John Oliver looks for the helpers in wake of Orlando tragedy

By Danette Chavez  |  June 13, 2016 | 12:38pm
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John Oliver looks for the helpers in wake of Orlando tragedy
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The world is still reeling from the shooting in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, which killed 50 people and left dozens more injured on Latin night at the popular gay club. The shooting, which is reportedly the deadliest on record in this country, has been condemned by President Barack Obama as an act of domestic terrorism, and is believed to have been motivated by the gunman’s homophobia. There’s been an outpouring of support for the LGBTQ community on social media and throughout the entertainment industry, with last night’s Tony Awards show dedicated to the victims of the attack. But the city of Orlando is also looking after its own, as many outlets, including Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, have observed.

Oliver taped a special opening for last night’s episode, in which expressed his sorrow and described the pain and shock over the attacks as being all too familiar. But rather than focus on one man’s deplorable actions, the host shared a video that showed hundreds of people in line to donate blood to help the wounded. Like Fred Rogers before him, Oliver encouraged his viewers to “look for the helpers” in the wake of a tragedy. To wit, the Orlando Sentinel reports that the blood banks are already at capacity, while the GoFundMe page that was started by Equality Florida to help the victims has raised over $1 million.

 
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