Jon Stewart Opens ‘Daily Show’ with Charlie Hebdo Tribute

On Wednesday’s “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, host Jon Stewart opened his program with a tribute to Charlie Hebdo in a statement explaining that those in “comedy” should not have face these sort of attacks and he condemned those behind their killing.

“First, you know – I think we’d all agree 2014 was not a great year for people. But I think the hope was 2015 would bring kind of a respite from the kind of events that we’re too familiar for us. But our hearts are with the staff of Charlie Hebdo and the families tonight. I know very few people going to comedy, you know, as an act of courage mainly because it shouldn’t have to be that. It shouldn’t be an act of courage. It should be taken as established law. But those guys at Hebdo had it and they were killed for their cartoons.”

“Stark reminder – that for the most part the legislators and journalists and institutions that we jab and ridicule are not in any way the enemy. For however frustrating or outraged the back-and-forth can become, it’s still back-and-forth a conversation amongst those on let’s call it ‘team civilization.’ This type of violence only clarifies that — but of course, of course our goal tonight is not to make sense of this because there is no sense to be made of this. Our goal as it is always to keep going or — keep calm and carry on or whatever version of that saying is in your dorm room. We spend the majority of our day honestly in shock and grief…”

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