Friday, May 1, 2015
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.
Top Story
Live from Baltimore
Juan began Friday's show with the latest from Baltimore, where six cops have been charged with various crimes in the death of Freddie Gray. Fox News correspondent Leland Vittert reported from a joyous Baltimore neighborhood. "There is a celebration here," he said, "it's like the Ravens just won the Super Bowl. A lot of folks seem to think the trial should be held this afternoon, people are looking for some very quick justice. And in some ways it's easier to be a police officer tonight because there isn't a sense of rage. There hasn't been any rock-throwing or looting." However, one young man ominously warned Vittert that American can expect "a major blowup" if the cops are eventually acquitted.
Impact Segment
Can the Cops Get a Fair Trial?
Juan asked Judge Alex Ferrer and defense attorney Jay Abt whether the police officers can expect a fair trial. "No way there can be a fair trial," Abt declared. "The first problem is that you have this 35-year-old prosecutor who has probably tried six murder cases at most. She's very inexperienced and she's rushing to indict for political purposes. There should have been a special prosecutor to avoid the appearance of impropriety." Ferrer suggested that a change of venue may be in order. "The defendants can definitely get a fair trial, the question is whether they can get a fair trial in Baltimore. I'm not that concerned about what the prosecutor has said, I'm more concerned about the comments made by the mayor in this racially charged case. I wouldn't be surprised if Al Sharpton wrote the script for her."
Personal Story
Breakdown in the Family?
How large a role has the disintegration of the black family played in the Baltimore chaos? Juan posed that question to political consultant Chris Metzler and the NAACP's Hilary Shelton. "The issue here is really the breakdown of the black family," Metzler asserted. "We saw a lot of rioting and looting that was visited upon Baltimore by black youths, and to say the government is somehow responsible and we need more funding makes no sense. The issue is not funding!" Shelton, always reluctant to criticize black family structure, called for more government assistance. "Real opportunities are not available - we need good policies and programs to address these issues. What is the strategy for moving people from poverty to the middle class? We're not seeing that in Baltimore." Juan reminded Shelton that Baltimore spends vast amounts on education, job training, and social services, adding, "Democrats and liberals have been controlling this money."
Top Story
Baltimore: the Next Chapter
Juan next welcomed Geraldo Rivera, who spent most of the week talking to Baltimoreans. "Right now a huge march is just arriving here at City Hall," Rivera reported, "and I'm sure it's going to get very noisy very soon. There is both jubilation and trepidation. Emotionally speaking, the prosecutor did the right thing with the six cops, but this is no slam dunk case when you look at the legal aspect. I agree with the prosecutor that it was an illegal arrest but I think the murder charge and other charges will be very problematic to prove. The prosecutor's hope is that these cops will turn against each other. Yes, there was a rush to judgment, but I am relieved - I don't think Baltimore will burn the way it did Monday night."
Unresolved Problems
Analyzing the Police
Jonathan Gilliam, who has been a police officer, Navy SEAL, and FBI agent, entered the No Spin Zone with his take on Friday's indictment of six Baltimore police officers. "The cops definitely had the right to chase Freddie Gray," he began, "but I'm not sure whether or not they had the right to arrest him. The problem I'm having with everything we're hearing is sorting out what is the truth. The information is being released in a way that appeases the crowd but does not serve justice." Gilliam tried to express the difficulty of policing a crime-infested area. "An officer who works in Beverly Hills is not going to be the same as an officer who works in the inner city. Their reactions are different because they face a degradation of society in these areas. Poverty creates certain social norms that both good and bad people both subscribe to."
Personal Story
Mom of the Year?
Toya Graham was all over TV this week after she cursed and smacked her teenaged son who was among the rioters. She is simultaneously being hailed as a hero and denounced as a child abuser. Juan spoke about Graham's parenting with author Stacey Patton and Bishop Harry Jackson. "This is the first time in modern U.S. history," Patton protested, "that a black mother is being heralded for her parenting strategies. Any other time she would be charged with child abuse. We're praising this woman's sheer terror over her son's life without acknowledging that she's living in a mean-spirited and racist system that requires her to be violent. This is a racist country that is trying to destroy black communities and put their children in the dirt." Jackson put forth a radically different analysis of Toya Graham's parenting. "She should be the mother of the year. Authority is learned in the household, the boundaries of the house make a difference in the community. If more people did this we would have less rioting and looting, so this woman should be commended." Juan sided with Bishop Jackson, concluding, "I see this as a mother who intervened and was trying to save her child's life."
Back of the Book
Another Live Report From Baltimore
Finally, FNC's Mike Tobin reported the very latest from Baltimore. "The crowd has actually gotten a little smaller," he observed, "and the police presence is small as well. People are honking their horns and hanging out of their cars, this has dwindled into kind of a block party environment. Business owners are going to shut down a little early but they're not boarding up their stores or anything like that. The majority of people say they don't want any trouble and they'll respect the curfew."