10 O'Clock News | [Interview with Howie Carr and Byron Rushing]

Howie Carr and Byron Rushing

[Interview with Howie Carr and Byron Rushing]
Original Airdate: 10/25/1989

Length: 00:08:05
Item Type: newstape - edited story master

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Full Description

1:00:23
Visual: Christopher Lydon interviews in-studio guests Howie Carr (columnist, The Boston Herald) and Byron Rushing (State Representative). Lydon interviews the two guests about the murder of Carol Stuart (Reading resident) in Mission Hill. Lydon asks Carr about the effects of the photo printed in The Boston Herald on Tuesday morning. Carr says that The Boston Herald was criticized for running the photo. Carr says that the photo is similar to the media coverage of the realities of the Vietnam War. Lydon says that the photo is brutal; that the photo documents the reality of the "war" going on in the streets of Boston. Rushing says that the US government was able to pull out of Vietnam; that Boston residents cannot leave the streets of Boston. Rushing says that a solution to the problem must be found. Rushing says that the war analogy does not work; that more people are not being killed on the streets of Boston. Rushing says that the media and the city are finally focusing on the problem of crime in the streets; that the media and the city should have focused on the problem years ago. Rushing says that African Americans have long kept silent about "black-on-black violence." Rushing says that society must look at ways to end the violence in urban areas. Rushing notes that city and state officials are making public policy "based on frustration." Rushing says that leaders need to be rational in the face of irrational acts. Carr notes that Rushing is opposed to police stop-and-search tactics. Rushing says that it is important to look at the causes of the violence. Rushing notes that the drug trade may be the root of these problems; that police will not stop the drug trade by arresting the low-level users and dealers on the street. Rushing says that police need to go after the drug kingpins. Rushing notes that police have made little progress in making arrests or finding those responsible for the violence on the streets. Carr says that the police have been arresting drug kingpins. Rushing challenges Carr to be specific about the arrests. Lydon says that there is a greater consciousness of the violence in the streets. Lydon notes that martial law, the death penalty, and other possible remedies to the violence have been mentioned. Lydon asks about constructive responses to the problems. Rushing says that society needs to focus on the root of the problem and then take action. Rushing says that society has not yet focused on the root of the problem. Rushing speculates that the drug trade is at the root of the violence. Rushing says that the drug trade must be stopped before the violence will end. Lydon asks Carr about constructive responses to the violence. Carr says that he has no answers to the problem. Carr says that residents of non-violent neighborhoods are not as concerned with the problem; that those residents will avoid the violent neighborhoods. Carr says that he is not sure if the Stuart murder will provoke the city to take action against the problem of violence in the streets. Lydon asks Rushing if he is troubled by the selectiveness of society's outrage. Rushing says that the same outrage would have been provoked by a photo of a rich, African American pregnant woman who was murdered. Carr agrees. The three men agree that class is more important than race in provoking sympathy to the murder. Rushing notes that racism is still an important issue. Carr flips through a file of photos from The Boston Herald. Carr says that the Herald has run many photos of African American murder victims; that they have received no complaints about the nature of the photos. Carr notes that that The Boston Herald received two calls of complaint when they ran a photo of Darlene Tiffany Moore (Roxbury resident and murder victim) in her coffin. Lydon asks again about how to go about solving the problem of violence on the streets. Rushing says that residents need to express sympathy for bereaved family members. Rushing notes that there is no short-term solution to the problem; that the eventual solution will include renewed ommitments to education and community development. Carr says that he has nothing to add to Rushing's comments. Lydon thanks Rushing and Carr.

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