John Oliver uses police shootings defense against cops fighting vaccine mandates
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On Sunday, “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” examined police officers refusing to follow vaccine mandates. Despite the fact that hundreds of police have died from Covid-19, officers all over the country are pushing back against vaccine mandates and threatening to walk off the job. And Oliver put those officers on blast by using their own defense against them.
“The constant refrain we hear from cops every time they kill an unarmed black person is, ‘They should have complied with commands’, because as long as you comply things will supposedly go well,” Oliver said. “But that only seems to work one way. When officers are asked to follow simple rules or face consequences, a not insignificant amount of them flip their s***.”
While Oliver understands that getting the vaccine is the choice of the officer, he points out that failure to comply with direct orders also has consequences.
“If an officer wants to quit over this, f***ing let them,” Oliver said. “Let the individuals who clearly don't care about public safety stop being in charge of public safety. It’s really that simple.”
Video Transcript
JOHN OLIVER: All over the country, a small minority of police officers have received disproportionate coverage after threatening to resign over COVID mandates. They framed this as a matter of individual liberty, even in cases where very little was being asked of them.
- On Sunday, "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" examined police officers refusing to follow vaccine mandates. Despite the fact that hundreds of police have died from COVID-19, officers all over the country are pushing back against vaccine mandates and threatening to walk off the job. And Oliver put those officers on blast by using their own defense against them.
JOHN OLIVER: The constant refrain we hear from cops every time they kill an unarmed Black person is they should have complied with commands, because as long as you comply, things will supposedly go well. But that only seems to work one way.
- In Chicago, the mandate simply asks officers to document their vaccine status, and those unwilling to do so are either taking unpaid leave or retiring in protest. And while Oliver understands that getting the vaccine is their choice, he points out that failure to comply with orders has its consequences.
JOHN OLIVER: If an officer wants to quit over this, [BLEEP] let them. Let the individuals who clearly don't care about public safety stop being in charge of public safety. It is really that simple.
