West: We must call out, shame 'hustlers' Jackson, Sharpton
Former congressman blasts silence of civil rights leaders on brutal Fla. bus beating
This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," August 12, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Congressman, stand by because I want to talk about another topic with you, a brutal school bus beating caught on camera. Three 15-year-old African-American boys viciously attacking a younger white student, breaking his arm, giving him two black eyes. Now, the victim was only 13, and he was defenseless.
Now, the bus driver was suspending for doing very little, if anything, to help. But former congressman Allen West is pointing the finger at others he thinks should do more, the congressman telling Civil Rights activists Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, quote, "Y'all make me sick." Is that what you said?
ALLEN WEST, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR/FORMER FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN: Well, absolutely. And I have to use my southern vernacular because, you know, where are their voices now, because what we just saw happen in that videotape is absolutely reprehensible. Here was a defenseless young -- young fellow who was actually -- reported these three gentlemen for selling drugs on the school property. Now...
VAN SUSTEREN: That's what led to the beating.
WEST: That's what led to the beating. Now, my first question is, who told these three young boys that this was the person that reported them for the drugs being sold on that campus?
And another thing is that this was not their authorized bus to be on. So how were they able to get on that bus? So there's some adult responsibility that was lacking with the school administration.
And now think about this. If you're a young kid in this school and you see criminal behavior, you see some wrongdoing, are you going to report it, knowing what just happened to this young fellow?
VAN SUSTEREN: Probably not. But you know what's sort of appalling is that, you know, we're all -- we all look at this tape and we're all scandalized at the brutality. I mean, his arm was broken. He got two black eyes.
WEST: Sure.
VAN SUSTEREN: A 13-year-old. And it's three against one. And of course, the racial implications to it. But you know, look at the adult behavior, though. I mean, you take Reverend Sharpton and Reverend Jackson, particularly Reverend Sharpton, he was really out there in front when it was Trayvon Martin...
WEST: Oh, yes.
VAN SUSTEREN: ... and where there was a death, really out front. And his silence certainly speaks loudly for this!
WEST: Well...
VAN SUSTEREN: Assuming that there's any sort of racial connotation with this -- we don't know that there is, but it's -- you can't miss the fact that it's three African-Americans on one.
WEST: Well, I think also it goes back to the failure in the black community. I mean, why would you have 15-year-olds that were selling drugs? And then why would they turn to this type of behavior against someone that turned them in?
You know, Jesse Jackson called the state of Florida an apartheid state. He has also been leading a sit-in in the state capitol there in Tallahassee. Where is his voice on this? Al Sharpton led all the marches. Where is his voice on this?
There's a greater issue in the black community that people are not dealing with. And I guarantee you -- if you look at the background of those three young African-American teenagers, I guarantee you they come from some failed homes.
VAN SUSTEREN: So where do we go from here? I mean, like -- I mean, how do we get -- because, look, you know, Reverend Jackson, Reverend Sharpton -- those are important voices. Whether -- you know, whether we -- you know, whether I -- you know, and we think that they should be out talking about something, or not talking about something, you know, they're important voices and we ought to at least figure out a way to sort of coral them so that we can all get on the same page.
WEST: Well, see, I don't think that they're important voices. I think they're voices that cherry pick the issue that will benefit them the most...
VAN SUSTEREN: But they have people listening to them. I mean, even - - even...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: I totally agree with you they do, but -- but they -- they rev up -- they rev up a segment of the population.
WEST: And so they need to rev up the segment of the population that is concerned about what is happening in Chicago. They need to rev up the segment of the population that is concerned with the two black teenagers that shot a 13-month-old white baby in the face with a .22-caliber pistol. They can't not continue to do the things that they think elevates them, and you know, really cause them to be seen as, you know, the hustlers that they are.
They need to start understanding that we have serious problems in the black community. The unemployment situation is rampant. The family breakdown -- only 28 percent have, you know, mothers and fathers in the home. The education is -- is horrible that is happening in the black community. So that's where they need to start standing up.
VAN SUSTEREN: I don't disagree. But the question is, how do we get them to do that because it -- because...
WEST: You got to keep shaming them.
VAN SUSTEREN: Keep shaming them. I mean, I don't think it's -- it has not so far been very effective. I mean, they have been dreadfully silent this time -- this go-round.
WEST: Yes.
VAN SUSTEREN: They've been -- I mean, the shaming -- how do we get them to do that?
WEST: Well, I think that that ends up showing their hypocrisy, and that will affect the relevance that they can have with those masses that they're able to go out and stir up. So eventually, you know, the liberal media, Hollywood and everyone will start to separate themselves from gentlemen such as this and see that we need to get to the core issues that have to be discussed in this community or you're going to have even more cases of this in Detroit and Chicago, my inner city home of Atlanta, Georgia, all over the place.
So now is the time that we have to start making them stand up and not just stand out when they feel like they want to.
VAN SUSTEREN: And we do that how, just shaming them? (INAUDIBLE)
WEST: You've got to call them out. You got to call them out. If you don't call them out, if you don't say, We're watching you, we're paying attention to what you're doing, they're going to continue to skate free. And hopefully, we can bring them to the table on this issue. And the next time they try to cherry pick an issue, then we should see them as irrelevant.
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, Reverend Jesse Jackson was confronted by this and he said, well, the difference is that in the Zimmerman case, there was a -- there was a death.
WEST: Yes, well, he -- these young men probably would have killed this young fellow, as well. But again, you know, it's not -- the deaths are in Chicago. Why aren't you in Chicago, you know, speaking out?
VAN SUSTEREN: Why isn't he in Chicago?
WEST: You've got to ask him. But the thing is that as we are having his discussion, maybe, you know, Jesse Jackson is listening.
VAN SUSTEREN: Maybe. And maybe Reverend Sharpton. Hold your breath.
WEST: Not for too long!
(LAUGHTER)
VAN SUSTEREN: Congress, thank you, sir.
WEST: Always a pleasure. Thank you.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox