John Oliver, Refugees: ‘Just Include A Pie-Eating Contest, A Spelling Bee, And An Evening Wear Portion’ [Video, NSFW]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY2Xa9BUxp4
In the finale show of the season for Last Week Tonight, which aired on HBO last night, two topics were addressed by host John Oliver: refugees from Syria attempting to enter the United States and attempts by French President Francois Hollande and the French people to restore normalcy in Paris and the rest of the country.
The host showed a reaction clip of French teenagers, uploaded to YouTube, watching a French musician attempting to stage dive during a concert, but nobody caught her and she fell to the ground. The teens immediately burst into laughter watching the clip. Oliver took this as a sign that in Paris, and the rest of France, everything is “going to be OK.”
Oliver then discussed the vetting process for refugees hoping to enter the United States and concluded by asking, “At this point why don’t we just include a pie eating contest, a spelling bee, and an evening wear portion?”
Oliver noted that the process for Syrian refugees has had one step added as of Friday’s action by U.S. Congress to require them to receive the personal clearance of the director of the FBI in the wake of the Paris attack, as reported by the Inquisitr.
An MSNBC report stating that 31 governors oppose allowing Syrian refugees into their states in the wake of the Paris attacks was shown, and John Oliver pointed out that as governors, they had no legal authority to pass such legislation to keep out refugees. Oliver also pointed out that state lines are merely drawn on maps, and that they are not “crocodile-filled moats;” there is nothing to stop a Syrian refugee, who is legally in the United States, from entering any other state.
Oliver then noted that among Republican presidential candidates, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Marco Rubio all believe that the United States should stop taking refugees from Syria, but that Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz feel that Christians from Syria should be excepted.
An MSNBC clip showed a reporter asking Jeb Bush how he would identify Christians under his plan to separate Muslim and Christian Syrians to allow only Christians refugee status in the United States.
“How?” the reporter asked.
Bush shrugged his shoulders and said, “I think you can prove it.”
Oliver then mimicked Bush, much to the delight of the audience, saying, “You see, a Christian has ears that protrude out from their head, whereas non-Christians lack external ears altogether.” Oliver, still playing as Bush, stated, “You know what? Hold on. I’m thinking about seals and sea lions… Forget everything I said about Christians and Muslims. I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
Oliver spoke about Roanoke Mayor David Bowers’ justification of denying Syrian refugees involving the U.S. internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, as reported by the Inquisitr.
Oliver then told a story about a ship carrying more than 900 “mostly Jewish” German refugees that was turned away from the United States in 1939. The group was described as having spent more than five weeks “afloat” and period U.S. newsreels were shown attempting to portray the United States as helping the refugees, who were subsequently broken up and sent to different countries in Europe.
“More than a quarter of them died during the war,” John Oliver stated.
“There was only one time in American history when the fear of refugees wiping everyone out did actually come true, and we’ll all be sitting around a table celebrating it on Thursday.”
The late night host then claimed “it’s fair” to be concerned with safety and the backgrounds of people entering the United States in the wake of the Paris attacks.
“Do we know who these people are? No. Are they properly vetted? No,” a clip features U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn stating.
“How do you vet them? There’s no possible way to vet them,” Rep. Devin Nunes stated in a clip with Fox News, played by This Week Tonight.
Another clip was shown with Rep. Peter King stating that there are almost no databases in Syria, so there can be “virtually no vetting.”
“We don’t know who these people are,” the Republican congressman said.
Oliver then pointed out the United States doesn’t allow “just anyone in” and that the country is not “Arizona State.” He then spent over a minute and half describing the lengthy process, as well as all the different organizations involved. Being allowed into the United States as a refugee is so complex, he concluded that the visa process is much easier, which is the exact opposite of the what a refugee program is designed to do: make those in harm’s way a priority over those who aren’t.
John Oliver also stated that of all refugees globally who apply with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees less than one percent end up being “recommended” to be moved to a host country.
The segment closed with Oliver mocking the decision by Congress to “pause” President Obama’s plan to bring 10,000 more Syrians to the United States as a reaction to the attacks in Paris, and the provisions that require Syrian refugees to be personally vetted by the director of the FBI, by saying, “At this point why don’t we just include a pie eating contest, a spelling bee, and an evening wear portion.”
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
