Late Night: ‘The Daily Show’ targets pro-gun, anti-gay lawmaker
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When it comes to pointing out hypocrisy, ‘The Daily Show’ usually goes for the prominent targets: politicians, celebrities, the media. But every once in a while the show turns its satirical gaze to the lesser-known men and women toiling away to make the world a less tolerant place.
On Thursday night, correspondent Aasif Mandvi devoted one such segment to Wanda Brown, the Missouri state legislator who sponsored a bill, HB 1621, that would make it illegal for employers to discriminate against gun owners and enthusiasts. The fact that this is not actually a documented problem in Missouri is, apparently, beside the point for Brown. As Mandvi put it, ‘You skip all the oppression and discrimination and just jump to the civil rights victory.’
Brown is less troubled by discrimination against gay men and women in the workplace. In fact, last year she voted against a bill that would have protected LGBT individuals from being fired because of their sexuality (though she claimed, on camera, that she couldn’t recall ever voting on such a bill).
‘Maybe she’s been so busy battling oppression that doesn’t exist yet, she didn’t have time to fight oppression that does,’ Mandvi suggested.
When he asked Brown to explain this apparent inconsistency -- and cited numerous cases in which gay men and women in Missouri were dismissed because of their sexuality -- Brown countered that ‘maybe they were fired because they were a bad worker. Have they went to court?’
When Mandvi suggested it would be futile to wage a court battle against something that isn’t actually illegal, Brown asked if he had ‘something to back that up with.’
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Common sense.’
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— Meredith Blake