Everyone needs to listen to John Oliver’s chilling tribute to Orlando

At a time when the country is still in shock over the terrible shooting in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend, John Oliver just gave voice to what most of us are feeling and also managed to offer a much needed dose of hope.

Last night, Oliver opened his show, Last Week Tonight on HBO, with a moment of silence for the victims of the Orlando attack. The terror attack — which took place at popular LGBTQ nightclub Pulse — claimed the lives of at least 50 people, and is being described as the worse mass shooting in American history. At the show’s opening, Oliver sat quietly at his desk and spoke about the horrible attack with somber eloquence.

He said, “Hello, there, I’m John Oliver and before we start the show tonight, I would like to quickly address the tragic events in Orlando. As I’m sure you know by now, at least 50 people were killed by a gunman at a gay nightclub in what is being described as a terrorist attack. And look, it’s still early and details are still emerging, and right now, this just hurts. And the worst thing is this pain is so familiar.”

Oliver, who has spoken passionately about gun control in the past, went on to mention the terror attacks in Paris last November, stressing that terrorists strike places that symbolize the things that are wonderful about their targets.

“In Paris last November, terrorists seemed to target places symbolizing everything that is wonderful about France—culture, music, restaurants. And in Orlando earlier this morning, a gunman attacked a Latin night at a gay club in the theme park capital of the world. And for the record, I will happily embrace a Latin night at a gay club at the theme park capital of the world as the ultimate symbol about what is truly wonderful about America.”

Yes, yes, yes.

But in the midst of our grief, it’s important to remember the good in the world. Love is everywhere, as Oliver so poignantly pointed out when he shared a video from Twitter that showed hundreds of people waiting in line in Orlando to donate blood to the victims of the shooting.

He introduced the clip by saying, “I’m sure there will be much more to say about Orlando going forward, but for right now, on a day when some dipshit terrorist wants us to focus on one man’s act of brutality and hatred, it might be worth seeing this video, which was posted to Twitter today.” false

Oliver concluded by simply stating, “It shows hundreds and hundreds of people this morning lining up around the block in Florida waiting to donate blood. And it kind of reminds you that that terrorist dipshit is vastly outnumbered.”

Thank you for the reminder, John Oliver. It’s just what we needed.

You can watch his entire segment in the video here.

Filed Under