John Oliver has a simple solution to South Carolina's Confederate Flag conundrum

John Oliver wants South Carolina to take down its Confederate Flag — (Image credit: Last Week Tonight)

President Obama and other supporters of stricter gun laws to help prevent mass killings like the one in Charleston, South Carolina, are disheartened that nothing will happen to tackle how this tragedy happened, John Oliver said on Sunday's Last Week Tonight. That "might explain why some are focused on a symbol associated with why it happened," he said: The Confederate Flag, still flying full-mast in front of the South Carolina capitol.

"The Confederate Flag is one of those symbols that should really only be seen on T-shirts, belt buckles, and bumper stickers to help the rest of us identify the worst people in the world," Oliver said. It will be hard for South Carolina to take down the Confederate battle flag — or for, say, Mississippi to remove it from its state flag — but they should do it anyway, Oliver said, "out of respect not just for the events of this week, but for the events of the past several centuries." His suggestion doesn't end there. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.