declared the opioid crisis a national emergency. later at nine a look at minorities and health care disparities with the kaiser health foundation. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016]] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] host: good morning. it's tuesday, august 15, 2017. yesterday afternoon, president trump again addressed the deadly violence that took place in charlottesville, virginia, over the weekend, calling out the kkk, neo-nazi common sense the racism they represent. but those found the number of such groups are increasing around the country. this morning on the "washington journal," we want to know what you think maybe behind the rise in hate groups. we split our phone lines by age for this morning's discussion. if you're under 30 years old, phone number for you, 202-748-8000. you're 30 years old to 50 years old, 202-748-8001.

if you're 50 years old or older, 02-748-8002. you can also catch up with us on social media, facebook, facebook.com/cspan and twitter. a very good tuesday morning to you. our question for you this morning -- why are hate groups on the rise. you can start calling in now. we split our phone lines up by age for this discussion as you do call in, some of president trump's comments from yesterday condemning specific white supremacist groups and the racism they represent. president trump: racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs including the kkk, neo-nazis, white supremists and other hate groups that are repugnance to everything we hold here as americans. host: white supremacists were a

growing threat three months before the violence that took place in charlottesville, virginia and the f.b.i. and homeland security issued a notice in a may 10 bulletin the racial supremacy groups were responsible for 49 homicide and 26 attacks from 000 to 2016. we can show this chart to you, showing the rise of hate groups over the course of that time. it dipped for a while after 2012 2014 and on the rise again. 917 hate groups in 2016

remaining at near historic highs, rising from 892 in 2015. that's only 100 fewer organizations than the 1,018 in 2011 which was the all-time high in the 30 years that splc made their count of data noting by far the dramatic change in the anti-muslim hate groups from 34 in 2015 to 101 last year. that's 197% increase. the neo-confederate groups rose 23 to 45 groups.

why do you see the rise in that chart, specifically over the past three years? but since the turn of the century. jack's up first, providence, rhode island, on that line for 30-50-year-olds. ack, good morning. caller: this is a problem both on the left and on the right. more and more people are feeling -- i'm not in this situation, fortunately -- economic insecurity. and no matter how we'll say the country's doing right now, as far as jobs coming back, the money is being held by a select group of international financial elites that are on the show. now they're primarily left of center people, actually.

they're primarily in new york, on wall street. and they're in hollywood. they're also in london. and they're in zurich. host: do you think this financial insecurity makes people sort of retreat into these groups, these hate groups? what drives the increase specifically in the hate group? caller: well because they feel -- that's a good question. they feel that, you know, they want to have a good standard of living and it's being taken from them. and so that's when the hate starts to percolate. ok? and then it grows and grows you see the country in severe debt right now. and, you know, these things go on worldwide. the money is held by a select few people. host: all right. got your point. ob is up next, line for texas,

good morning. 50 and older. caller: good morning to you. about 10 years ago, i was president of a social club here n dallas that was for those of us over 65 years of age. one day we didn't have a speaker. so we had a general conversation. someone brought up the thought that within the next 10 to 15 years, it would be an armed revolution in this country. now these people in this club were over 65 years of age. the average person was a college gadget. -- graduate. they had people who had made a success of their lives. vote i said let's take a

and see just exactly who thinks there will be an armed revolution in this country -- this was 10 years ago. about 90% of those in the group voted yes, there would be an armed revolution. now this is not -- this was not a group of rednecks. this was not a group of communists. this was just a group of average citizens that had made a success of their lives. host: and why were they -- guest: i think they're right on schedule for an armed revolution . one group of people in this country are forcing crap on the other ones and the others are not going to take it. thank you. host: malik, arlington, texas. line for 30-50-year-olds. good morning. caller: how are you doing this morning? first of all, the overwhelming majority of these white people that came to this country came after the civil war.

they have no reason to be chronically agreed. that come in from fascist nations with a fascist agenda from authority yaren type of generations of white entitlement. they receive free land grabs, government aid, farm aid, subsidized housing, education. they never put into the system. they came here with this agenda. the italians fought with hitler under mousse lena. they have had this mindset since they came here. nancy reagan was a part of the communist party. but she was revered. this has nothing about the rise of hate groups. this has always been here. the white citizens council was mainly objective was to make sure that the financial interest of this country went to white people, mainly white immigrants of europe. they have no reason. host: they're tracking hate groups and all kinds of hate groups and it's not just white

supremacist and white nationalists organizations that hey tracked. what do you think is causing this rise in this country? and what would be your suggestion for bringing it back together? caller: well there is no rise of any -- i'm sorry. these people have always existed. the fact that you say there's a lack separatist group is not sensical because black people have been the victims of all sorts of violence and intimidation and terrorist acts that having pepper rated upon them by the oldest known terrorist group in the country. i know you're looking for an answer as to why there is a rise but from black folks losing jobs and black folks losing any kind of career opportunity, there is no rise. these people have always existed. they may be mobilizing in greater numbers but they've always existed.

like i said, when you have a system that's predicated upon white sbrimet and white supremacist, you can't count on who is mobilizing. the italians came here under the uise of mousse lena. -- amuse moo -- mussilin. caller: the thing is that i found out that in this country right now, we got these hate groups as originating. you bring up the facts of zpasks show these groups that the thing that you're talking about you want to pick this country up with a tea party and

make america great again, americans control two thirds of the world. almost all the major corporation. financial institution. who are you trying to take your country back when they're the sense of the ones that are controlling it? that's a myth right there. they're trying to bring it back. they are enjoying the privilege of seeing a black and white bathroom. they enjoy the privilege of going to a restaurant and schools by themselves. they don't want to see this multi-culture country as it is to come together in love. this was going on in america right now. donald trump is 70 years old. trump experienced this, man. host: when you say they don't want to see it, you're classifying who? caller: the poor of white americans who enjoy that privilege, who enjoy that privilege of separating themselves from other national this. host: do you think they want to see that back? caller: some of the older ones

wants to see that. a lot of those older ones -- you ot to remember, kkk was in 1866. this -- i mean, they ain't no difference than ice. they burn and hung people in america. we don't want this type of attitude i don't care it's black or whatever. you're saying they always want to compare black panther. the black about came out of 1966. they never hung nobody. and i'm talking about they've been using that second amendment right. blacks cannot use their second amendment rights to protect themselves. if you kill the white man back then, any other circumstances -- host: i got your point. we split our phones up by age this morning, having this discussion. talking about it across generations. want to hear from those under

30, 202-748-8000, over 40, 202-748-8001. and 50 and older, 202-748-8002. katherine in today's "washington post" looks at this generational issues. she writes yes, there were swastika tattoos but the most chilling photos showed hoards of white men in their teens and 20's. some marchers in this youth brigade are still students -- she goes into this discussion of generations and what's going to happen with the next generation. went to hear from you, your thoughts on that, especially as we have this discussion about the rise of hate groups in this

country and why is there a rise in hate groups. bhing parkton, north carolina. lines for those under 30. good morning. caller: good morning. how are you doing this morning? host: doing well. caller: thank you, c-span. these statues have stood for 100 .ears and it is part of history and i think these groups that want to tear these statues down and all this would just leave them alone. them statches are not hurting anybody. and the railroad flag is not hurting anybody and all. like i say, it is part of history and all. robert e. lee and if you want to grant andwe tear down sherman. look what he did in the south and everything.

host: do you think despite over what is american history do you think it contributed to the rise of hate groups? caller: well, the history is the history. and you can tear down all the statues and you can tear down everything else. ut you can't go back 150 years during the civil war. it's history. it's in the history books and all and what these groups want to do is just wipe out the history of the civil war. host: line for 50 and older, good morning. caller: yes, sir, good morning, sir. for me, what i see now in the manifestation of extreme groups is the manifestation of the history of this group, period. america didn't go through its

history, it didn't correct its slavery system, just try to redress it somehow. the hate is there. when i came to this country, what i learned, america has been divided like that was o.j. simpson's verdict. i was really shocked to see that how americans are divided by race, period. almost all whites on one side and almost all blacks on one side. 1994. that was a warning for me as a newcomer. i see this country has -- host: has it gotten better or worse since then? caller: it is getting worse for me. i've seen it in university campus. how the children are reacting. these children have divided. you have white seat, asian seat, white seat. this lack of understanding -- it is not there. so for me, this extremist groups

what, they do for us is what we have seen in every part of our life. they took it to another level and show us oh, you guys, we don't like you no more. we don't like you. you don't belong here. that's what they did. so blaming them is not going to redress the problem. they are criminal. they have to be punished. but the idea is there. we should not fool ourselves. this has nothing to do with donald trump. it makes me sick when people are trying to connect this with donald trump's election. it is not. we elected a black man. this thing didn't go. we can elect again another nice guy, nice looking guy. it didn't go. this is a fundamental problem in this country. we tried to hide it. we try not to solve it. we tried to just gloss over it. we are divided. new york statistical is a divided state. host: headla in new york. the law center speaks to show the rise in these hate groups, the location of these hate

groups on their website mapping them out specifically with different docs representing different hate groups around the country. if you want to go to the southern poverty law center website, it's splcenter.org. you can see the charts that we've been discussing so far this morning and their research there. benjamin in maryland. line for those 30-50 years old. good morning. caller: hi. thanks for taking my call. i really enjoy c-span. i think that trump's election really kind of galvanized these groups in that, you know, from the very beginning right when he announces his candidacy, he's calling mexicans murderers and rapists, took him over a week to disavow david duke and finally he did it in the most lukewarm terms possible. you know, he has a history of really kind of

going low on race. a prior caller said the confederate flag isn't hurting anyone and in my opinion, like confederate flag doesn't have any use anymore other than being a symbol of oppression. so that's why minorities in our country are so up in arms over the use of it. host: diane in asbury park, new jersey. 50 and older. good morning. caller: yes, good morning, c-span. calling because i want to say a couple of things. you can't talk about slavery and racism if you sincerely don't talk about forgiveness, forgiving the white man. many black people have never forgiven the white man, ok?

and this is what is needed on behalf of our children. because the children and even some adults hate white people. ok, martin luther king when he marched, he was in the spirit. he walked with god. he had anointing on his life. there's evidence all over the place. after he died, black people dropped the ball for the longest , looking for a leader. there's only one real leader and that's jesus. and the jews did good because they, you know, every now and then, you hear about the olocaust but they're prosperous, they're not killing each other. every now and then, you hear about the holocaust, you know. you throw up in somebody's face

about what they did to you in the past, all the time, every week, this, that and the other, they're going to be -- they're going to be ready to do something, ok? now this is a part of why, you know, they feel like they got to get out and defend the statue, ok? this statue is history. that's right. but there shouldn't be bloodshed over a statue. hello? host: i'm listening, diane. go ahead. caller: ok. and i thank you very much for taking my call. everybody have a great day. and that stuff is craziness. host: diane in new jersey this morning. tim scott, republican from south carolina with an op-ed in today's "u.s.a. today" talking

about the charlottesville attack, what it means in today's society. the attack was a stark reminder f the darkness on the hate, he writes. we must come together that chip away from the foundation. am i angry that racism exists in this country, that i love so dearly? absolutely. but i know that it is not indicative of the vast majority of americans. i also know that our best chance to defeat racism is in continually expressing our most american of ideals that we are one nation made of many peoples, one nation under god. joseph, forth george, media, maryland. good morning.land caller: i think this is morals political in nature that i think it's rather coincidental that all this racial and national divide happens when donald trump

takes office. and i think there's morals a political agenda that is driving this narrative. i grew up in virginia. i grew up in appomattox to be more specific and i spent a lot of time in charlottesville and there's festivals down there, everything. and i've never personally experienced or seen any type of racism. now, we grow up with the confederate flag everywhere. it's where the civil war ended. i grew up five minutes away from the courthouse. and these people that i live with still, white, black, mexican, i mean, we even had a muslim community right down the road write used to live. and there is no divide whatsoever. now, i'm not denying that racism exists in this nation but what i am going to say is i think it is rather peculiar that you have the 2018 elections coming up. the democrats are pushing their

agenda. the republicans are pushing their agenda. and then you have this issue going on with the statues and its history. and they take it to a small city virginia and that is -- a lot of these demonstrator, these neo-nazi and these white supremacists and what have you, they're coming from out of state. they even said that the guy that throw the vehicle into the crowd of people, you know, he was from ohio or something like that. host: ohio is a state that he was from. caller: so what could happen next time? these groups are looking to target other cities and places as well. a report on the front page of the "new york times" today making arrangements for future marches. one of these white nationalists

based in texas is looking to have a white lives matter march on september 11 on the campus of texas a&m. another rally that might happen. how do you keep from -- how do you keep from happening what we saw in charlottesville at something like that that is now being promoted for just a few weeks away? caller: oh, well, one thing that could possibly be, you know, take into effect is that there are several different, you know, organized marches that take place all over this country, and they s matter, -- are doing, you know -- host: you're going in and out. sorry about the connection. adam this pennsylvania. that line for those 30-50 years old. good morning. caller: hey, john. thanks for c-span. love the conversation this morning. you know, a lot of this, i think, is from just overall

victimization of our culture and how that plays into politics. i think the democratic party is going strong into that vein. everybody's kind of recoiling into these sub groups based and divided on religion, race. and that's why you see it perking up. as we know, you mentioned it isn't just these white organizations. it's black liberation theology. it's people like max seen waters entertaining the concept of creating a black party. and i think sometimes with this white nationalism, what you're seeing is one half of the country and i'm going to put it to the democratic party, it's not making a place for the white heterosexual male in their party. and what's happening is these people are getting these white hate groups are getting very reactionary because they see

that they are not allowed to have any white identity as minority groups go into their pockets and we have let's say the black congressional groups who are, you know, anything of this type of nature, we -- host: adam, why does that have to be expressed in a hate group? aren't there other avenues to do that that isn't a hate group that's having marches and violence like we saw over the weekend? caller: i think the hate groups are abhorrent. it's disgusting. i'm just trying to get to the point of why are these white folks out there acting this way? and i think it's because of margelization. that yes, somebody can make the case of they're losing the power of this culture and that's why they're acting out. but it's the fact that they're not allowed to have white identity. you can't be white in this culture. there's no white groups. there's black groups.

there's hispanics groups. there's naacp. there's all these types of organizations that are centered around victim accusation of minority organizations, minority groups. and the white heterosexual male, especially in the south is feeling that they're being backed into a corner and they're being marginalized into a corner and they're lashing out. and i just want to say one last point here. the last gentleman was trying to talk about as well. you know, america needs to also wake up to the violence with what's going on with these anti-fascist. they're really putting down the concept of first amendment freedom of speech. they've been very violent? there's trump supporters getting assaulted in every major city in this country and it's absolutely disgusting and when we go to these protests for years, through bush and the original iraq war protests, these people are an aists, communists, they're waving communist flags

and they're assaulting people, hitting people with bike locks, burning people with urine. and they're inspiring some of this violence. when trump got nailed on saturday based on the media for staying on both sides, that's what he's talking about here. we all need to take a breath. thank you, john. host: adam in pennsylvania this morning. a couple of note from my producer. read the story about the planned texas a&m rally, a more recent story posted online overnight. texas a&m has canceled the white lives matter rally that was set to be held in college station next month after consultation with law enforcement and considerable study. texas a&m is canceling that event scheduled by preston wigginton on campus on september 11 according to a statement sent by the university reported first by the texas tribune. so an update on that story. appreciate that.

ashley is in peoria, arizona. line for those under 30. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for having the broadcast. so, in my opinion, the opposite of white supremacy is black power. and that is what they do not want. they do not want black people to have power. i also learned on the documentary about the -- and white people want them to re-create with other white people, which, in my opinion, is not a problem, because, in my opinion, i want black people to re-create with other black people. however, they don't want us to have power, you know, to be in positions where we own and operate and control things. host: to be clear, who feels that way? when you say white people, are you saying all white people? who feels this? caller: i wouldn't say every single one, because there are allies, there are people who

share common interests as far as just not having the white and not whatever. but for the majority, yes. host: you think the majority of white people don't want to see intermarriage? caller: i think majority of people, period, no matter what you look like, do not want to give what is your profession they have for another. and if newer control and you have, you don't want to give up your half so that you can split it with somebody you don't care about. if this was my family, it would be no problem for me to make sure my children have money. it's no problem for them to make sure their children have opportunities. for me, i'm not related to them. they don't care about me. so they don't to want take what they have and share that with me. the next thing i wanted to say was, i feel like if black lives matter had a rally and they had a car drive into a crowd, there would not be an option for them to have another rally. my understanding it might have been cancelled, but the fact that they was even able to set it up is ridiculous, beyond ridiculous.

because they didn't even denounce it. i have not heard one of those groups come out and say we were not connected to that man who drove that car in. none of those protesters, racist ones, nazi, none of them have come out and said that. so therefore, they stand with that, and they should not be allowed to get another permit. host: to that point, i point to you steven henderson's column in today's "usa today," seems to agree with you. there are many lessons to draw from what happened in charlottesville, not the least of which is the goldened face of racist expression, but the one that stands out is the imbalance. we live in a nation where african-americans are told pretty routinely to watch themselves and not get out of line.

host: if up to the read more from this column, it's "usa today." rainesville, alabama, lines for those 50 and older. good morning. caller: good morning. i am from the south. i'm a southern country girl, and i'm proud of it. i am not racist. some of my best friends are black people. but there are certain groups of black people that think we owe them something. the majority of us was not here when the slavery was going on. but it's been carried over, and it's a reflection on us, and it shouldn't be that way. as far as the marching people, i think it all should stop. i think this is a sign of the bible fulfilling. i don't know if you're a bible-believing person, but this is the bible fulfilling. and these people are participating in it.

and the older people, the parents of these people that are out here doing these marches and fighting and all this stuff, what do the parents think? are the parents promoting this? are they standing beside them? if they are, they are the ones that are in the wrong. and i just want to close by saying we should not say god bless america, america should bless god, and this needs to stop. we're having an election in for all these people, and, you know, my belief is marriage is between one man and one woman, not woman and woman and man and man. so roy moore will be getting my support today. and america bless god. host: bringing up that special election that's taking place today, this is to fill the seat

of jeff sessions, the attorney general, his seat in the senate. luther strange was appointed to that position and is running in the primary today. there's also a primary taking place on the democratic side. we'll talk more about that primary, its potential to go to a runoff. going to be talking about it with an alabama reporter at 9:30 this morning. so stick around for that. one other story to point you to in other news happening around the country, this focusing on comments president trump told fox news, that he's seriously considering issuing a presidential pardon to former arizona county sheriff and said it could come in the next few days. he was arpaio was convicted of contempt of court after a judge ruled he willfully defied another judge's orders to cancel his policy of traffic stops aimed at sniffing out illegal immigrants in his county. he lost his re-election bid in

november, due to be sentenced in october. and of note, just not too long ago, president trump retweeted a fox news story about that exact topic. the president with that tweet, that retweet on his own twitter page, president trump seriously considering a pardon for joe arpaio. back to your calls, as we're having this conversation about why hate groups are on the rise in this country. want to get your thoughts on that and what can be done to fix the situation, to try to move back toward some sort of coming-together in this country, way from that rise. phone lines for those under 30, 202-748-8001. or those 30 to 50, 202-748-8001. 202-748-8002 for those 50 and older. juanita is in cincinnati, ohio, that line. thanks for figuring out the lines amid me messing up the phone numbers. go ahead, juanita.

caller: 56 on thursday, but i have -- host: well, early happy birthday to you. caller: thank you. two items. i am responding to a lady, iana, who called saying that we should put certain hates and dislikes behind us. my great-grandfather, russell dillard, died in 1940. e was freed at 15 years old. he was freed by sherman in 1864. my mother, 86, is sitting in a nursing home, has told that story down to her children and great-grandchildren. my grandfather himself died at 100 years old, a world war i vet. as a family, are we supposed to sit down and not dislike a system that virtually, almost destroyed our family? i mean, we're talking about things that have happened

within lifetimes, people's lifetimes, so this is not something that just happened 100 years ago. he died in 1940. my mom's 86. and she lived -- he came up here, lived three years before he died, and he was a slave, and he was freed by william sherman, and his name was russell dillard. that's number one. number two, these groups have always been here. and a point for you folks in the naacp, the naacp was founded in 1909, 1906, because entire black families were being lynched in the south. by white men. so get your history straight. these groups have not -- are not new. they've simply become goldened. and i don't want to tell you what's happened in my lifetime. i'm sure the f.b.i. has a dossier for me. host: juanita, can i ask? you say these groups have been emboldened. i guess that's the point of our question this morning. why have they been goldened?

caller: they've been goldened because they've been given permission by our -- not my president, but by the president and the republican party. that's been the one problem to me, the republican party, the last 40 years. they don't think. host: how have they been given permission? caller: they've been given permission to say what they want to say so the people can be elected. to me, the republican point to win -- look at ronald reagan, when he opened his initial presidential campaign in 1978, he did it in philadelphia and mississippi. we know what happened in hiladelphia and mississippi. those boys were killed in mississippi y. did he do that? see, what i'm saying is, when you come and tell people to get them the message, may not have done that, been that bad. ell, what's the next step? host: here's more of the president's statement from yesterday.

president trump: as i said on saturday, we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence. it has no place in america. and as i have said many times before, no matter the color of our skin, we all live under the same laws. we all salute the same great flag. and we are all made by the same almighty god. we must love each other, show affection for each other, and unite together in condemnation of hatred, bigotry, and violence. we must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as americans. racism is evil. and those who cause violence and its name are criminals and thugs, including the k.k.k.,

neo nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as americans. we are a nation founded on the truth that all of us are created equal. we are equal in the eyes of our creator. we are equal under the law, and we are equal under our constitution. those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of america. host: two different takes on the president's comments yesterday. the first one was the editorial page of the "new york times," the editorial board going with the headline, mr. trump talks at last. will he act? he managed to get some of the right words out about white supremacists, but it was just a dart is what the editorial board writes. "washington oday's

times," whatever this president would say, his partisan critics and media were waiting to pick it apart and find it wanting. he could never say it strong enough is what is in the column. a few comments from twitter, as we're having this discussion about the president's statements about hate groups in this country. kevin says, where steven bannon is your senior advisor, nothing you say about equality matters. donna says, as many people have said, there have always been in the shadows, talking about hate groups. they're being encouraged to come out with trump's rhetoric. carol, hate groups are on the rise because there's plenty of hate to go around. leftist hate is very strong. did you add all the murders in chicago? sandy writes in, we know the radical left well. statues are only the beginning. banning reenactors, civil war roundtable and books to come. want to hear from you this morning. phone numbers for those under 30, 202-748-8000. for those 30 to 50 years old, 202-748-8001.

for those 50 and older, 02-748-8002. charlotte, north carolina, line for 30 to 50 years old. go ahead. caller: hi, good morning. i just think there's an extreme emotional and irrational focus on the confederate flag, meaning that it's just based on racism. where those who want to remove it have some severe insensitivity, meaning that the civil war and the confederates fought. both soldiers lost their lives. on the confederate sides, you still have families who are touched by this. and this is what is in the news. it's completely political. and it's been distorted view of history and education in this country. and symbolizes the blue and red states with the confederate and civil war. and i think more attention needs to be placed on that.

and i don't know the love for the radical. i think they're void of some parts of history. and they want to shape it. i mean, both sides, they want to kind of design it in their way, but i think more needs to be understood of the core purpose of what the confederate flag actually stands for. host: you talk about families being touched by the civil war. you say families who had ancestors who were in the confederacy. did you listen to the caller just a few minutes ago who talked about families being touched by slavery, the ancestors that she had who were slaves? caller: yes, absolutely. scommoip what did you think of her story? caller: i think that -- i'm not sure she understands the confederate -- the confederacy, what the war stood for. everybody wanted their freedom. and i think that if people understood all sides, they would have compassion for everyone. and so if you just put its

federates, cist con you're also denying the soldiers. host: what about the side of the slaves that were her ancestors that would not have had their freedom? caller: i also have slave ancestors, but it comes to a point where it's history and you have to move forward. you know, george washington, one of the founding fathers of our country, were slave owners. what are we supposed to do, tear up money, rip down their monuments? where does it end? and i'm also a veteran. so it's like, you have to have respect for history, what freedom stands for and what it means to fight for it. so if you want to keep fighting everyone, we're just in this repetitive state of hate. host: kristin is up next, greenbelt, maryland, line for those under 30. good morning. caller: good morning. the last caller basically stole a lot of what i was going to y, but i believe that people

who believe that the confederates were more complicated than that and weren't just pure evil, they feel really marginalized, and people think that they're evil and think the confederate flag is just a symbol of slavery, because the media feeds off of -- especially the liberal media that has a large audience. the audience feeds off of it, and they like to tell people that it's a symbol of evil and hatred. host: i think we lost you there, but got your point. a story in new york, -- astoria, new york, good morning. caller: i'm going to give you a brief education. the only reason why people have different skin colors is because of the region and proximity of the sun. we have different skin colors because of where we lived in relevance to the sun. it's nothing to do with being better, more educated, rich,

poorer. people don't seem to realize, it's just something to protect them from the sun. it's a texture. if you're in a region where the sun is strong, you're darker. if you live in a region where there's no sun, you need to be lighter so you can absorb. i don't know where these people get their stories. i know prejudice from day one. i probably was the first mexican in astoria. i mean, where did these people get their education? skin color is only to protect you from the sun. let's get that straight. people are ignorant. and i can't say much more about that. host: anna in chicago, line those 30 to 50. good morning. caller: hi. can you hear me? host: yes, ma'am. caller: yeah, i was wondering, what people think about this multicultural society that america is trying to build. it's not going to work. it's not working. you can't throw in a bunch of

people from everywhere in the world and expect a melting pot. there is no melting pot. host: what's the alternative, anna? caller: it's gone too far. and this is what's happening. you know, i see it all around me. i live in chicago. and what's happening in chicago is black people are on fire. i'm really afraid. i live on the north side of chicago. i don't live on the south side where you hear of all these black killings. that's not happening in my neighborhood. what's happening in my neighborhood, on the north side, i live in a condo, i've got a good job, good salary, people are terrified. because people are coming in from everywhere. they've got all these expectations. they're changing the neighborhood. and everybody is trying to move out. but we can't move out because, you know, it's hard to sell

property, you know? and oh, my god, it's just terrible. i don't know what's going on. you know, i'm a black woman. you know, i'm 48 years old. i've lived here since i was in my early 30's. and i'm just -- i don't know what's going on. i don't know how we're ever going to stop this. that's all i have to say. i'm sorry. noip today's "washington post," a story, researchers exploring the roots of raceism and how to stop it. the reporters on that story talking to researchers who studied the roots of racism. jennifer richardson, one of those from yale university, saying the only way to change bias is to change culture. you have to change what is acceptable in society. people today complain about politically correct culture, but what that does is provide a check on people's outward

attitude, which in turn influences how we think about ourselves internally. everything we're exposed to gives us messages about who's good and who is bad. one more comment on that topic from the professor at new york university agreeing that norms can serve as a check on expression of violent racism, but to challenge the deep-seat prejudices to shape our behavior, we need contact. it's absolutely the opposite behalf white nationalists want, which is a segregated society. we need an integrated society, and at the same time need to create as much socioeconomic fairness as we can so that relationships people have across group lines are egalitarian relationships. that's the one thing that can create trust on each side of the us-them divide, and the only thing in the long term that i would put my money on to reduce prejudices. if up to the read that story, today's "washington post." estelle in memphis, tennessee, line for those 50 and older.

good morning. caller: good morning. i just want to say that i don't think things are going to change immediately. i feel that what's going to take place -- can you hear me? host: yes, ma'am. caller: ok. i'm sorry. i just to want say that what i think will happen, in time, it will change. it will take on a new color. but it's so deep-rooted in this country. i mean, we celebrate people, and the flag, i feel like it should something, because it's a symbol of hate, and whares a whole race of people that that flag meant such ugly things for. and we can celebrate, let's say jefferson, but when you look at the things that he did in his life, it's not so pretty. sally hemmings, the young child. i mean, we look at our history, there's too much there.

and in regards to the president making a comment, i feel like he should have, but, of course, he didn't in time, and then what is he really doing? after the fact, so many days later, it's things like that that kind of feel wrong. and i feel if we continue the role, and frankly, i just question why all of a sudden now, with this particular batch, is there such an outcry for it to stop, because it's been going on for such a long time. host: juanita in kentucky, line for those under 30. go ahead. caller: hi. it's onita. all the itas were calling in, i thought i should just put kentucky in there. i'm under 30. nd i moved to rural kentucky because my town that i grew up in has always been racially charged, and it's really sad, nd i wanted to give props to

juanita in alabama, because she hit it on the head. it's all about what the lord wants us to be, and it's all about what the lord has said about what's coming. host: mike, pittsburgh, pennsylvania, those 30 to 50 years old. ood morning. caller: i think people need to get real about the white supremacists, they are nazi. i think they don't believe that all men are created equal. they don't believe black people are equal to whites. they don't believe jews. they don't even believe in america in the first place. that's the major problem. and, you know, white people, i am white, i'm from pittsburgh. but i lived a year down in tampa, and i actually went to a protest, a vigil, because what happened to that girl really

got to me, and i wanted to do something. so here in tampa, there's a confederate statue right outside the courthouse, and it's still up, and we're trying to get it down. but i mean, i think white people, the reason they already have all the power. they're pretty much the only voice that matters. the reason all the minority groups have sprout up is because they're trying to get to the same level, the same equality. most white people are alza forded. -- are always afforded. i mean, if you're a black person, how do you go into a courthouse with a confederate statue in front of it and think you're going to be treated fairly? thank you. host: mike, before you go, did you see that story about the statue being pulled down in durham, north carolina, and what did you think about it? we lost mike. smith is in upper marlboro, maryland, line for those under 30.

go ahead. caller: thank you for taking my call. i'm just a quick one. i'm an immigrant just like the second caller who said he's been here since 1994. sometimes i think we have some good insight. this is what i think. we need to take it back to where it started. it started from slavery. slave masters and all that. so i think now the police have a lot to solve this, when it's where it is right now. i think the police should try to relate more to the people, because when i was back in my country, racism in america, i see it on tv from the police angle so. it was an action. so to solve this, starting from the police angle, this should go out. there should be a movement. you should be something there,

ok, let's see this, let's create a platform, and also, there are some groups like black lives matter, sometimes they make the matter worse, because when you tell me black lives matter, the first thing that comes to my head, you're taking me black to the slave sometimes, because every life matter. yes, when you say black lives matter, the picture that comes to my mind is racism. whip country did you immigrate from? caller: from nigeria. host: were there these hate groups there? caller: yeah, of course, boko haram and some of them. yes, the group. but there's bigger politics and all that from the north and south and all that. but from what i snow america, it has to be a conscious effort. take down a name. forget about black lives matter. every life matters.

like i say, when you call it by the name, what comes to your mind is freedom and slavery. oh, we matter. we matter. so we're still fighting it. we're still trying to fight it. no, every life matter. and then, like i said, the slave masters are now the police. so it's a conscious effort, take selfies, show love. host: got your point. lee is in cleveland, ohio, line for those 30 to 50 years old. good morning. caller: good morning. how you doing? host: doing well. caller: great. just a couple of points that i just wanted to make. i've been listening for a while this morning, and i hear a lot of your guests saying the same thing. but i don't really hear them answering one of your questions, which is what is the alternative? you know, we know that there's racism existing, and if you say you don't know it, you act like you don't know, and that's a farce. it's been going on for a significant amount of time. why are the hate groups on the

rise? i feel like they're trying to antagonize the bear. minorities in this country are representative or indicative of a bear, a sleeping giant. i believe like the caller stated, if black people, brown people, minorities in general became goldened or empowered in this country, then there's a real fear of that. why is there a fear of that? because i don't want to share with somebody who i don't necessarily agree with, whom i don't necessarily like, who i think may overpower me in many ways. with that point, equality is a joke. why is it a joke? because the system is in collaboration with the bureaucracy in this country, and that's what's keeping minorities disenfranchised. nobody wants to talk about what is the alternative. the alternative is to stop making such stringent

application process when we apply for jobs. stop making it so difficult for us to take care of our families. stop making it so difficult for us to express how we feel about politics and what's going on in america. it's such a shame that white nationalist groups can march in charlottesville, north carolina -- i'm sorry, charlottesville, virginia, and blacks can't even go out and march against brothers getting shot in the street and saying hey, this is wrong, without having military forces being brought upon them. i think that these are some of the critical issues that we must address in this country if we're going to ever try to scribe to be a multicultural and diverse nation. again, it's a joke if we don't do this. my last point i want to make is what jimmy fallon said the other night. he said that if you sit up and you know that racism is existing, you know that these

inequality are happening and you're a white person and you do nothing, that is just as bad as being a part of those white nationalist groups. and i want to end with that. grt to and with that thank you so much. >> line for those 50 and older. good morning. >> good morning how are you. let me try to resolve this whole , people in our country do not see the big picture. and inlived at 74 years only four of those 74 years have i felt totally free. that is when i lived in the far east. what i learned when i was in the imperial white supremacy. country8 to 1975, every in the far east drove white imperial supremacy and capitalism out of control over

their lives. every single one. in the middle east from india with gandhi, and egypt and all of the other middle eastern countries, white imperial supremacy and exploitation was driven out. 53 countries in africa with south africa being the last in 1993, white imperial supremacy and explanation -- host: we are running out of time here but think us -- take us to 2017. caller: it is this. this mentality that we live within this country has been so ingrained for greed that people don't even know who they are anymore. poor, black, it is not the white guys, they have been explored and -- exploited just like the poor black guy. these other people are victims.

minorities, just the victims. keep the scenario going for money. for the love of money. it is the root of all evil. that will be the destruction of this country. caller inrt, our last this segment of today's washington journal. on theup we get in ground perspective on that recent violence in ,harlottesville from joe thomas a conservative radio host in the city and later on president trump has declared the opioid crisis a national emergency. rshon abouth erin me what happens next. we will be right back. ♪ >> c-span has been on the road meeting with winners of the student documentary competition. at laramie high school in laramie, wyoming, gathered with school officials to accept the first place prize of $3000 for

her documentary on dependence on fossil fuels. colorado, a second-place prize was accepted of $1500 for a documentary on cyber security. also in denver, the third-place award of $750 went to a 10th grader and another, for their documentary about digital hacking. st. thomas more high school in south dakota is where other students won the third-place $750 for their documentary on racial inequality in america. in sioux falls, south dakota, for a won a prize of $750 documentary on national debt. and their classmate won honorable mention with a prize of $250 for his documentary on marijuana. at nearby edison middle school,

a number of students one honorable mentions and $250 for them. included topics such as national debt, and global warming. thank you to all the students who took part in our 2017 student camp documentary competition. to watch the videos go to studentcam.org. to chooseing students any provision of the u.s. constitution and create a video about why it is important. washington journal continues. now, aoe thomas joins us host and programming prechter for charlottesville radio. to discuss how