The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were back on the air last night after taking a two-week break, just in time for the hosts to voice their opinions on the George Zimmerman verdict. Jon Stewart’s temporary stand-in John Oliver was unsurprisingly appalled at Zimmerman’s acquittal, and attacked Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
“That is what makes this so much worse,” Oliver said. “That we can get a verdict like this not because the system is broken down, but because the system worked exactly as it’s designed.”
After suggesting that Florida change its motto to “The Worst State,” Oliver asked, “If Florida’s laws are so flawed as to let a tragic event like this go unpunished, what, I wonder, are they going to do about it?” This was followed by a news clip explaining that the Stand Your Ground law is unlikely to change.
On The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert’s right-wing character was satisfied with the verdict, “calling it a victory for the rule of law, in that Florida apparently no longer has rules or laws.”
He also stated that racial inequality was a thing of the past, and that white people and black people are now tied, having accumulated the same amount of points over the years. (“Jazz clearly a point for African-Americans, but white people get a point for smooth jazz.”)
Even though both hosts did a great job breaking down the decision, we’re still curious what Jon Stewart would have to say about this whole thing.
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