John Oliver explains why 'absurd' Ten Commandments law for schools perfectly exposes GOP's hypocrisy

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent segment on 'Last Week Tonight,' John Oliver took aim at what he sees as the latest front in the Republican-led culture wars - the mandatory display of the Ten Commandments in Louisiana public schools.

Oliver called out the hypocrisy of the GOP's rhetoric on "cancel culture" by highlighting the contentious Louisiana law that mandates the display of religious symbols from kindergarten through university.

John Oliver slams Louisiana's Ten Commandments law as 'absurd'

Oliver called the Louisiana of Ten Commandments "absurd." Governor Jeff Landry defended the decision, stating, "If you want to respect the rule of law, you gotta start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses." Oliver quickly corrected this claim, humorously pointing out, "First: Moses was not the original lawgiver. That would be—say it with me—Ur-Nammu, king of the ancient Sumerian third dynasty of Ur, that’s right."

Oliver criticized the absurdity of displaying the Ten Commandments in kindergarten classrooms, quipping, "Kindergarteners don’t need 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife' next to their cubbies. That’s not a thing they do. And even if they did, who cares? They’re five. If you’re that worried about your wife running off with a five-year-old, your marriage has problems no god can fix."

Oliver calls out Governor's indifference amid child's collapse

Oliver pointed out Governor Landry's lack of reaction when a child collapsed behind him during a press event, "But that’s a perfect encapsulation of the Republican Party today—loudly pretending to care about the well-being of children while completely ignoring the literal well-being of a child."

"The bill's sponsor also had no concerns about how the new law would affect non-Christian or Jewish students," Oliver noted. When questioned about this impact, Republican state Rep Dodie Horton replied, "No ma’am, I don’t. This is about a moral code that our country was founded upon and they can simply turn their heads, I suppose."

"Yeah, they can simply turn their heads, you suppose," Oliver retorted. "You know, the thing the governor of Louisiana seems completely incapable of doing when a child falls right behind him."

The legality of the mandate is already under scrutiny, with the ACLU threatening a lawsuit on grounds of unconstitutionality.

Oliver questions Supreme Court's role in Ten Commandments law

Oliver pointed out that while similar laws have been struck down before, the current political landscape, particularly the ideological leanings of the Supreme Court, could lead to a different outcome this time.

"While the Supreme Court's precedent held a similar law as unconstitutional, 'precedent isn’t what it used to be' given the political leanings of the current court," an expert noted on the show.

"Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. Precedent used to mean justices had to have a really good reason to reverse course on settled law, and one better than just, 'My billionaire friends said they’d take me to Barbados next time,'" Oliver said, referencing Justice Clarence Thomas.

"This isn't just about the Ten Commandments," Oliver concluded, drawing connections to broader conservative efforts such as book bans and restrictions on LGBTQ+ symbols in schools.

He criticized conservatives for decrying "cancel culture" while actively censoring ideas they oppose, contrasting the enthusiastic endorsement of their own symbols with attempts to eradicate others.

Internet reacts to John Oliver's take on Louisiana's Ten Commandments law

The internet blasted Republicans for green-lighting the Ten Commandments law in Louisiana.

One user wrote, "It is funny Republicans act like they believe in the Ten Commandments while supporting a felon who sells bibles and breaks every one of them."

Another user said, "No one needs the Ten Commandments in their classrooms unless they are attending a religious school. "

One user added, "Love John Oliver or hate him, you can't argue against the logic. Well, those that don't live in the world of alternative facts and MAGA Cult can see the logic. MAGA simply cancels the opinion of others which can be seen in some comments, literally confirming Oliver's final comment, but Cult 45 literally can't see it. Weak."

One user replied, "Aren't the folks pushing the Ten Commandments the same ones who were so deeply worried about sharia law?"

One commented, "The biggest cancel culture comes from the Right."

Another added, "Republican is now a synonym for hypocrite."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.