Guest:Tavis Smiley
"On July 17th, New York City police confronted 43-year-old Eric Garner in Staten Island. Garner was a low-level street dealer of illegal cigarettes and was not happy to see the police. The officers wanted to place handcuffs on Mr. Garner and were initially cautious, but when they moved in, the worst happened. Eric Garner died at a hospital a short time later, the medical examiner calling his death a homicide. Mr. Garner had a record - mostly non-violent offenses - and was out on bail at the time of the confrontation. New York City police policy is that chokeholds are not allowed, and Mayor Bill de Blasio is clearly on the side of the Garner family. The officer who used the hold, Daniel Pantaleo, was called before a grand jury and testified for two hours. He is now free and clear of any local and state charges, but the feds say they will investigate. Talking Points does not know what happened, and until we read the grand jury transcripts, nobody can know. However, I will say that upon seeing the video and hearing Mr. Garner say he couldn't breathe, I was extremely troubled. I would have loosened my grip, and I desperately wish the officer would have done that. Eric Garner was obese and had asthma; he was in no condition to absorb what befell him. Yes, he should not have resisted, but all Americans should pity Mr. Garner and his family. He did not deserve that, and I think Officer Pantaleo and every other American police officer would agree with me."

The Factor pursued the story with black radio talk show host Tavis Smiley. "I am pleased to hear what you said," Smiley began, "and the video camera is abundantly clear about what happened that day. This was an illegal choke hold and the coroner says this is a homicide. End of story! There is no way we can justify a non-indictment, it doesn't add up. The grand jury system is become a fraud and the value of black life continues to have less respect every day!" Playing devil's advocate, The Factor reminded Smiley that this was not an intentional murder: "The choke hold is not illegal, but it's against police department policy. I don't think the police officer meant to kill Mr. Garner, he meant to stop him from resisting arrest."

Guests:Andell Brown & Robert Bianchi
For more on the case, The Factor turned to civil rights attorney Andell Brown and former prosecutor Robert Bianchi. "I was not surprised that there was no indictment," Bianchi declared, "because police officers are given a wide latitude of discretion in the use of force. There is an ethical obligation only to bring cases we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt." But Brown insisted that Officer Pantaleo was criminally culpable. "I see this the same way that the medical examiner saw this, I see an officer using an illegal technique that caused someone's death. That's why we have 'negligent homicide' - even when you don't intend someone's death and you do something that's against policy, it's a negligent homicide."

Guests:James Rosen and Colonel David Hunt
With 250 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne about to join the fight against ISIS, The Factor examined the expanding conflict with Col. David Hunt. "A unit from the 82nd is deploying to Iraq later this month," he reported, "which will bring to nearly 4,000 the number of U.S. soldiers and advisers. We have really up-gunned this whole thing, we are back at war in Iraq!" FNC correspondent James Rosen then scrutinized a report claiming that the wife and child of the ISIS chief are in custody in Lebanon. "U.S. officials are very tight-lipped about this, but I'm told that the United States is waiting on word from Beirut as to who authorities there have on their hands. Lebanese soldiers detained a woman and her 10-year-old son at a checkpoint ten days ago, and a Lebanese official claims that this woman has confessed to being the wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the reclusive head of ISIS."

Guests:Eric Shawn & Molly Line
Secretary of State John Kerry claims that nuclear talks with Iran are going swimmingly, but is that true? The Factor invited FNC anchor Eric Shawn to opine. "The agreement does keep Iran under the threshold of enrichment that would be needed to make a bomb," he confirmed, "but Iran has a history of cheating when it comes to their nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is not fully cooperating." Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder has pledged to fight racial profiling by law enforcement. FNC's Molly Line examined that issue. "Most black Americans believe African Americans receive unfair treatment from the police. But former New York City Michael Bloomberg has pointed out that 90% of all people who commit murders in the city are black and Hispanic. Editorial writers and elected officials have been largely silent on those facts."

Guest:Dennis Miller
With Dennis Miller off to parts unknown, The Factor introduced a couple of his greatest hits. This was Miller on the sheer joy of flying: "I've had flights that were so bad that the pilot could have come on the intercom and said, 'We're going down,' and I would have said, 'Good!' I just flew to Hawaii and when I reclined my seat I felt like I was in an Amish gynecological office, there was so little recline. I got stuck in the metal detector line behind a piercing addict kid breaking out his new areola-kebobs. Then they did a cavity search and I said, 'Hey, can we do an actual dental cavity search and save a little money on health care.'" Miller also put forth his patented theory of innate homosexuality based on the movie 'Boy on a Dolphin. "Sophia Loren climbs out of the sea and she's standing there in that see-through gauze top, with rivulets of water dripping off her olive-skinned areolas. If you're a 12-year-old boy watching that scene and you still want to do it with the captain of the boat, you're gay! Case closed."

Guest:Martha MacCallum
By passionately urging black people to look in the mirror and take personal responsibility for their lives, a black man named Fredrick Wilson II has become a YouTube sensation. Martha MacCallum entered the No Spin Zone with more on that story. "Wilson is 36 and he has put out what he calls 'common sense' videos before," she reported. "In this one he says blacks could end profiling with good behavior, it's very similar to the message we heard this week from Charles Barkley. He says he's directing this at black males."

Jason Banning, Eastman, GA: "Regarding the war on Christmas, I am tired of whiny atheists trying to bully people into rejecting the holiday."

Jim Conkin, Pennsville, NJ: "I've been an atheist forever and have no problem saying Merry Christmas as a greeting. It is an expression of good will."

Dave Pagitt, Normal, IL: "It is my belief that after a million words on Ferguson, four words are most important: Comply with police orders."

Hank Sipsma, Pattaya, Thailand: "Based on the actions of Mr. Brown's stepfather, why would anyone expect Michael Brown to respect the police?"

When something goes very wrong or when someone gets your ire up, try to walk away and cool off for a bit. And then ... hit back hard with facts and logic.