Skip to main content

tv   Anderson Cooper 360  CNN  September 20, 2011 7:00pm-8:00pm PDT

7:00 pm
good evening it is 10 p.m. here heir on the east coast. this is jamie rode meyer 14 years old, a freshman at williams north high school in buff low, new york. jamie routinely blogged about his troubles. 11 days ago, he wrote something online, he said, i always say how bullied i am but no one listens. what do i have to do so people will listen? one week later this past sunday, jamie committed suicide. when kids die there is no record of their pain no record of what they have been through, of their suffering but jamie did leave us
7:01 pm
a message. moments ago, posted a message on to youtube as part of it gets better project a message of hope to lesbian, gay you bisexual children n his sadness, jamie was reach out to help others. this is jamie rode meyer in his own words. >> hi this is jamie from buff low, new york. and i'm just here to tell you does get better. here is a little bit of my story. um -- um, december 2010, i thought i was bi. and then i always got made fun of because i virtually have no guy friends. and i only have friends that are girls and bothered me because be like tag got tag and caught me in the hallways and i felt like i could never escape t and i made a form spring, which i shouldn't have done and people would constantly send me hate, telling me that gay people go to
7:02 pm
hell. >> jamie says he constantly got messages, hate messages on form spring, a social networking site that allows kids to send anonymous messages to each other. back then, as you hear, he says he rose above the negativity. here is more of what jamie had to say. >>. >> and i just want to tell you does get better. i came out being bi, i got so much from my friends, made me feel so secure. then if your friends or family are there four, i look up to most supporting people of the gay community that i think of that i know. lady gaga, she makes me so happy and she let mess know that i was born this way. and that's my advice to you from her, we were born this watch you will all you have to do is hold your head up and you will go
7:03 pm
far, because that's all tough do just love yourself and you're set. >> love yourself and you're set. now, here's the last part of his message, perhaps the most chilling. >> i promise you it will get better. i have so much support from people i don't even know online. i know that sounds creepy, but they are so nice and caring and they don't ever want me to die. >> they don't ever want me to die. jamie rode meyer last may. last sunday, he took his own life. he was 14 years old. now, we do know jamie's school, he did have some type of bullying prevention program, unclear how extensive it was. a lot of schools across the country have program like that and more and more states are enacting new anti-bullying lawyers for school bus some organizations and lawmakers who say all of this isn't needed, organization like focus on the family who say some anti-bullying efforts are ways to promote a so-called gay agenda. candy curbman, an education analyst for the group posted
7:04 pm
this on true tolerance.org -- then robert newman, head of the california christian coalition. his group plans to fight legislation signed by governor jerry brown that adds schools have to teach lesbian, gay and transjepdered history along other ethnic and minority groups. here is mr. newman, what he stayed this past weekend about bullying at the california republican party convention in los angeles. we found this on thinkprogress.org. >> part of growing up, part of maturing, not something in which i
7:05 pm
7:06 pm
7:07 pm
7:08 pm
7:09 pm
7:10 pm
7:11 pm
7:12 pm
but if children are putting each other down and someone using the word "gay," mark, you may not use that word to put somebody down in my classroom. are we done? good. and you move on. it takes 15 seconds. every kid in that classroom knows that you are a safe teacher, you are a fair teacher and you care for the safety of every kid in that student -- in that classroom. >> i appreciate you both being on. we will continue to follow this issue here. we teamed up with the cartoon network and facebook to try to get at this from all different angles. there's now an app on facebook where you can pledge to do everything you can to stop bullying.
7:13 pm
facebook.com/stopbullyingspeakup join us also for our special series of reports, bullying, it stops here, starting october 9th on cnn. let us know what you think. we're on facebook, follow me at twitter @andersoncooper. day to tweet in the hour ahead. up next, gop frontrunner rick perry is attacking president obama's stance on israel ahead of a vote at the u.n. on the palestinian right to statehood. is he trying to win over jewish voters or is this a pitch to gain support from the evangelicals? we have the raw politics. james carville and erick erickson join us. plus crime and punishment. the sole survivor of that horrific connecticut home invasion testifying about the murders of his wife and two daughters. reliving the horrific day dr. william petit's heartbreaking testimony on the stand. dramatic new video of the crash at the reno, nevada, air races. an eyewitness to the disaster joins us ahead. at exxon and mobil, we engineer smart gasoline that works at the molecular level to help your engine run more smoothly by helping remove deposits and cleaning up intake valves.
7:14 pm
so when you fill up at an exxon or mobil station, you can rest assured we help your engine run more smoothly while leaving behind cleaner emissions. it's how we make gasoline work harder for you. exxon and mobil. they can end up with shaving irritation. ♪ get gillette irritation defense shave gel and gillette fusion proglide razor to help defend against five signs of shaving irritation. ♪ try gillette fusion proglide and the irritation defense line. help defend your skin. ♪ you can't change the way banking works. just accept it, man. free ? doesn't close at five ? try nature.
7:15 pm
it's a bank. what do you want, a hug ? just accept it. hidden fees, fine print, or they'll stick it to you some other way. stay with the herd, son. accept it. just accept it. accept it. just accept it. accept it. if we miss this movie, you're dead. if you're stuck accepting banking nonsense, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. ♪ hush, little baby ♪ don't you cry ♪ soon the sun ♪ is going to shine ♪ [ male announcer ] toyota presents the prius family. ♪ walk if i want, talk if i want ♪ [ male announcer ] there's the original one... the bigger one... the smaller one... and the one that plugs in. they're all a little different, just like us.
7:16 pm
they're all a little different, [ bedistracted driving. ♪ [ disco ] it accounts for 25% of car crashes. and it's why the best agents help safe drivers get a lower rate. - exactly. - oh! [ announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ raw politics tonight, gop front-runner rick perry blasting president obama's stance on israel. he held a news conference with several jewish leaders just days before the u.n. vote to determine the palestinian right to statehood. tomorrow in new york, president obama will meet with palestinian president mahmoud abbas to talk about that vote. a senior u.s. official described
7:17 pm
the meeting as an effort to avoid a diplomatic showdown. today rick perry, who is obviously obama's potential opponent in the 2012 election, called the president's middle east policy toward israel quote naive, arrogant, misguided and dangerous. you might think he's trying to win over jewish voters, but many think he's trying to win over evangelicals. listen to what he told reporters today. >> well, obviously, israel is our oldest and most stable democratic ally in that region. that is what this is about. i also, as a christian, have a clear directive to support israel. >> joining us now, two of our political contributors, democratic strategist james carville and erick erickson, editor of redstate.com. really hitting the israel issue hard this week. it is all about the palestinian push at the u.n. or do they really think they have a shot at weakening obama? >> i don't know.
7:18 pm
he has talked to the israeli defense minister as the most decorated person in history who was very complimentary of the obama administration. i would suggest that he talk to the former president of his alma mater at texas a&m who bush appointed secretary of defense, secretary of defense under president obama and i think he'd learn a lot more on that than referring to religious texts. >> erick, is this aimed at jewish voters or evangelical voters? >> both, but within the republican primary. he has not closed the deal with republicans as a lot of people expected him to with his debate performances. so he needs to solidify on evangelicals, to make sure that michele bachmann doesn't get them back. but jewish republicans are a constituency that he needs to lock down. a lot of them have been trending towards mitt romney. this is a play for states, not a play for popular vote. locking down evangelicals in a way he hasn't before and getting some jewish republicans away
7:19 pm
from mitt romney are two strategies to employ right now. hitting israel this week is the right topic with ahmadinejad coming. >> the latest gallup poll, michele bachmann's support is at 5%, down by half in less than a month. is she the howard dean of the 2012 race? what has happened to her? >> well, no, howard dean was a lot stronger than her for a lot longer. if you remember, a few weeks ago, ari and i got in a tiff. i didn't think she was serious three weeks ago. i'm not surprised by this at all. i doubt that america's very surprised by it either. it was a really boon, but you can sense it wasn't going anywhere. i still think you this only makes it more likely that sarah palin will get in. i still think she will. >> you still think she may really? >> i do. i absolutely do. >> why? what makes you think that? >> well, i think that if you look at just what she's been doing and everything else, that
7:20 pm
now that bachmann has collapsed, i think she'll look at that and sense that there's sort of a spot for her in that. i thought she was going to get in for a long time. i still do. and i don't think that she's on a normal campaign schedule like anybody else. i think she has her own way of doing things and her own time schedule. the more this goes on, the more i think she'll get in. >> erick, do you think she'll get in? >> you know, i'll believe it when i see it. she may well. james is right, she has her own schedule. she'll do it if she wants to do it. right now, i don't think she will, but that could change in like five seconds. >> with bachmann down and romney up, is it possible that bachmann's supporters are going to the romney camp? >> very much so. we see she's down 5 and romney's up 7. yeah, i think so. largely because perry hasn't been able to close the deal like people thought he would. you know, i would say i expected bachmann to have more staying power than this. i'm surprised she's fallen so fast. i wouldn't say the dean comparison is apt.
7:21 pm
but i would say her hpv/gardasil/mental retardation blip was the dean scream. the dying gasp. it came a lot sooner than i expected it to. >> james, the last tile you were on this program you were unhappy with president obama and the people around him. you said it was time for the white house to panic. i think that's the word you used. should they take their finger off the panic button right now? how are they doing after this week's speech? >> obviously, in a way, they need to change course, they need to go in a different direction. i think that they indicated they're doing that this week. but the question is the president always gives a good speech. he's become a fine speaker, a very articulate man. to see if there's follow-up beyond what he said. if he does that, that's a pretty good indication that he's changing directions. i think the combination of the debt deal in august that ended in two elections was a pretty good signal that they had to do something different.
7:22 pm
they respond to the signal. >> erick, do you think the white house is kind of changing course? >> like with sarah palin, i'll believe this when i see it. i agree with what james is saying. he gives a good speech, a speech that a lot of my democratic friends were encouraged by. even they were saying, let's see will he cave again to the republicans or hold fast. unlike last time, a lot blaming him for cutting a deal too good for our side, although i disagree with him. we'll see what happens. the day after the 2006 elections, bush fired rumsfeld. the day after the 2010 election, obama did not fire geithner. and that has plagued a -- perplexed a number of us. from james' op-ed the other day, why are a lot of these people still there? if he wants to really move the country forward, i don't think he can do it with the same faces. >> we'll leave it there. or james, go ahead, if you want. >> no, no, no. i just was going to make a point that best time to plan, 25 years ago, second best is right now. maybe he's starting. let's see it. maybe he'll make some of these personnel changes between now
7:23 pm
and the first of the year. we'll see. just ahead, an important day at the united nations as libya's revolution was celebrated and president obama vowed to protect civilians still threatened by the gadhafi regime. also ahead, heartbreaking testimony ahead in a triple murder trial. the sole survivor of that brutal home invasion in connecticut describes the day he lost everything, his beloved wife and his two young daughters. [ male announcer ] every day, thousands of people are choosing advil. my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. borrowed technology from ferrari to develop its suspension system? or what if we told you that ferrari borrowed technology from cadillac to develop its suspension system?
7:24 pm
magnetic ride control -- pioneered by cadillac, perfected in the 556-horsepower cts-v. we don't just make luxury cars. we make cadillacs. why did you buy my husband a falcon? thanks for the falcon. i didn't buy anyone a falcon. sure, you did. you saved us a lot of money on auto insurance. i used that money to buy a falcon. ergo, you bought me a falcon. i should've got a falcon. most people who switch to state farm save on average about $480. what they do with it, well, that's their business. oh, that explains a lot, actually. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] another reason people switch to state farm. aw, i could've gotten a falcon. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. [ falcon screeches ]
7:25 pm
7:26 pm
7:27 pm
coming up in crime and punishment tonight, a father relives the horrific crime that destroyed his family as he testified about the day his wife and two daughters were murdered, the second trial dr. william petit has endured. but first randi kaye has the 360 bulletin. anderson, an historic day for libya's new leadership about the u.n. general assembly voted to accept the credentials of the transitional government after anti-gadhafi forces last month drove the strongman from more than four decades of power. president obama said the u.s. will reopen its embassy in tripoli next week and vowed to continue to protect libyan civilians. >> difficult days are still ahead. but one thing is clear. the future of libya is now in the hands of the libyan people. for just as it was libyans who tore down the old order, it will be libyans who build their new nation.
7:28 pm
and we've come here today to say to the people of libya, just as the world stood by you in your struggle to be free, we will now stand with you in your struggle to realize the peace and prosperity that freedom can bring. a former president of afghanistan was assassinated today in a suicide bombing at his home in kabul. burhanuddin rabbani was considered vital to peace efforts in his country. in fact, an intelligence source tells cnn the attack took place just as rabbani was about to meet a delegation representing taliban insurgents. and a nasa satellite is expected to re-enter the earth's atmosphere on or around this friday, september 23rd. nasa says the satellite will break into pieces and not all will burn up in the atmosphere, but the space agency says the risk to public safety is extremely small, anderson. let's hope so. >> yeah, let's hope so a lot. time for the shot. randi kaye, if you didn't know, it is gator hunting season in florida.
7:29 pm
i didn't know that. a teenager hit the jackpot. he bagged an 800-pound gator. it was at least 12 feet long. believe it or not, he used a fishing pole to reel it in. tim was gator hunting with his family when they spotted the massive reptile. his dad is a taxidermist and said he'll mount the alligator head for his son to display. look how huge that is. >> now, the last time you went gator hunting, anderson, what did you catch? >> i don't like to brag, let's just say it was -- i don't know. >> i know you don't really go gator hunting. >> it would be interesting. yeah, it would be interesting. we'll see. randi, thank you very much. >> sure. coming up, we'll have the latest on the trial in connecticut. it was actually the second trial in that home invasion in cheshire, connecticut. dr. william petit took the stand, testifying about what he saw, what he heard the day his family was killed. plus, new dramatic video of last friday's deadly air race crash in reno. we'll have a firsthand account from a man who was there.
7:30 pm
his son took this video. they watched in horror as they say the pilot lost control of his vintage plane. an accident doesn't have to slow you down. with better car replacement available only with liberty mutual auto insurance, if your car's totaled, we give you the money for a car one model year newer. to learn more, visit us today. responsibility. what's your policy?
7:31 pm
since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪ try capzasin-hp. it penetrates deep
7:32 pm
to block pain signals for hours of relief. capzasin-hp. take the pain out of arthritis.
7:33 pm
welcome back. crime and punishment now. an emotional day in the connecticut courtroom as the father took the stand in the trial of a second man charged with killing his wife and two daughters. dr. william petit was the only one to survive the horrifying home invasion four years ago. he managed to escape, but couldn't save his wife and daughters from a death so gruesome, it's a wonder he can even think about what happened let alone talk about it.
7:34 pm
the first man to stand trial in the case, steven hayes, was tried and convicted. after hayes was convicted, dr. petit spoke about what helped him through that first trial. >> what matters to me most is my family and my memories, my memories of my family and trying to do good things through our foundation. i don't know. over the last couple of weeks, i just kept trying to tell myself that good will overcome evil and we'll keep trying to do good things and try to refocus myself on the positive and stay away from the negative. >> good will overcome evil. today, dr. petit testified in graphic detail about what happened the day the two men broke into his home, bringing his world crashing down around him. cnn's deborah feyerick was in the courtroom. >> my family is still gone. it doesn't bring them back. it doesn't bring back the home
7:35 pm
that we had. >> reporter: that's dr. william petit, the only survivor from a crime so tragic, so horrific, it defies logic. july 23, 2007, began as a normal summer day, dr. petit playing golf. his wife, jennifer, and daughter, michaela, at the beach. 17-year-old hayley was at home where they all planned to meet for dinner. that dinner would be the last time the family would ever be together. investigators say two intruders, joshua komisarjevsky and steven hayes broke into the petits' home through a locked door in the dead of night. dr. petit was asleep on the sunroom couch. today, during 2 1/2 hours of testimony dr. petit recalled hearing himself cry out in pain telling the jury he didn't know if he was awake or dreaming. he felt blood gushing down his face. standing before him were two hooded intruders. one appeared to be holding a gun. he says he remembers a voice
7:36 pm
asking him if there was a safe in the house, and when he replied no, the intruder said, quote, if he moves, put a bullet in him. his own lawyers acknowledge that komisarjevsky beat dr. petit bloody with a baseball bat. on the witness stand, dr. petit showed the jury how his wrists were bound and said he felt his way along the bannister so he wouldn't fall. once in the basement, an intruder threw down some pillows then covered his head with a cloth and tied him to a pole in the center of the room. hours later, dr. petit said he heard his wife in the kitchen speaking to the intruders, saying she needed to get dressed, get the checkpoint and identification. dr. petit said he heard his wife's voice but neither of his daughters. he heard one of the men tell his wife, quote, get the money and no one will get hurt. komisarjevsky and hayes forced mrs. hawke-petit drive to the bank.
7:37 pm
you're watching a wife, a mother, in a desperate attempt to save her family. that's jennifer hawke-petit on a bank surveillance video telling the bank teller that her husband and two daughters are being held hostage and she needs to withdraw $15,000 in ransom money. minutes later, jennifer petit leaves the bank. police, alerted by the bank manager, were dispatched to surround the house but ordered not to approach it. they say that's normal protocol in a hostage situation. when steven hayes returns from the bank with jennifer hawke-petit, it is 10:00 in the morning, nearly seven hours after the intruders broke into the home. dr. petit hears a commotion and cries out. one of the men says, don't worry, it will all be over in a couple of minutes. that's when dr. petit hears a hissing sound and says, i realized, quote, i had to get out. in a burst of adrenaline, the desperate husband and father frees himself from his basement prison. he rolls to a neighbor's driveway, bleeding badly and calling out for help. by now, nearly 40 minutes have
7:38 pm
passed since the bank manager called 911. police are still outside. investigators say, with the girls upstairs tied to their beds, the suspects used gasoline to douse the home. screams were heard and then the house went up in flames. >> deborah feyerick joins me now from connecticut along with sunny hostin, a former federal prosecutor and legal contributor for "in session" on trutv. both were in the courtroom today. a man face-to-face with one of the men accused of killing his family. what was it like in that courtroom? >> almost like a day of reckoning. here you have the sole survivor who was describing the final hours of his wife's life and the lives of his two children, hayley and michaela. and it's not just the jury taking notes but it's also the man who has admitted being in the house when this tragedy took place. and you have to wonder what's going through his mind as he sees the floor plans, as he sees
7:39 pm
the house going up in flames. and there were some interesting moments in the court. for example, at one point, jennifer hawke-petit's father, a reverend, crossed the aisle to speak to the defendant's father. we heard him say, god bless you, god bless you, god bless you. later, when i asked the reverend what he had discussed we told him he must be hurting as much as we are. then the reverend paused and said, well, maybe not as much. it was just very poignant and sad just seeing how this man's life changed so quickly and so suddenly and how close the police were to perhaps preventing this tragic outcome. >> the father of the victim went over to the father of one of the alleged killers and expressed concern over the pain that he was feeling? that's extraordinary. >> extraordinary. extraordinary. even the defendant's father realized that. that's why you heard him say, god bless you, god bless you. we actually chased komisarjevsky's father down the road. one of our photogs said, well, how do you feel?
7:40 pm
the only thing he said, he looked and he said, how would you feel? so it's clearly affecting him to see his son in such a terrible position and accused of such terrible crimes. >> sunny, dr. petit also testified in the trial of the other killer who now sits on death row. did he notice anything different this time around? >> it certainly is a difference, anderson. very emotional dr. petit is who we are seeing. he's an elegant man, very stoic, calm on the witness stand. but there were times when the emotion overtook him, especially when he was recalling his wife's voice in the kitchen when she was talking to the intruders. that was probably the last time he heard his wife's voice. and at that moment, anderson, his face flushed red. he looked down. he covered his mouth with his hand and he just stopped. that is the most emotion i've seen from dr. petit in the hayes trial and in this trial. just a very different case. the facts are the same, but the
7:41 pm
players have changed. his defense team is very aggressive. one of his defense lawyers is walt bansley. he's the inspiration for the tom cruise character in "a few good men." and so this defense team is aggressively defending joshua komisarjevsky. and their theory of the case is that joshua komisarjevsky never intended to murder the petit family. he only intended to break in and steal. and so when you see this sort of theory being played out in the courtroom, it must be affecting dr. petit. he was even cross-examined today, anderson, and he was not cross-examined by the first defense team. >> they have to cross-examine him carefully, but they are trying to cast doubt on his testimony, making it seem like maybe he's piecing together the story from testimony that he's heard at other trials or both trials, right? >> right. absolutely. and defense attorneys gain absolutely nothing by attacking this man. that will just make them look bad in the eyes of the jury.
7:42 pm
but what they did kind of do is question whether in fact it's really what he experienced, what he's recollecting and what he's saying is what he experienced or whether he's filling in certain holes or gaps with testimony that he got from the first trial. so they're trying to undermine it a little. they brought out the fact that dr. petit had been interviewed four times immediately after this tragedy by police officers. and the fourth time he said, quote, the defense said your memory, you told them your memory was becoming less clear. and dr. petit acknowledged that that was the fact. but he also said, look, i have testified to the best of my ability given my condition at the time. so he really is -- and don't forget, he'd been beaten severely in the head with a baseball bat. he lost between five to seven pints of blood, and he was coming in and out of consciousness. so, they're trying to just maybe cast doubt as to what he heard and who may have said it, because that would go to intent and that would go to who did what, anderson. >> deborah feyerick, our thanks to you. and sunny hostin.
7:43 pm
coming up, dramatic new video of the reno air crash. i'll talk to the man who was right there when it happened. his son took this video. he has remarkable things to say about what it was like being there. also the man who shot and -- who was shot and killed on falcon lake on the border between texas and mexico. almost a year later, a lot of lingering questions about the case. now his widow is suing the state department, the justice department and the fbi trying to get answers. provocative. ♪ unexpected. ♪ defiant. ♪ the 42 mile per gallon ct hybrid from lexus. the most fuel-efficient luxury car available. ♪ and just what you need to forge your own path. ♪ two of the most important are energy security
7:44 pm
and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. a large part of that is oil sands. this resource has the ability to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. at our kearl project in canada, we'll be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils and that's a huge breakthrough. that's good for our country's energy security and our economy.
7:45 pm
that's good for confidence. available in color. depend for women is now peach. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend. good morning. great day. the two trains and a bus rider. the "i'll sleep when it's done" academic. for 80 years, we've been inspired by you. and we've been honored to walk with you to help you get where you want to be. ♪ because your moment is now. let nothing stand in your way. learn more at keller.edu.
7:46 pm
7:47 pm
tonight, we have new and dramatic look at friday's deadly plane crash at an air show in reno, nevada, from someone who was right there when it happened. his name is brent wilson and he was there with his two sons, ryan and kyle. they were at the air race when things went terribly and horribly wrong before their eyes. kyle took the video you're about to see. take a look. >> oh, my god. >> oh, my god. >> 11 people died from the crash, including the pilot, a vintage world war ii era plane that crashed straight into the ground. almost 70 people were injured. joining me on the phone is brent wilson.
7:48 pm
brent, thanks for being with us. at what point did you realize that something was terribly wrong, because your son really captured the plane sooner than any of the other videos i've seen. >> well, yeah, he was coming around on the third lap, as you heard in the video, from the announcer that apparently something went wrong and the pilots are trained, you know, if something goes wrong, to call mayday and you take the plane as high as you can to give you time to react and figure out what to do. any time you see a plane in an air race go skyward, you know something is wrong. as it's in the air, it actually works its way back behind the grandstands. that just never happens in an event like that. because of that, when he comes down, his momentum is moving away from the grandstand. and so that the massive debris that you see out into the tarmac, you know, had he crashed where, you know, coming out of the race towards the stands, that would have come into the stands and you would be talking
7:49 pm
about massive casualties. >> how old are your kids? >> 20 and 22. >> i'm amazed. i mean, kyle's camera work is incredibly steady, having just witnessed something so horrific. what's that like to be there with your kids and to -- what do you say after that? >> what you do is you stop and you pray. i stood there, as a father, realizing i didn't even have time to reach out and grab my sons. you know, and that shakes you, as a father, to your core. and, you know, we've talked about it quite a bit. kyle actually did not realize the video that he had. he said that, he followed -- he was following the racers in the eyepiece. when the mayday happened, he tilted it skyward, he caught it in the viewfinder. and at that point, literally
7:50 pm
just sort of brought the camera down next to his head. and he's just watching it and not looking through the eyepiece. and he just happens to be literally moving the camera where his head's moving. and so he captures, obviously, the impact and everything, not realizing that he's actually captured that till later. my youngest son, kyle's, really struggling with this. and he really came to the realization, he says, we have to help. we have to help. we have to show the spirit of human nature, to come to each other's aid and really show the heroism of the pilot and show the heroism of the people on the ground. i mean, the first responders, unbelievable how quickly they were able to, you know, assess, triage, treat and transport. i mean, they transported 56 people in 62 minutes. i mean one a minute. >> that's incredible. >> absolutely incredible. >> my best to you and both of your sons. i hope they're dealing okay with what they saw and you are as
7:51 pm
well. thanks for being with us. >> thank you very much. >> incredible video. coming urge the rid dick list. but first, randi kaye joins us with the bulletin. anderson, don't ask, don't tell is now history. the u.s. military's policy banning gay and lesbian troops from serving openly ended today at 12:01 a.m. more than 14,000 military personnel were discharged under the ban since it took effect back in 1993. georgia's parole board has denied troy davis clemency, but his supporters are vowing to continue to fight his execution, now less than 24 hours away. davis is scheduled to die by lethal injection tomorrow evening for the 1989 shooting of an off-duty police officer. the prosecutor in the case is speaking out for the first time in years. former district attorney spencer lawton says davis got a fair trial, with a judgment by an honest jury. >> there are two troy davis cases.
7:52 pm
there's the legal case, the case in court, and the public relations case. we have consistently won the case as it's been presented in court. we have consistently lost the case as it's been presented in the public realm and on tv and elsewhere. a day after testifying before congress about her husband's death, a colorado widow has sued federal investigators for information about the case. tiffany hartley says david hartley was shot by drug cartel gunmen on a lake spanning the texas/mexico border. that was a year ago. his body was never found and no suspects have been named. full tilt poker has been charged with operating a huge ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $440 million. the site has been shut down. and a chinese businessman has put down a deposit of nearly $80,000 for this 62-year-old bottle of single malt scotch. that's right. a deposit.
7:53 pm
the full price, $200,000. that's about $12,000 a glass. that's some good stuff. coming, the rid dick lust, why one bank is turning away red-headed donors. the "ridiculist" is next. [ boy ] hey, i thought these were electric? uh, it is, yeah, it's a chevy volt.
7:54 pm
so what are you doing at a gas station? well it still takes gas to go farther. but you're not getting gas. true. not this time. uh, don't have to gas up very often. so you have to go to the bathroom? no. yes you do. thought these were electric? yes, it's a uh, a chevy volt. so what are you doing at a gas station? ♪ ♪ one, two, three, four ♪ you say ♪ flip it over and replay ♪ we'll make everything okay ♪ walk together the right way ♪ do, do, do, do
7:55 pm
met an old man at the top asked him if he had a secret and the old man stopped and thought and said: free 'cause that's how it ought to be my brother
7:56 pm
credit 'cause you'll need a loan for one thing or another score 'cause they break it down to one simple number that you can use dot to take a break because the name is kinda long com in honor of the internet that it's on put it all together at the end of the song it gives you freecreditscore-dot-com, and i'm gone... offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com time for for the ridiculist. tonight we're adding the ginger jeer squad, the crimson criticizer. all the redhead haters. the report that one of the
7:57 pm
largest sperm banks is turning down red-headed donors because there isn't enough demand for their particular specimens. the director says, i do not think you'd choose a redhead unless the partner, for example, the sterile male has red hair or the lone woman has a preference for redheads. and that's perhaps not so many, especially in the latter case. ouch. i think it's time for them to demand the respect they deserve. don't take it from me, take it from "south park." >> we can't let this go on any long are. we should be proud of who we are. thing of people throughout history who were ginger. people like -- like uh -- like -- >> ron howard? >> right! ron howard. and uh -- and -- >> ron howard? >> right, we already had him, but right. >> yes, ron howard, excellent point. who wouldn't want a kid that looks like opie taylor from the
7:58 pm
"andy griffith show" or wendy's from wendy who was a rip-off of pippi longstocking. can you imagine any baby cuter than this one? sure, as a parent of a redhead you might spend more in sunscreen over the years. but there's a good chance that your carrot top bundle of joy could be an icon of comedy. lucille ball, conan o'brien, kathy griffin, or carol burnett or -- well, four out of five isn't so bad. the point i'm trying to make is that redheads are fiery creative extremely talented people. before he was grisled and gray, willie nelson was a redhead. maybe he's not the best genetic specimen i could have picked. a couple of the redheads around the office have been kind of blue since this news came out about the sperm bank. now, i say, don't let the haters get you down. plenty of people love redheads. charlie brown, he was quite partial to redheads. as was matthew mcconaughey's character from "dazed and confused." >> get in with us. but that's all right. we'll worry about that later. i will see you there. all right?
7:59 pm
>> bye. >> i love those redheads, man. >> i know you. >> is there any social injustice that can't be assuaged with the wisdom of david wooderson? i think not. there were reports that a red-haired baby seal in russia was shunned from the seal colony. poor little thing. but let us not be mean to seals, ladies and gentlemen, because in the end, we all go gray anyway. yes, some of us sooner than others. but in my mind, we're all redheads each in our own way on the ridiculist. that does it for "360." thanks for watching. john king starts now. good evening from los angeles. tonight, part one of an extended conversation with former vice president dick cheney, who is here in california tonight for a big event at the reagan presidential library. vice president taking issue with somebody that hits close to home.