Despite the fact that racism, as supported by numerous reports, was the clear motivating factor in the Charleston, South Carolina, shooting, many in politics hesitated to use the word, and Bill Maher has had enough of it.

“Isn’t denying racism, itself, a form of racism?” said Maher to his panelists on Friday’s “Real Time.”

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) discussed how removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Capitol would be a step in the right direction for healing, while MSNBC correspondent Joy Reid laid out her frustrations with the media avoiding discussions about racism.

Reid said: “Even when the perpetrator says, ‘I’m here to kill black people,’ wore the Rhodesia and South Africa — White South Africa flags — on his person and announced what his intentions were, which were clearly racist, but we mustn’t discuss it.”

“Real Time with Bill Maher” airs Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

– This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.