MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Hearings on Police Activity

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Now that`s an interesting sound byte. John Boehner says the America people want answers. Mr. Boehner, you`re in a position of power. You can make sure those hearings take place. So now Washington is injecting itself into this process which I think is a good thing because Washington has done those of kind of things in the past. I`ll explain in a moment.

The fact that John Boehner is willing to admit that there is a problem I think is a big step forward. Earlier today the Congressional Black Caucus sought legal counsel concerning the grand jury testimony. The CBC wants the entire grand jury testimony released. Members told me today change can`t take place unless there is complete transparency.

As for the demonstrations across America, as they take place watching them, it`s clear to me that these 20 something`s, these young Americans who are out in the street, certainly they want justice. But they want more than justice. They want a better America. Yes, they want justice and they want fairness along with it.

They want an opportunity at a better life. And they want a system that doesn`t favor the wealthy all the time. They want their voices heard. You know, that there was 190 cities in this country today where people walk off the job because the wages are too low? You think that`s a problem?

What these young people can`t loose is hope. They must continue to believe that they could make a difference. And these protests must stay non- violence, they must be Martin Luther King-like and they must continue. That`s how you bring change.

And, we all draw on our personal experiences. Change comes in every generation of America. I want to take you back 43 years ago. I was just a 17-year-old kid on the sideline watching life go by. What was the mission back then? Well, on the football and the high school that I went to the issue was forced busing for racial equality.

We all had something in common no doubt, absolutely. We had to integrate because the federal government told us we had to. We had to go to school with black guys. We had to go to school with kids on the other side of town. Racial equality, that`s what the federal government said back then.

And what we had in common was the Vietnam War was raging. There had already been one draft in 1969. There was another in 1970. And all of us who are playing at that time we`re fearing that, holy smokes they might have another draft and our number might get called.

And the injustice that was going on then is was all the rich kids were getting deferments. How did that work out? And they were protests all over America. So many protests that this country decided to do what many Americans wanted get the hell out of Vietnam and do some change.

That can happen now. And as it was changed being forced 43 years ago and I saw it and I believe today that change can happen. And I don`t know what role the federal government has in law enforcement and street interaction in America. But I think we got to have people who are concerned about it enough to try to do something about it.

We were told to do something. We did it. It worked. It can work. We`re a great nation. For us to sit here and bitch every night talking about this happened and this happened and this happened and why, why, why. OK, it`s up to the leaders.

Leadership is important in America. Talk is cheap. We got to move on this
just like we moved on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, just like we
moved on integration, just like kids had to get up in the morning and get
on a bus and go to a different school for equality.

So now we`re at another one of those moments. These kids in the street across America, they don`t want their health care taken away. They want a chance at an education without being broke. They want to make sure that they are going to get a good job that pays them well and it doesn`t go overseas. Is that asking too much?

Change, if you`re not on the street and if you`re voices aren`t heard, it`s not going to happen. For Boehner to say what he said today, to me is the money sound byte that something might happen, because people of authority are the ones that we have to depend on. You know, authority is a hell of a thing.

Those cops on that street have authority, they have responsibility and they had a result and America doesn`t like it. Now what are we going to do about it.

Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think. Tonight tonight`s question, "Do you think anything will ever really change in law enforcement dealing with minorities?"

Text A for yes, text B for no to 67622, you can go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. We encourage you to leave a comment there. We`ll bring in the results later on in the program.

For more let me bring in Texas Congressman Al Green, Congressman, good to have you with us tonight.

REP. AL GREEN, (D) TEXAS: Good to be with you Ed.

SCHULTZ: Do you think Speaker Boehner is serious about these hearings? Do you think that if these protests across America continue that the federal government will get involved?

GREEN: I hope that he is serious and I will him at his word, but I do caution him to understand that he will have to stand his ground, because there are good many people who are making at their mission to contact members of Congress who talk about change. There are people who want to maintain the status quo, they are well organized and I assure you they are mobilized to make this calls and make certain conversations unpleasant while they`re talking to you.

Now, with reference to change, Ed I am so pleased that you have made this a topic of discussion, because without peaceful protests, you will have at best piecemeal change. You have to have protests to have great gain, to have the change that we seek the protestation must continue. So I`m encouraging those who are taking to the streets in a peaceful way to please continue to do what you do. I will join you.

I believe that we got here because of change that was created by the protests. Many of them took place in to 1960s. When Dr. King marched from Selma to Montgomery that created change, but it was really Bloody Sunday that caused the world to see what the horrors of segregation was all about.

So I`m encouraging peaceful protests. I support law enforcement. I believe that those who commit crimes ought to go jail. It doesn`t matter who you are. No person should be above the law and no person should be beneath the law.

The law should be applied equally to all.

SCHULTZ: Congressman, what will hearings accomplish? And I guess maybe I better put this question forth first. What would it take for John Boehner to make sure there`s hearings, how much more has to happen?

GREEN: Well, Speaker Boehner has it within his power to calls the hearings to take place.

SCHULTZ: And for him to say that today, I think is big. That is a first step.

GREEN: I think it`s very big. I want to complement him.

SCHULTZ: Because people in authority are the ones that are going to have to move on this.

GREEN: I happen to think that Speaker Boehner spoke truthfully and I trust that we will see some follow-through. I did caution about the many people who will contact him to try to persuade him to do otherwise. Now, what will the hearings bring about?

I believed you get some degree of transparency Ed. What we are seeing now is an abuse, an abuse of the discretionary powers that the prosecutors have. And this abuse of power can cause the grand jury system that we want to respect, that we do respect to become questioned, because you cannot allow the grand jury to take on the perception of being a star chamber.

Where there is a little due process, where a secret statements are made, and you don`t really get a chance to understand all of what happened before that grand jury. We cannot allow the grand jury to be abused.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GREEN: You got to protect the integrity of this process Ed. If we don`t stand up now and protect the integrity of the grand jury process and not allow these prosecutors to abuse their discretion, we are going to find that people are going to distrust the system.

SCHULTZ: OK.

GREEN: These people who are protesting are protecting the American judicial system.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Al Green of Texas, good to have you with us tonight.

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