater gun control accelerate, Fox Business host John Stossel provided his libertarian point of view. "I hate these politicians making promises and saying they can fix it," he grumbled. "They can't fix this and promising that a law can do it is just wrong! We should have simple laws that make it hard for mentally ill people and dangerous felons to buy guns. The Centers for Disease Control looked at 51 studies of gun control and they couldn't find any pattern." The Factor reiterated that gun crime in America is intolerable: "I agree with you that law-abiding citizens have the right to protect themselves, but there has to be some middle ground. I think there should be a federal law that any criminal using a gun should go into the federal system with mandatory sentences." |
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Guests: Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lis Wiehl
Adam Lanza's mother Nancy had numerous firearms, including the AR-15 rifle her son used in the Newtown slaughter. The Factor asked legal aces Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lis Wiehl to explain. "The AR-15 is legal in Connecticut," Wiehl reported, "unless you add a grenade launcher or a detachable magazine. But Connecticut's gun laws are relatively tough." Guilfoyle illustrated how gun laws are so often confusing and ineffectual. "Even under the previous 'assault gun' ban, this AR-15 would not have been illegal. And in California, where the laws are even tougher and more stringent, this particular type of weapon would not have been banned." The Factor added a personal perspective: "I have a lot of threats on my life and I have taken absolute steps to protect myself. If someone breaks into my house, I have a right to kill them and I will. But I don't feel like I need an AR-15 with little kids around." |
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Guests: Chuck Williams, Ph.D.
Director Quentin Tarantino, known for ultra-violent movies, claims his depictions have no effect on human behavior. The Factor pursued the issue with professor Chuck Williams, who has studied the impact of violent films. "After what happened Friday," Williams said, "everyone has to look at what part they had to play in creating this culture of violence. Quentin Tarantino's movies are very violent with bloodshed, maiming, and decapitation. It's stylized violence and when violence looks good we forget that it's violence. The research shows that children model violent and aggressive behavior." The Factor decried the undeniable increase in movie violence: "In the 1960's the movie 'A Clockwork Orange' was controversial because it was very violent, but now that movie would be tame!" |
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Dick Meyer, Charlotte, NC: "Nobody needs assault weapons. It should be much more difficult to get guns in this country."
Regina Leadem, Madison, CT: "I support the right to bear arms. I also think we need stricter gun regulations, but they will do little if we don't change the culture."
David Bliss, Melbourne, Australia: "Bill, I am 23 and studying psychology. I also have Asperger's syndrome. Thank you for telling everyone we are not violent. I suffer with the stigma enough."
Cesar, San Antonio, TX: "The Marine imprisoned in Mexico committed an illegal act. It is not a bogus charge. Comprende?" |
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| If you're in the mood for some timeless Christmas music, consider albums by Johnny Mathis, the Neville Brothers, and Nat King Cole. |
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