willie horton is the politics of fear too. the news cycle and the news of the day has contributed so much to the political conversation and that's why we're hearing it now. >> are the cable news networks and some of the media to a large being sense to blame, because people dune in and they want some reassurance that something is being done or the media is keeping track of things? >> yeah, well i'd go against my earlier argument of saying that it's been around forever. because cable news and the 24 hour news cycle has not been around forever. if i said they were solely to blame they are not, they oar contributing factor. they give people the forum to go out and say these things on radio addresses and on campaign stumps for newspapers, at the same time, there are more vehicles to spread that fear. you talk about 9/11 afterwards they went into iraq. there were a number of americans, a good number of americans, a majority of americans that thought that saddam hussein was behind 9/11. there are a good number of americans now that t

the willie horton case from decades ago transformed sentencing.o, in fact, we were regressing in a number of areas. you will say to version may not have worked in this case, will look again at the version. of course, imprisonment never worked. and the response to imprisonment was always, well, you killed, so we must increase the sentencing. with an even worse efficacy than we would have with these types of programs. the public has to know that there are bound to be mistakes. there are mistakes in either end. and the issue is sort of risk assessment. the issue is risk assessment and what is more efficacious and stopping,. >> and to pick up on nancy's point, it is the great irony of being a progressive person in these roles. you are looked at as if you are crazy, the things that you are suggesting are nuts and super risky. the reality is we know what happens in your send people to public jail. you can't just close down shop and stop trying because the alternative is sending them back to a place we know is bad for public safety. you have to take that

the willie horton case from 2, 3 decades ago transformed massachusetts' sentencing. it is a funny kind of conversation. you will say diversion may not work in this situation. of course, imprisonment never worked and the response to imprisonment was always, well, increase the sentences. we had higher and higher sentences with even worse efficacy than we would have for these kinds of programs. but the public has to know that there are bound to be mistakes. there are mistakes in either end. there was a mistake and incarceration, there were mistaken releases. and the issue is sort of risk assessment. the issue is risk assessment and what is more efficacious and -- in stopping crime. >> and to pick up on nancy's point, it is the great irony of being a progressive person in these roles. because your looked at with this e-eye,, like -- this sidey like you are not, the things you are suggesting our -- are super risky. the reality is we know what happens when you send people to public jail. you can't just close down shop and stop trying because the alternative is sending them

if you remember in 1998, mike lost the sentially presidential race over an ad about willy horton, someone who let out in jail and under the dukakis administration and had raped and killed crime was much more on the top of mind for voters than it is now. all sorts of things that were happening to try to .educe crime in the country we passed the brady law in 1993 that had background checks for all firearm purchases. it was a major law. there was a major crime bill as well. part of the way, crime bill was the assault weapons ban, kind of specific weapons,military-style a and, you know, it was a donnybrook. very, very close vote that, you know, we prevailed and schumer at r chuck the time. 216-214.iled host: you said you worked for chuck schumer. we want to show our viewers a video of chuck schumer during his debate over the crime bill of which the assault weapons ban was a part that was included. >> it doesn't mean equal but it does mean a fair share and the bill is fair. each of a fair share to the basic elements we need to crime. police, prevention and punishment. -- the course, the ban bi