Russell Brown linked to this - the Daily Show's first segment after the September 11 attacks. It's funny, because I don't have a particularly good memory for things, particularly during stressful periods, but I remember this Stewart monologue vividly. Some of the stuff about liberty seems sort of hollow and ironic now - and perhaps it should have then, too. But I remember being comforted by it. In fact, I know Brent and I were waiting for the Daily Show to come on to give us some perspective or something: it was a very confusing and scary time to live in the US (although perhaps not as confusing and scary as it is now!).

 

I feel like this monologue lifted Stewart from a satirist to... I don't know what. Someone great. I do truly admire and like him, which is a bizarre thing to say about a TV host on a news parody show on Comedy Central. Here's to you, Jon.