Jon Stewart has harsh words for anyone bearing responsibility for the death of another person — whether the party responsible is a normal police officer or a beloved superhero and international icon.
The “Daily Show” host began his Monday-night program with a look at the troubling state of law enforcement in New York City, where even the masked crusaders are now tangling with the police. The segment started with the costumed Spider-Man panhandler who was charged with assaulting an officer in Times Square over the weekend. Stewart has little sympathy for the webslinger; after all, he was responsible for the death of Uncle Ben, and that is a crime Stewart cannot forgive — no matter how many times Spidey defeats Doctor Octopus.
See video: Jon Stewart Launches $10 Billion ‘Let’s Buy CNN’ Kickstarter Campaign – Sorta
Thanks to a costumed Batman panhandler’s commentary on the matter, Stewart ended up tackling the much more pressing and headline-grabbing issue in NYC: the police chokehold that killed an unarmed man named Eric Garner last week, a tragedy that has outraged citizens and strengthened calls for reform.
Also read: Larry Wilmore to Replace Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central
Larry Wilmore, who will soon host a show right after Stewart’s, made an appearance to convincingly argue that law enforcement is fundamentally racist in America, and that cops think it’s more dangerous for someone to be black than for them to be carrying a gun.
And no, making Captain America black will not help this situation.