Jon Stewart Gives Serious, Heartfelt Speech After Charleston Shooting

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  • In the wake of the horrific mass shooting in a historic black church in Charleston that left nine people dead, Jon Stewart got serious. Thursday night’s The Daily Show opened with Stewart going through the motions of introducing the show before telling the audience, “I didn’t do my job today.”

    Stewart went on, “I’ve got nothing for you in terms of jokes and sounds, because of what happened in South Carolina. Maybe if I wasn’t nearing the end of the run or this wasn’t such a common occurrence, maybe I could have pulled out of the spiral. But I didn’t. And so I honestly have nothing other than just sadness once again that we have to peer into the abyss of the depraved violence we do to each other and the nexus of a gaping racial wound that will not heal yet we pretend doesn’t exist.”

    It was a heartfelt speech from the long-serving host, reminiscent of his first show after 9/11. However, it ended on a somber note. “The confederate flag flies over South Carolina,” Stewart said. “The streets are named after confederate generals. And the white guy is the one who feels like his country is being taken from him. We’re bringing it on ourselves.”

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