September 15, 2025 • 37 mins
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder last week, the fallout has the country very publicly and politically divided, arguably even more so than we already were. To pay respects to Charlie, President Trump ordered all flags across the nation, at military posts, and at embassies to remain flown at half-staff until Sept. 14th. In Lexington, MA, police are investigating alleged vandalism after someone raised the flag at the Battle Green back to full staff on Saturday by cutting the flag's rope and adding more rope to hoist it back to the top of the pole. The Battle Green is a national historical landmark and one of the only places in the United States where Congress authorizes the American flag to fly 24 hours a day. Dan addressed the divisive nature our country is in right now and asked the question, whether there is anything we can do to meet in the middle.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, Dan Walkins, thank you very much. Welcome back everyone.
It's a Monday night here.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Selm of my listeners call Monday Moonday, but that's okay.
It is Monday, nonethe last first day of the week.
We're here for five nights Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday,
every week from eight until midnight, and we welcome you in.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
We now begin the process.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Of opening the conversation and taking phone calls and one
of the things.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
That we've tried to do.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
By the way, we're finishing year eighteen here at Nightside.
We began this program formally called Nightside on October first,
two thousand and seven, so we will finish year eighteen
on September thirtieth, two thousand and five, couple of weeks
from now. However, from the onset of this program, we
(00:59):
talked about having conversations where different points of view were allowed,
indeed encouraged, and that we felt that reasonable people could
disagree reasonably. And I'm sure that there have been things
that you have heard on this program from one extreme
to the other, which maybe has upset you and I
(01:21):
have tried to deal with those callers in different ways.
I try to mandate respect for my guests, respect for
other callers. I don't want someone calling up and making
fun of the points you made, or someone calling up
and making fun of the points that the person who
was making fun of the points you made, if you
(01:42):
get my drift. But last week we had this horrible
incident in which a conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, was literally
killed in front of about three thousand people at a
college in Utah. Now, Kirk, like any political activists, I'm
sure you can go back and find things that he
(02:04):
said that you don't agree with. I'm sure I can
go back and find things that I said that he
said that I don't agree with. Maybe there's some things
upset that I don't agree with. But the fact of
the matter is he enjoyed going onto college campuses, debating,
having conversations. The tour that he was on was show
Me a Wrong tour, basically challenging, you know, the orthodoxy,
(02:30):
which is on a lot of college campuses, and he
went to and there are a group of speakers who
go around on college campuses who are are protested, and
the fact of the matter is that everyone should be
welcomed everyone within reason.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
We don't need people on college campuses who are there.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
To incite riots or anything like that. But there's a
wide swath of conversation and viewpoints that are not probably
as well represented as they should be. But what I
want to do tonight is try to see and I
mentioned on Friday night in my last hour, I asked
(03:12):
people to take a pledge to try to reach out
to someone with whom they disagreed and kind of, you know,
make a bit of a peace treaty here. You know,
if you have a situation in a country where half
the population believes X and the other half believes why,
(03:33):
and they're not even talking, that's where I think the
potential for violence really becomes a reality. Now there are
individuals on both sides of the political spectrum, you know,
the right and the left, who I think have distinguished themselves,
(03:55):
and then there are people on both sides of the spectrum,
in my opinion, who who have.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Not distinguished themselves.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
In my opinion, I think that one person who really
stepped up, really stepped out without without any equivocation whatsoever,
is going to be someone who I disagree with and
if he was with me tonight, I would tell him
(04:24):
I admire this statement, and if he was with me tonight,
I shake his hand and want to shake his hand.
None other than Bernie Sanders, the socialist from Vermont. Not
much that Bernie has said over the years or something
that has warmed the cockles of my heart. But Rob,
this is cut number twenty three. In the wake of
the Charlie Kirk murder or the Charlie Kirk assassination. This
(04:49):
is what Senator Sandras had to say. It's thirty eight seconds,
and it frames the circumstance of the situation, in my opinion, perfectly.
Cut twenty three, Rob.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Freedom and democracy is not about political violence. It is
not about assassinating public officials. It is not about trying
to intimidate people who speak out.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
On an issue.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Political violence, in fact, is political cowardice. It means that
you cannot convince people of the correctness of your ideas
and you have to impose them through force. Every American,
no matter what one's political point of view may be,
must condemn all forms of political violence and all forms
(05:37):
of intimidation.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Couldn't set it better myself, but there have been people
on both ends of the spectrum. And I know some
of you will disagree with that. That's fine, who have
either engaged in political violence or have advocated for political violence.
And I mean you clearly remember the January sixth riot,
(06:05):
January sixth, twenty twenty one, and there were people there
who engaged in political violence against police officers at the Capitol,
who broke windows, smashed doors, trespassed. Again, I don't want
to resurrect the conversation about January sixth, but.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
That cannot be denied.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
And those people were Trump supporters. Now I disagree with
the President when he decided to forgive, you know, provide
commutations for so many of them, including those who had
engaged not only in political violence, but violence against police officers.
(06:50):
So on the other hand, you have people on the
Democratic left who have used language which, in my opinion
I could incite people who are a little off.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And this guy in.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
California, Tyler Robinson, looked to me like a twenty two
year old kid who was pretty confused. And all the
people who engaged in the conversations about who's a Nazi
and who's a fascist, those are strong words. You don't
have to call someone a Nazi. To disagree with their
position on some issues, you don't have to call them.
I mean, if you really think they're a Nazi, I guess,
(07:28):
but be prepared to realize that there will be people
who will take you what you would, particularly if you're
some form of political leader. There were people who, if
you remember.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Engaged in.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Chuck Schumer or the minority leader in the Senate, talked
about that some of the Supreme Court justices Kavnar and
Alito would inherit a.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Whirlwind for a ruling that they passed down.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
As they say, I'm not so much interested in uh
in making comparing which groups of which side is worse.
But I will say this that I don't want to
ever see a Charlie Kirk situation again. I don't ever
want to see a Gabby Gifford situation again. I don't
want to ever see a member of Congress, whether it's
a Democrat Alan Lowenstein in nineteen eighty I misstated that
(08:24):
I thought it was nineteen eighty four. The other night
it's nineteen eighty or Gabby Giffords or Steve Scales. Uh,
these are elected representatives. I don't want anyone physically harmed
and I'm going to do my best on nights side
to try to temper the conversation. At the same time,
(08:44):
don't be intimidated from calling because I want to hear
what you have to say six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty.
I am not infallible, So just because I have an
opinion doesn't mean it's right. I have an opinion, and
(09:06):
that's what it is. It's an opinion, and you have
an opinion. So let's share our ideas, share our opinions,
and figure out figure out how all of us.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
If we're.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Conservatives, we can inherit the spirit of Ronald Reagan and
his humor, although Ronald Reagan was unmercifully attacked himself. Or
if we're a Democrat, we can become more like Tip O'Neil,
although O'Neill was.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Also satirized and criticized.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
They will not only knew how to take it, they
knew how to have an enjoyment, an enjoyable conversation, and
a drink after five o'clock, As both Reagan and O'Neil said,
So we're going to set the I think I'm going
to hope that my audience can set a standard of
conversation and respect of others, even people with whom they disagree.
(10:01):
It's easy to respect someone with whom you agree. It's
more difficult to respect someone with whom you disagree.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
End of speech for me.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
The only lines that are open right now six one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. We will talk about this until ten o'clock.
At ten, I have a guest and we're going to
change topics. Amazing gentleman. He happens to be a black American,
black gentleman who set out to meet and attend to
Ku Kluck's Clean rallies. Uh, and he was kind of accepted,
(10:33):
not as a member, but as an observer. And why
do you hear this story at ten o'clock? We did
it in brief form a couple of weeks ago. Will
give you an opportunity to ask again. The gentleman he
calls himself, I think the clean Whisperer. Back on Nightside
right after this quick.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Break, You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
By the way, this weekend there was a very ugly
incident out of Lexington Police investigating an alleged vandalism of
the town's brat Town Green. Now, the flag of the
Green had been lowered to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk. However,
on Saturday, someone under the cover of darkness raised the
flag back up to full staff. Now, these flags were
ordered not only by President Trump but also by Governor Healey.
(11:21):
So and hats off to Governor Healy. And I've criticized
Governor Heally, and we'll do so again, I'm sure, but
I think that was a position of courage. Officials said
that someone cut the flag's rope, added more rope, and
hosted it up back up to the top of the flagpole.
So why should some jerk take it upon him or
(11:44):
herself to take a flag which has been ordered to
be lowered to half staff by not only the President,
by the governor. Why does that individual feel that they
are so important that they can basically take it upon
(12:04):
themselves to do this. Now, I'm hoping that this investigation
is concluded and someone pays a price for that. Of course,
everybody knows the Battle Green historic landmark where the opening
shots of the battles of Lexington and Concord were fired
back on long.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Time seventeen seventy five.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Okay, so it's it is one of the few places
in the United States. I'm reading here from an article
from WCVBTV where the American flag is authorized specifically by
Congress to fly twenty four hours a day, according to
the town's website. So I would hope that whoever felt
they could take it upon themselves to do that, that
(12:49):
they will find police or federal agents or state police
at their door.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Let's go to the phones. We're going to go to
al Up in New Hampshire. Starting us off, Hey, l
welcome your first first this week, first to night on nights.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
I go ahead, al Hey, Dan, thank you. If I
could just be a little philosophical for just a second.
It was the book written by a psychologist by the
name of Victor Frankel. In World War Two, he was
in a Jewish concentration campus, family was killed and in
the book man search for meeting this five key points
that he identifies that what makes people survive. One of
(13:26):
the key ones that I found riveting and brings home
everything is moment the last time you laughed at yourself,
And you know, I went back thinking of that, and
I'm almost seventy now, but I went back to the
nineteen eighties and watched All in the Family, and I
this weekend and I watched you know, Saturday Night Live,
(13:50):
when it was really people made fun of each other.
And we stopped doing that a long time ago. And
you know, you couldn't make blazing sad today. You couldn't
make any of those things anymore. And I think one
of the key things we stopped doing dan is making
genuine fun of each other, laughing at each other, laughing
with each other, not at each other.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Well, the other thing too.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And I'm gonna say this, and probably my conservative friends
will agree with me on this one. A lot of
the media, particularly the late night comedians, all of their
political humor is fired in one direction. And you know
what direction that is, And so why anybody would watch
any of those late night shows, because it's you know,
(14:37):
Johnny Carson, who was so popular back in the day.
He made fun of both sides of the political spectrum.
And when you all of a sudden, played just to
half the room, half the audience, and that audience is
split between you know, here in Boston, four, five and seven,
up up in New Hampshire, you got ABC is on
(14:59):
show nine. They're hurting themselves. They're hurting themselves. I just
don't get it. You know, if you're going to be
a comedian, it'll be funny about everything.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
If you go back and just look at Saturday Saturday
Light but all in the family, you will you'll belly laugh.
I find myself over the weekend. I needed to laugh.
I needed desperately to laugh.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And that was good.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
And that was a comedy show which basically made fun
of Archie Bunker and you're made fun of sort of
like your blue.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Collar New York worker, which is fine.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Everybody laughed at it, and it was done Norman Lear
did it in a way because it was scripted and
all of that, and then there were moral lessons. But
I'm talking about the comedians at night who are on
at eleven thirty after the newscasts.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
It is not even funny. They're not even funny.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Yeah, well, you know some of them are getting canceled, obviously.
I suspect that that more of them will be canceled. Yeah,
you gotta be able to everyone the most. The best humor,
in my opinion, is the self deprecating humor. That was
what Ronald Reagan was really good. At he engaged in
(16:14):
self deprecating humor. He never was intended to hurt people.
He made his points, you know. You know, but when
he used to say the most dangerous words in the
English language was I'm from the government, that I'm here
to help you. You know, everybody knew what he was
trying to say. It wasn't nasty, it wasn't a cerbic.
(16:35):
But someone like Reagan only comes along once in a lifetime,
as I think.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
All of us are found out.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Yes, I agree, and God bless us all. And let's
laugh a little bit, please.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Yeah, And let's also have a beer with each other,
you know, and every once in a while you can,
you can, you can sit and you can have dinner
with someone with whom you necessarily you don't have to
agree with everybody you spend every every odd the day with.
Even within families, how many families now have members of
the family who can't talk to.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Each other about certain subjects.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
You know, I will admit that a little bit of
that exists in my own family, and I would like
to see it eradicated in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
All right, thank you all, talk.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
Soon, Thank you Dan, Thanks again, good night.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
So one line at six one, seven, two, five, four
ten thirty and one line at six one seven, nine
three one ten thirty.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Be right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on you by
Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
All right, let me head next to Steven Cambridge. Steve,
you next on Nightside.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Welcome Dan.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
I have a couple of points. I think when you
have people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren uh and papers
like The New York Times and the Boston Globe saying
that Don Trump and his supporters are fascists who want
(18:04):
to end democracy in the United States, and when you
have them vilify the tobacco industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the
fossil fuel industry, and this is a constant refrain on
their parts. I don't think it's mysterious why you have
(18:31):
certain people like this fellow in Utah who feel that
by assassinating they are doing something that is needed.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
I understand the point you're making.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
In my opinion, a lot of the really vile rhetoric
that has been directed from the hardcore left. I mean,
Sandraw's statement I thought was eloquent, and it was much
better than some of the other statements that I have heard.
I mean, for example, let me get you this Nancy Pelosi,
(19:14):
her husband was attacked by a nut job, actually broke
into their home and attacked him with a hammer.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Paul Pelosi.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Now, if anybody should be aware, and you know, the
Republicans had fired at Nancy Pelosi a lot. This was
her comment at some point in the last few days.
Rob please play cut number ten. Compare it to what
Bernie Sanders said, cut number ten.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
People don't have any intention of saying something that's going
to lead to something dangerous, but we cannot take responsibility
for the minds that are out there and how they
hear it.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Well, that's that's a really arrogant statement, because her husband
was attacked by a guy who obviously was influenced by someone.
And you know, she made that point at that time
many times that the criticism that that that hit her
(20:14):
below the belt, to use a euphemism, was directly attributable
to what happened to her husband. And yet she somehow
can't extend that same consideration to Charlie Kirk because we're
not we can't be responsible. We can say crazy things,
but we can't be That's what that's what I heard
her say we could say crazy, We can say crazy
things about our political opponents, and if some nut job
(20:36):
does something crazy, you can't hold us responsible.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
Yeah, that was not a good statement at all, but.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Particularly from someone whose husband suffered, I believe he had
a fractured scholar. If I'm not mistaken, he wasn't He
wasn't grazed by this hammer.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
He was hit by the hammer.
Speaker 8 (20:54):
Well.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
I mean, for example, the BBC reported on Charlie Kirk's
fascination and they had nothing but bad things to say.
Are very much against Charlie Kirk after the fact, and
you know, I think, I mean, if you take how
(21:18):
Bernie Sanders has vilified billionaires and millionaires, I mean, you know, people,
how can they not take some responsibility. I mean, Sanders'
comments were good, but at the same time, he's made
a career out.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Of well, but what I'm saying I under say the
point you're making.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
But maybe maybe this has driven.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Home the point to Bernie Sanders that he needs to
tone the rhetoric down. And I just wanted to give
him credit.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
I just want to.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Give people credit who at least are trying to to
make things a little kinder or alone.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
And we should always give credit where credit is due,
even if it's to our most bitter enemy, And so
I applaud you for that. And Okay, so I really
do think it is the Democrats and the left who
have really incited violence. But at the same time, Dan,
I think, uh, you know, President Trump has, even though
(22:20):
I agree with all of his policies, almost all of
his policies, He's made a career out of insulting people,
and that is totally unnecessary and that certainly doesn't help
the situation.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yeah, he's he's sort of the Schecky Green of the
American you know, politic, Danny.
Speaker 6 (22:40):
Dan, You're gonna have explain Checky Green to some of
us young folk.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Checky Green.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I think it was like an insult comic or whatever,
or maybe Don Rickles, you know. Yeah, I mean those
guys were humorists who were always making fun of you know,
that was their stick, as it were.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
But they were comedians.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
Yeah, but I mean people, I mean, I think the
people on the left have been more inciting. But at
the same time, people on the right should have some
respect even for people like our former president Joe Biden.
You may disagree with him and everything he does, but
he's as a human being, is entitled to some respect,
(23:19):
and as a person who's in a very high position
in the United States government, we have to respect the office.
And that is not done by Conservatism, especially not done
by Donald Trump.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
All right, sir, all great points. Thank you, Steve. I
appreciate Dan, thank you much, appreciate it. Let me go
to my friend Harvey Silverglade. Harvey, welcome back to Nightside.
How are you.
Speaker 9 (23:40):
I'm fine, Dan.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I know that you made some statements the other day
and love to hear what you have to say tonight.
Speaker 9 (23:49):
I'm working that column. I'm not sure where I'm going
to submit it. But there are historical modern examples of
political civili among people who disagreed, just to demonstrate that
civil discussion among people who disagree is not only possible
(24:14):
but has happened. Ronald Reagan and Tipp O'Neil, despite ideological differences,
they maintained a respectful relationship. They had lunch together every Saturday,
as I were called.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Kennedy and the Senator from Utah, ironically.
Speaker 9 (24:36):
Abraham Lincoln. This cabinet maintained a team of rivals as
dar as current as a Goodwin put it. Lunar D.
Johnson and Everett Dirkson worked to pass the Civil Rights
Act of nineteen sixty four, overcoming political divides, lose Beda
(25:00):
Ginsburg and antonin Scalia. Polar rappers on the Supreme Court
used to attend, used to attend the opera together.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, that was that was their commonality, which was which
was interesting. Now again, you know find you know, if
you really disagree with someone politically, and you're both Red
Sox fans go to the game together, you're both Yankee
fans go to the game together.
Speaker 9 (25:25):
It is possible for people who are opposite ends of
the ideological spectrum to deal with each other in a
respectful and friendly manner. And that is an art that
we are losing.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Did you see the video of this clown in Arizona?
There apparently was a huge.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Display of flowers outside of either Charlie Kirk's home or
his office, and this guy just went and trampled the flowers.
Speaker 9 (26:04):
It's like, you have to be sick, you have to
be sick to do something like that. And I don't
have the answer, but I do have the question why
it is we have entered a period of bitter political
(26:26):
and ideological divide where we can barely talk to each other.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
I think the look you remember, you were very young,
but you've stilled the McCarthyism of the fifties, and I
think a lot of that has now fantastasized over to
the left where they were using the sort of the
mirror image of McCarthyism. McCarthy called you a communist. How
did you how did you prove your were a communist?
Speaker 9 (26:53):
It's like, I actually remember the McCarthy era.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Sure, yeah, it was.
Speaker 9 (27:00):
Advised, it was on the radio. I remember the mccarthyy era,
and I remember the fatal question that Welch asked, Senator,
have you a long last no decency? And it destroyed McCarthy.
All you have to do is stand up to a
bully and he melts.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
But but now the same tactics where if you call
someone a fascist or a Nazi, yeah, I mean that's
that's strong language.
Speaker 9 (27:30):
Well you don't have to call them a fascist or
a nasty you said you have to point out their behavior.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
But well, behavior, policies, statements, whatever, it's fine. You know,
you can you know, deal deal in facts as as
opposed to some form of you know, expletive undeleted.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Uh, we got a long way to go, Harvey, and
I know that you and Fire are going to be
in the forefront. So thank you, Thank you so much
for pointing all this these comments tonight really important. Good Dan, Thanks,
Thanks Harry. We'll talk. So I'm gonna quick quick break.
I'm gonna get I got Bill in Chicago, I got
(28:16):
Sandy in Connecticut, I got Uh Joe, and I got
Steve and I'm going to try to get him all
in back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Back we go. I'm gonna get everybody, and I promise
Sandy and Connecticut Sandy next on Nightside, go right ahead.
Speaker 10 (28:36):
Oh hi, Dan, thanks for taking my call. I am
it's just a real sadness what has happened to Charlie Kirk.
But at the same time, do you recall two politicians
or a politician and his wife, her husband, rad from
Minnesota was gone down in their home. Do you recall that.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
In June it was yes, yeah, she was a Democratic
state leader.
Speaker 10 (29:03):
Yeah, yeah, Well do you do you know what Trump did?
Trump refused to call Uh the governor because the governor
was at the time when Harris was running, he was
the vice president's candidate. Well, Donald Trump refused to call.
(29:24):
Now that is in a way somebody coming and shooting
you in your house. Does that called assassination.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
To Well, you know, I don't know that there was.
I'm not trying to quiverle with you. I don't know
that there was a.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Political animist that existed.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
I think that the guy that that that shot and
killed the state senator, I think he was somebody who
had the motive has not been explained to me. It's
never been prescribed a political assassination.
Speaker 10 (29:53):
I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I don't know what the beaker's about.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Should have if I were Trump's advisor, if he said, look,
I don't want to call Walds because he called me
a fascist or whatever.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
You get into those.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Sort of situations, he certainly should. I hope he called
the family of this woman, well, you know.
Speaker 10 (30:10):
So, well, let me tell you what happened, because I
followed it pretty much.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
So.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
Because Donald Trump, at the end of the day, at
the end of the year, is the president of the
United States. He's not the president of Democrats or Republicans,
but the whole all the people here. He's the leader. Now.
He refused to call. He refused, where the flags?
Speaker 6 (30:34):
Lord?
Speaker 10 (30:35):
Where the flags? Lord? This is a politician from a state,
well known in her state, is Charlie is he? Is
he better than this woman? Why weren't the flags lord?
Speaker 11 (30:48):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
To me, Yeah, you have to ask him. I would
prefer to see flags lord, to highlight the death of anyone, Okay,
as post to turning around and saying, well, let's because
they weren't lowered for her, Let's keep the flags up
for Charlie Kirk. I think I think that the flag
should have been lowered for her because we have to
(31:11):
stop this back and forth.
Speaker 10 (31:13):
Well, well, I agree with you. But at the same time,
two other people were shot, also another couple, but they survived.
This is all around done by the same man.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
And again I don't know what his what I'm trying
to say, Sandy is.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
I'm not an expert.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
I don't know if he had some sort of if
he lost his mind and he went around shooting people politically,
I don't.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 10 (31:39):
Well, actually that's not really what I'm pointing out, Tory.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
We've gone three minutes and I have three other calls
I want to get to.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
I gave you every opportunity.
Speaker 10 (31:51):
Did you did you say anything about this and.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Talked about that? Yes, we talked about that, Yes, yes,
But this was the Again, the Charlie Kirk murder was
done in front of three thousand people where he was
exercising his First Amendment rights, and it was done by
someone who specifically went after him because we know of
(32:16):
the political disagreement.
Speaker 10 (32:18):
I agree with you, but at the same time, these
people were assassinated.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
We have been Sandy, You're not getting my point. They
they may have been.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
They may have been murdered for other reasons. I don't
know that. I will try to find.
Speaker 10 (32:33):
That out, but I have seen they's a Republican. That's
what it came out to.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yeah, I don't think.
Speaker 10 (32:39):
I don't know he was fo That might be a
source of all.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
I'm going to be very polite with you. I'm going
to say good evening, thank you very much. All right,
bye bye. Let me go to Bill in Chicago. Bill,
you're next on nightside. Go ahead, Bill, Well, Bill's not
they were going to put him on hold. Going to
go to Steven Taunt. Steve, you're next on nightside.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Go right ahead.
Speaker 11 (33:01):
Yeah, how you doing, Dan? I just want to say,
nobody's saying it. They're all beating around the bush here,
but nobody's coming out and saying that guy's that guy's
death is a shame that he got killed like that,
but that the blood is on Donald Trump's hands because
I didn't know this guy from a hole in the wall.
Speaker 8 (33:20):
And and why why.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Why is it?
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Why is the blood of Donald Trump's hands this guy?
Speaker 11 (33:26):
Because he started, he's started all this crap.
Speaker 8 (33:30):
He started with the you're.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
An open mind, you're an open mind, the Democrat, Steve.
That's good, that's good. Let's keep it guarding, Steve. Let's
let's have more murder. Let's let's have more assassinations. You know, Steve,
I started off this hour trying to appeal to people's
better angels, and your angel, your better angel is not
with us tonight here.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
You want to blame the the the assassination.
Speaker 11 (33:53):
That's not what I'm But that is not what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
I'm saying exactly what you're saying.
Speaker 9 (33:58):
That is happening.
Speaker 11 (33:59):
This is a shame that this is happening. But this
never happened under any other president till Donald Trump got
in there, people are getting killed.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Well, the first of all, they're not getting killed left right.
Have you ever heard of let me Steve.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'll tell you what. Turn him down. Okay, simple as that,
turn him down, Rob, Steve. I guess you've never heard
of Steve Scalise, who was shot by a Bernie Sanders supporter,
a Republican congressman for Louisiana. I guess you've never heard
of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, a Democrat who was shot in Arizona,
who is now married to Democrat Mark Kelly, who was
(34:34):
very eloquent.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
In his comments.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
So don't if you're going to try to blame this
the murder of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was
a conservative and was an integral part of electing Donald Trump,
you're nots bring him back.
Speaker 11 (34:51):
Up, Donald Trump.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
He just keep he just keeps going. Let's go to
the plank, Rob, go to the plank. See you, Steve,
have a nice swim. Let me go to Joe and Belmont. Joe,
you're next time. Nice.
Speaker 8 (35:03):
I go right ahead, Dan, I'm going to give you
my opinion why we will always have a divided country
because the Parkton does abortion, gun control, and the death penalty.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Now we can have legitimate conversations about all of those issues, Joe, Okay,
all of those issues. If we want to try, If
we want to be, you know, virulently opposed to us,
to other people and always assume it's the other guys
who are wrong and we're always right, then we may
have a forever divided country.
Speaker 8 (35:40):
That's our freedom to disagree.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Yeah, you could disagree, but you can't engage in violence.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
As Bernie Sanders said.
Speaker 8 (35:47):
Like a Thanksgiving and Christmas and you know your.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Neigh hopefully, hopefully this Thanksgiving, I'm going to encourage my.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Listeners, including you.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
I don't know what your circumstances are at Thanksgiving, if
you have a large family, small family, or whatever. I
don't know if everybody agrees. But if there's someone at
your Thanksgiving table who you disagree with, I hope to
be honest with you that you and that person might
have a civil conversation, maybe about politics, maybe about football,
(36:21):
maybe about how good the dinner is.
Speaker 8 (36:23):
I think there's one way to solve it, though, have
patience and tolerance with your family and your neighbors.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
If you have satananga, I would agree with you on that, Joe,
Thank you much, Thank you for your call.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
We are on a positive note. Thanks Joe.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
All right, yikes, I'm sorry we lost Bill in Chicago.
He might have been a really good caller there, but Bill,
fear not. We tried to get to you. I don't
know where you were anyway. We may talk about this
later on, okay, because I think it's an important subject.
We're going to We talked to a really important guest
(37:01):
next hour, a gentleman who happens to be black, who
reached out to the Ku Klux Klan to try to
understand the source of their hatred, and he actually actually
persuaded several members of the Ku Klux Klan to abandon
that organization. We will stay right with you through the
ten o'clock news. My name is Dan Ray, and this
(37:22):
is Nightside, coming right back after the tent with a
fascinating guest.
It's night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, Dan Walkins, thank you very much. Welcome back everyone.
It's a Monday night here.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Selm of my listeners call Monday Moonday, but that's okay.
It is Monday, nonethe last first day of the week.
We're here for five nights Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday,
every week from eight until midnight, and we welcome you in.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
We now begin the process.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Of opening the conversation and taking phone calls and one
of the things.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
That we've tried to do.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
By the way, we're finishing year eighteen here at Nightside.
We began this program formally called Nightside on October first,
two thousand and seven, so we will finish year eighteen
on September thirtieth, two thousand and five, couple of weeks
from now. However, from the onset of this program, we
(00:59):
talked about having conversations where different points of view were allowed,
indeed encouraged, and that we felt that reasonable people could
disagree reasonably. And I'm sure that there have been things
that you have heard on this program from one extreme
to the other, which maybe has upset you and I
(01:21):
have tried to deal with those callers in different ways.
I try to mandate respect for my guests, respect for
other callers. I don't want someone calling up and making
fun of the points you made, or someone calling up
and making fun of the points that the person who
was making fun of the points you made, if you
(01:42):
get my drift. But last week we had this horrible
incident in which a conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, was literally
killed in front of about three thousand people at a
college in Utah. Now, Kirk, like any political activists, I'm
sure you can go back and find things that he
(02:04):
said that you don't agree with. I'm sure I can
go back and find things that I said that he
said that I don't agree with. Maybe there's some things
upset that I don't agree with. But the fact of
the matter is he enjoyed going onto college campuses, debating,
having conversations. The tour that he was on was show
Me a Wrong tour, basically challenging, you know, the orthodoxy,
(02:30):
which is on a lot of college campuses, and he
went to and there are a group of speakers who
go around on college campuses who are are protested, and
the fact of the matter is that everyone should be
welcomed everyone within reason.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
We don't need people on college campuses who are there.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
To incite riots or anything like that. But there's a
wide swath of conversation and viewpoints that are not probably
as well represented as they should be. But what I
want to do tonight is try to see and I
mentioned on Friday night in my last hour, I asked
(03:12):
people to take a pledge to try to reach out
to someone with whom they disagreed and kind of, you know,
make a bit of a peace treaty here. You know,
if you have a situation in a country where half
the population believes X and the other half believes why,
(03:33):
and they're not even talking, that's where I think the
potential for violence really becomes a reality. Now there are
individuals on both sides of the political spectrum, you know,
the right and the left, who I think have distinguished themselves,
(03:55):
and then there are people on both sides of the spectrum,
in my opinion, who who have.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Not distinguished themselves.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
In my opinion, I think that one person who really
stepped up, really stepped out without without any equivocation whatsoever,
is going to be someone who I disagree with and
if he was with me tonight, I would tell him
(04:24):
I admire this statement, and if he was with me tonight,
I shake his hand and want to shake his hand.
None other than Bernie Sanders, the socialist from Vermont. Not
much that Bernie has said over the years or something
that has warmed the cockles of my heart. But Rob,
this is cut number twenty three. In the wake of
the Charlie Kirk murder or the Charlie Kirk assassination. This
(04:49):
is what Senator Sandras had to say. It's thirty eight seconds,
and it frames the circumstance of the situation, in my opinion, perfectly.
Cut twenty three, Rob.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Freedom and democracy is not about political violence. It is
not about assassinating public officials. It is not about trying
to intimidate people who speak out.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
On an issue.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Political violence, in fact, is political cowardice. It means that
you cannot convince people of the correctness of your ideas
and you have to impose them through force. Every American,
no matter what one's political point of view may be,
must condemn all forms of political violence and all forms
(05:37):
of intimidation.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Couldn't set it better myself, but there have been people
on both ends of the spectrum. And I know some
of you will disagree with that. That's fine, who have
either engaged in political violence or have advocated for political violence.
And I mean you clearly remember the January sixth riot,
(06:05):
January sixth, twenty twenty one, and there were people there
who engaged in political violence against police officers at the Capitol,
who broke windows, smashed doors, trespassed. Again, I don't want
to resurrect the conversation about January sixth, but.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
That cannot be denied.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
And those people were Trump supporters. Now I disagree with
the President when he decided to forgive, you know, provide
commutations for so many of them, including those who had
engaged not only in political violence, but violence against police officers.
(06:50):
So on the other hand, you have people on the
Democratic left who have used language which, in my opinion
I could incite people who are a little off.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And this guy in.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
California, Tyler Robinson, looked to me like a twenty two
year old kid who was pretty confused. And all the
people who engaged in the conversations about who's a Nazi
and who's a fascist, those are strong words. You don't
have to call someone a Nazi. To disagree with their
position on some issues, you don't have to call them.
I mean, if you really think they're a Nazi, I guess,
(07:28):
but be prepared to realize that there will be people
who will take you what you would, particularly if you're
some form of political leader. There were people who, if
you remember.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Engaged in.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Chuck Schumer or the minority leader in the Senate, talked
about that some of the Supreme Court justices Kavnar and
Alito would inherit a.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Whirlwind for a ruling that they passed down.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
As they say, I'm not so much interested in uh
in making comparing which groups of which side is worse.
But I will say this that I don't want to
ever see a Charlie Kirk situation again. I don't ever
want to see a Gabby Gifford situation again. I don't
want to ever see a member of Congress, whether it's
a Democrat Alan Lowenstein in nineteen eighty I misstated that
(08:24):
I thought it was nineteen eighty four. The other night
it's nineteen eighty or Gabby Giffords or Steve Scales. Uh,
these are elected representatives. I don't want anyone physically harmed
and I'm going to do my best on nights side
to try to temper the conversation. At the same time,
(08:44):
don't be intimidated from calling because I want to hear
what you have to say six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty.
I am not infallible, So just because I have an
opinion doesn't mean it's right. I have an opinion, and
(09:06):
that's what it is. It's an opinion, and you have
an opinion. So let's share our ideas, share our opinions,
and figure out figure out how all of us.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
If we're.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Conservatives, we can inherit the spirit of Ronald Reagan and
his humor, although Ronald Reagan was unmercifully attacked himself. Or
if we're a Democrat, we can become more like Tip O'Neil,
although O'Neill was.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Also satirized and criticized.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
They will not only knew how to take it, they
knew how to have an enjoyment, an enjoyable conversation, and
a drink after five o'clock, As both Reagan and O'Neil said,
So we're going to set the I think I'm going
to hope that my audience can set a standard of
conversation and respect of others, even people with whom they disagree.
(10:01):
It's easy to respect someone with whom you agree. It's
more difficult to respect someone with whom you disagree.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
End of speech for me.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
The only lines that are open right now six one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. We will talk about this until ten o'clock.
At ten, I have a guest and we're going to
change topics. Amazing gentleman. He happens to be a black American,
black gentleman who set out to meet and attend to
Ku Kluck's Clean rallies. Uh, and he was kind of accepted,
(10:33):
not as a member, but as an observer. And why
do you hear this story at ten o'clock? We did
it in brief form a couple of weeks ago. Will
give you an opportunity to ask again. The gentleman he
calls himself, I think the clean Whisperer. Back on Nightside
right after this quick.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Break, You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
By the way, this weekend there was a very ugly
incident out of Lexington Police investigating an alleged vandalism of
the town's brat Town Green. Now, the flag of the
Green had been lowered to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk. However,
on Saturday, someone under the cover of darkness raised the
flag back up to full staff. Now, these flags were
ordered not only by President Trump but also by Governor Healey.
(11:21):
So and hats off to Governor Healy. And I've criticized
Governor Heally, and we'll do so again, I'm sure, but
I think that was a position of courage. Officials said
that someone cut the flag's rope, added more rope, and
hosted it up back up to the top of the flagpole.
So why should some jerk take it upon him or
(11:44):
herself to take a flag which has been ordered to
be lowered to half staff by not only the President,
by the governor. Why does that individual feel that they
are so important that they can basically take it upon
(12:04):
themselves to do this. Now, I'm hoping that this investigation
is concluded and someone pays a price for that. Of course,
everybody knows the Battle Green historic landmark where the opening
shots of the battles of Lexington and Concord were fired
back on long.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Time seventeen seventy five.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Okay, so it's it is one of the few places
in the United States. I'm reading here from an article
from WCVBTV where the American flag is authorized specifically by
Congress to fly twenty four hours a day, according to
the town's website. So I would hope that whoever felt
they could take it upon themselves to do that, that
(12:49):
they will find police or federal agents or state police
at their door.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Let's go to the phones. We're going to go to
al Up in New Hampshire. Starting us off, Hey, l
welcome your first first this week, first to night on nights.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
I go ahead, al Hey, Dan, thank you. If I
could just be a little philosophical for just a second.
It was the book written by a psychologist by the
name of Victor Frankel. In World War Two, he was
in a Jewish concentration campus, family was killed and in
the book man search for meeting this five key points
that he identifies that what makes people survive. One of
(13:26):
the key ones that I found riveting and brings home
everything is moment the last time you laughed at yourself,
And you know, I went back thinking of that, and
I'm almost seventy now, but I went back to the
nineteen eighties and watched All in the Family, and I
this weekend and I watched you know, Saturday Night Live,
(13:50):
when it was really people made fun of each other.
And we stopped doing that a long time ago. And
you know, you couldn't make blazing sad today. You couldn't
make any of those things anymore. And I think one
of the key things we stopped doing dan is making
genuine fun of each other, laughing at each other, laughing
with each other, not at each other.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Well, the other thing too.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And I'm gonna say this, and probably my conservative friends
will agree with me on this one. A lot of
the media, particularly the late night comedians, all of their
political humor is fired in one direction. And you know
what direction that is, And so why anybody would watch
any of those late night shows, because it's you know,
(14:37):
Johnny Carson, who was so popular back in the day.
He made fun of both sides of the political spectrum.
And when you all of a sudden, played just to
half the room, half the audience, and that audience is
split between you know, here in Boston, four, five and seven,
up up in New Hampshire, you got ABC is on
(14:59):
show nine. They're hurting themselves. They're hurting themselves. I just
don't get it. You know, if you're going to be
a comedian, it'll be funny about everything.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
If you go back and just look at Saturday Saturday
Light but all in the family, you will you'll belly laugh.
I find myself over the weekend. I needed to laugh.
I needed desperately to laugh.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And that was good.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
And that was a comedy show which basically made fun
of Archie Bunker and you're made fun of sort of
like your blue.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Collar New York worker, which is fine.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Everybody laughed at it, and it was done Norman Lear
did it in a way because it was scripted and
all of that, and then there were moral lessons. But
I'm talking about the comedians at night who are on
at eleven thirty after the newscasts.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
It is not even funny. They're not even funny.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Yeah, well, you know some of them are getting canceled, obviously.
I suspect that that more of them will be canceled. Yeah,
you gotta be able to everyone the most. The best humor,
in my opinion, is the self deprecating humor. That was
what Ronald Reagan was really good. At he engaged in
(16:14):
self deprecating humor. He never was intended to hurt people.
He made his points, you know. You know, but when
he used to say the most dangerous words in the
English language was I'm from the government, that I'm here
to help you. You know, everybody knew what he was
trying to say. It wasn't nasty, it wasn't a cerbic.
(16:35):
But someone like Reagan only comes along once in a lifetime,
as I think.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
All of us are found out.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Yes, I agree, and God bless us all. And let's
laugh a little bit, please.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Yeah, And let's also have a beer with each other,
you know, and every once in a while you can,
you can, you can sit and you can have dinner
with someone with whom you necessarily you don't have to
agree with everybody you spend every every odd the day with.
Even within families, how many families now have members of
the family who can't talk to.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Each other about certain subjects.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
You know, I will admit that a little bit of
that exists in my own family, and I would like
to see it eradicated in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
All right, thank you all, talk.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
Soon, Thank you Dan, Thanks again, good night.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
So one line at six one, seven, two, five, four
ten thirty and one line at six one seven, nine
three one ten thirty.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Be right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on you by
Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
All right, let me head next to Steven Cambridge. Steve,
you next on Nightside.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Welcome Dan.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
I have a couple of points. I think when you
have people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren uh and papers
like The New York Times and the Boston Globe saying
that Don Trump and his supporters are fascists who want
(18:04):
to end democracy in the United States, and when you
have them vilify the tobacco industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the
fossil fuel industry, and this is a constant refrain on
their parts. I don't think it's mysterious why you have
(18:31):
certain people like this fellow in Utah who feel that
by assassinating they are doing something that is needed.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
I understand the point you're making.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
In my opinion, a lot of the really vile rhetoric
that has been directed from the hardcore left. I mean,
Sandraw's statement I thought was eloquent, and it was much
better than some of the other statements that I have heard.
I mean, for example, let me get you this Nancy Pelosi,
(19:14):
her husband was attacked by a nut job, actually broke
into their home and attacked him with a hammer.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Paul Pelosi.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Now, if anybody should be aware, and you know, the
Republicans had fired at Nancy Pelosi a lot. This was
her comment at some point in the last few days.
Rob please play cut number ten. Compare it to what
Bernie Sanders said, cut number ten.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
People don't have any intention of saying something that's going
to lead to something dangerous, but we cannot take responsibility
for the minds that are out there and how they
hear it.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Well, that's that's a really arrogant statement, because her husband
was attacked by a guy who obviously was influenced by someone.
And you know, she made that point at that time
many times that the criticism that that that hit her
(20:14):
below the belt, to use a euphemism, was directly attributable
to what happened to her husband. And yet she somehow
can't extend that same consideration to Charlie Kirk because we're
not we can't be responsible. We can say crazy things,
but we can't be That's what that's what I heard
her say we could say crazy, We can say crazy
things about our political opponents, and if some nut job
(20:36):
does something crazy, you can't hold us responsible.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
Yeah, that was not a good statement at all, but.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Particularly from someone whose husband suffered, I believe he had
a fractured scholar. If I'm not mistaken, he wasn't He
wasn't grazed by this hammer.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
He was hit by the hammer.
Speaker 8 (20:54):
Well.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
I mean, for example, the BBC reported on Charlie Kirk's
fascination and they had nothing but bad things to say.
Are very much against Charlie Kirk after the fact, and
you know, I think, I mean, if you take how
(21:18):
Bernie Sanders has vilified billionaires and millionaires, I mean, you know, people,
how can they not take some responsibility. I mean, Sanders'
comments were good, but at the same time, he's made
a career out.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Of well, but what I'm saying I under say the
point you're making.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
But maybe maybe this has driven.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Home the point to Bernie Sanders that he needs to
tone the rhetoric down. And I just wanted to give
him credit.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
I just want to.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Give people credit who at least are trying to to
make things a little kinder or alone.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
And we should always give credit where credit is due,
even if it's to our most bitter enemy, And so
I applaud you for that. And Okay, so I really
do think it is the Democrats and the left who
have really incited violence. But at the same time, Dan,
I think, uh, you know, President Trump has, even though
(22:20):
I agree with all of his policies, almost all of
his policies, He's made a career out of insulting people,
and that is totally unnecessary and that certainly doesn't help
the situation.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yeah, he's he's sort of the Schecky Green of the
American you know, politic, Danny.
Speaker 6 (22:40):
Dan, You're gonna have explain Checky Green to some of
us young folk.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Checky Green.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I think it was like an insult comic or whatever,
or maybe Don Rickles, you know. Yeah, I mean those
guys were humorists who were always making fun of you know,
that was their stick, as it were.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
But they were comedians.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
Yeah, but I mean people, I mean, I think the
people on the left have been more inciting. But at
the same time, people on the right should have some
respect even for people like our former president Joe Biden.
You may disagree with him and everything he does, but
he's as a human being, is entitled to some respect,
(23:19):
and as a person who's in a very high position
in the United States government, we have to respect the office.
And that is not done by Conservatism, especially not done
by Donald Trump.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
All right, sir, all great points. Thank you, Steve. I
appreciate Dan, thank you much, appreciate it. Let me go
to my friend Harvey Silverglade. Harvey, welcome back to Nightside.
How are you.
Speaker 9 (23:40):
I'm fine, Dan.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I know that you made some statements the other day
and love to hear what you have to say tonight.
Speaker 9 (23:49):
I'm working that column. I'm not sure where I'm going
to submit it. But there are historical modern examples of
political civili among people who disagreed, just to demonstrate that
civil discussion among people who disagree is not only possible
(24:14):
but has happened. Ronald Reagan and Tipp O'Neil, despite ideological differences,
they maintained a respectful relationship. They had lunch together every Saturday,
as I were called.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Kennedy and the Senator from Utah, ironically.
Speaker 9 (24:36):
Abraham Lincoln. This cabinet maintained a team of rivals as
dar as current as a Goodwin put it. Lunar D.
Johnson and Everett Dirkson worked to pass the Civil Rights
Act of nineteen sixty four, overcoming political divides, lose Beda
(25:00):
Ginsburg and antonin Scalia. Polar rappers on the Supreme Court
used to attend, used to attend the opera together.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, that was that was their commonality, which was which
was interesting. Now again, you know find you know, if
you really disagree with someone politically, and you're both Red
Sox fans go to the game together, you're both Yankee
fans go to the game together.
Speaker 9 (25:25):
It is possible for people who are opposite ends of
the ideological spectrum to deal with each other in a
respectful and friendly manner. And that is an art that
we are losing.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Did you see the video of this clown in Arizona?
There apparently was a huge.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Display of flowers outside of either Charlie Kirk's home or
his office, and this guy just went and trampled the flowers.
Speaker 9 (26:04):
It's like, you have to be sick, you have to
be sick to do something like that. And I don't
have the answer, but I do have the question why
it is we have entered a period of bitter political
(26:26):
and ideological divide where we can barely talk to each other.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
I think the look you remember, you were very young,
but you've stilled the McCarthyism of the fifties, and I
think a lot of that has now fantastasized over to
the left where they were using the sort of the
mirror image of McCarthyism. McCarthy called you a communist. How
did you how did you prove your were a communist?
Speaker 9 (26:53):
It's like, I actually remember the McCarthy era.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Sure, yeah, it was.
Speaker 9 (27:00):
Advised, it was on the radio. I remember the mccarthyy era,
and I remember the fatal question that Welch asked, Senator,
have you a long last no decency? And it destroyed McCarthy.
All you have to do is stand up to a
bully and he melts.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
But but now the same tactics where if you call
someone a fascist or a Nazi, yeah, I mean that's
that's strong language.
Speaker 9 (27:30):
Well you don't have to call them a fascist or
a nasty you said you have to point out their behavior.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
But well, behavior, policies, statements, whatever, it's fine. You know,
you can you know, deal deal in facts as as
opposed to some form of you know, expletive undeleted.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Uh, we got a long way to go, Harvey, and
I know that you and Fire are going to be
in the forefront. So thank you, Thank you so much
for pointing all this these comments tonight really important. Good Dan, Thanks,
Thanks Harry. We'll talk. So I'm gonna quick quick break.
I'm gonna get I got Bill in Chicago, I got
(28:16):
Sandy in Connecticut, I got Uh Joe, and I got
Steve and I'm going to try to get him all
in back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Back we go. I'm gonna get everybody, and I promise
Sandy and Connecticut Sandy next on Nightside, go right ahead.
Speaker 10 (28:36):
Oh hi, Dan, thanks for taking my call. I am
it's just a real sadness what has happened to Charlie Kirk.
But at the same time, do you recall two politicians
or a politician and his wife, her husband, rad from
Minnesota was gone down in their home. Do you recall that.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
In June it was yes, yeah, she was a Democratic
state leader.
Speaker 10 (29:03):
Yeah, yeah, Well do you do you know what Trump did?
Trump refused to call Uh the governor because the governor
was at the time when Harris was running, he was
the vice president's candidate. Well, Donald Trump refused to call.
(29:24):
Now that is in a way somebody coming and shooting
you in your house. Does that called assassination.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
To Well, you know, I don't know that there was.
I'm not trying to quiverle with you. I don't know
that there was a.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Political animist that existed.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
I think that the guy that that that shot and
killed the state senator, I think he was somebody who
had the motive has not been explained to me. It's
never been prescribed a political assassination.
Speaker 10 (29:53):
I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I don't know what the beaker's about.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Should have if I were Trump's advisor, if he said, look,
I don't want to call Walds because he called me
a fascist or whatever.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
You get into those.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Sort of situations, he certainly should. I hope he called
the family of this woman, well, you know.
Speaker 10 (30:10):
So, well, let me tell you what happened, because I
followed it pretty much.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
So.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
Because Donald Trump, at the end of the day, at
the end of the year, is the president of the
United States. He's not the president of Democrats or Republicans,
but the whole all the people here. He's the leader. Now.
He refused to call. He refused, where the flags?
Speaker 6 (30:34):
Lord?
Speaker 10 (30:35):
Where the flags? Lord? This is a politician from a state,
well known in her state, is Charlie is he? Is
he better than this woman? Why weren't the flags lord?
Speaker 11 (30:48):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
To me, Yeah, you have to ask him. I would
prefer to see flags lord, to highlight the death of anyone, Okay,
as post to turning around and saying, well, let's because
they weren't lowered for her, Let's keep the flags up
for Charlie Kirk. I think I think that the flag
should have been lowered for her because we have to
(31:11):
stop this back and forth.
Speaker 10 (31:13):
Well, well, I agree with you. But at the same time,
two other people were shot, also another couple, but they survived.
This is all around done by the same man.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
And again I don't know what his what I'm trying
to say, Sandy is.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
I'm not an expert.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
I don't know if he had some sort of if
he lost his mind and he went around shooting people politically,
I don't.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 10 (31:39):
Well, actually that's not really what I'm pointing out, Tory.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
We've gone three minutes and I have three other calls
I want to get to.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
I gave you every opportunity.
Speaker 10 (31:51):
Did you did you say anything about this and.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Talked about that? Yes, we talked about that, Yes, yes,
But this was the Again, the Charlie Kirk murder was
done in front of three thousand people where he was
exercising his First Amendment rights, and it was done by
someone who specifically went after him because we know of
(32:16):
the political disagreement.
Speaker 10 (32:18):
I agree with you, but at the same time, these
people were assassinated.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
We have been Sandy, You're not getting my point. They
they may have been.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
They may have been murdered for other reasons. I don't
know that. I will try to find.
Speaker 10 (32:33):
That out, but I have seen they's a Republican. That's
what it came out to.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yeah, I don't think.
Speaker 10 (32:39):
I don't know he was fo That might be a
source of all.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
I'm going to be very polite with you. I'm going
to say good evening, thank you very much. All right,
bye bye. Let me go to Bill in Chicago. Bill,
you're next on nightside. Go ahead, Bill, Well, Bill's not
they were going to put him on hold. Going to
go to Steven Taunt. Steve, you're next on nightside.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Go right ahead.
Speaker 11 (33:01):
Yeah, how you doing, Dan? I just want to say,
nobody's saying it. They're all beating around the bush here,
but nobody's coming out and saying that guy's that guy's
death is a shame that he got killed like that,
but that the blood is on Donald Trump's hands because
I didn't know this guy from a hole in the wall.
Speaker 8 (33:20):
And and why why.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Why is it?
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Why is the blood of Donald Trump's hands this guy?
Speaker 11 (33:26):
Because he started, he's started all this crap.
Speaker 8 (33:30):
He started with the you're.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
An open mind, you're an open mind, the Democrat, Steve.
That's good, that's good. Let's keep it guarding, Steve. Let's
let's have more murder. Let's let's have more assassinations. You know, Steve,
I started off this hour trying to appeal to people's
better angels, and your angel, your better angel is not
with us tonight here.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
You want to blame the the the assassination.
Speaker 11 (33:53):
That's not what I'm But that is not what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
I'm saying exactly what you're saying.
Speaker 9 (33:58):
That is happening.
Speaker 11 (33:59):
This is a shame that this is happening. But this
never happened under any other president till Donald Trump got
in there, people are getting killed.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Well, the first of all, they're not getting killed left right.
Have you ever heard of let me Steve.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'll tell you what. Turn him down. Okay, simple as that,
turn him down, Rob, Steve. I guess you've never heard
of Steve Scalise, who was shot by a Bernie Sanders supporter,
a Republican congressman for Louisiana. I guess you've never heard
of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, a Democrat who was shot in Arizona,
who is now married to Democrat Mark Kelly, who was
(34:34):
very eloquent.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
In his comments.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
So don't if you're going to try to blame this
the murder of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was
a conservative and was an integral part of electing Donald Trump,
you're nots bring him back.
Speaker 11 (34:51):
Up, Donald Trump.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
He just keep he just keeps going. Let's go to
the plank, Rob, go to the plank. See you, Steve,
have a nice swim. Let me go to Joe and Belmont. Joe,
you're next time. Nice.
Speaker 8 (35:03):
I go right ahead, Dan, I'm going to give you
my opinion why we will always have a divided country
because the Parkton does abortion, gun control, and the death penalty.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Now we can have legitimate conversations about all of those issues, Joe, Okay,
all of those issues. If we want to try, If
we want to be, you know, virulently opposed to us,
to other people and always assume it's the other guys
who are wrong and we're always right, then we may
have a forever divided country.
Speaker 8 (35:40):
That's our freedom to disagree.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Yeah, you could disagree, but you can't engage in violence.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
As Bernie Sanders said.
Speaker 8 (35:47):
Like a Thanksgiving and Christmas and you know your.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Neigh hopefully, hopefully this Thanksgiving, I'm going to encourage my.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Listeners, including you.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
I don't know what your circumstances are at Thanksgiving, if
you have a large family, small family, or whatever. I
don't know if everybody agrees. But if there's someone at
your Thanksgiving table who you disagree with, I hope to
be honest with you that you and that person might
have a civil conversation, maybe about politics, maybe about football,
(36:21):
maybe about how good the dinner is.
Speaker 8 (36:23):
I think there's one way to solve it, though, have
patience and tolerance with your family and your neighbors.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
If you have satananga, I would agree with you on that, Joe,
Thank you much, Thank you for your call.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
We are on a positive note. Thanks Joe.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
All right, yikes, I'm sorry we lost Bill in Chicago.
He might have been a really good caller there, but Bill,
fear not. We tried to get to you. I don't
know where you were anyway. We may talk about this
later on, okay, because I think it's an important subject.
We're going to We talked to a really important guest
(37:01):
next hour, a gentleman who happens to be black, who
reached out to the Ku Klux Klan to try to
understand the source of their hatred, and he actually actually
persuaded several members of the Ku Klux Klan to abandon
that organization. We will stay right with you through the
ten o'clock news. My name is Dan Ray, and this
(37:22):
is Nightside, coming right back after the tent with a
fascinating guest.
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