Justice

Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien Give Important Reactions To Charlie Hebdo Attacks

January 8th 2015

The Daily Show host Jon Stewart opened his show yesterday by proclaiming that comedy shouldn't have to be an act of courage.

"I know very few people go into comedy, you know, as an act of courage. Mainly because it shouldn’t have to be that... But those guys at Hebdo had it, and they were killed for their … cartoons. A 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."

Late night host Conan O'Brien also took the opening of his show to comment on the terrible tragedy in France: "This story really hits home for anyone who, day in and day out, mocks political, social and religious figures. In this country, we just take if for granted that it’s our right to poke fun at the untouchable, or the sacred. But today’s tragedy in Paris reminds us, very viscerally, that it’s a right some people are inexplicably forced to die for."

Social media has been a major aspect of the public consumption of yesterday's shooting in Paris, where two gunmen killed twelve people in an attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine. The alleged motive behind this attack was retaliation for the magazine's mocking of Islam. The hashtag #jesuischarlie ("I am Charlie") trended on Facebook and Twitter as a declaration of solidarity and mourning over the loss of life. 

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