“The Daily Show” dropped all traces of comedy from its opening Wednesday night as host Jon Stewart spoke to viewers directly about the case of Eric Garner.
“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know what to say,” Stewart said of the grand jury decision not to indict a white New York City police officer who placed Garner, who was black, in a chokehold. The city’s medical examiner ruled it a homicide.
“If comedy is tragedy plus time, I need more fucking time,” he said. “But I would really settle for less fucking tragedy to be honest with you.”
NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo put Garner, 43, in a chokehold after he allegedly was caught selling loose cigarettes. The incident was caught on video.
The news follows another grand jury’s decision not to indict white ex-Ferguson, Mo. police Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.
“We are definitely not living in a post-racial society,” Stewart went on, “and I can imagine there are a lot of people out there wondering how much of a society we’re living in at all.”
The host caught himself and quipped: “So that’s our show!”
“I don’t know what to say,” he repeated.
Watch the clip, courtesy of Comedy Central:
