VIDEO: John Oliver Dares Politicians to Actually Do Something About Mental Health
"If we're going to constantly use mentally ill people to dodge conversations about gun control," comedian John Oliver said angrily on Sunday's episode of "Last Week Tonight," "then the very least we owe them is a fucking plan."On Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver pointed out that every time there’s a mass shooting, the right wing is quick to blame mental illness (often erroneously) in order to avoid having a conversation about gun control. And yet these same politicians rarely do anything tangible to address the issue.
“If we’re going to constantly use mentally ill people to dodge conversations about gun control,” the HBO host said angrily, “then the very least we owe them is a fucking plan.”
—Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig