Uncharted Waters
How Luigi Mangione is fundamentally changing America
12 days ago, when the first news came out about the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, I followed the story like most Americans with some interest. Over the proceeding 5 days, the media was captivated by the manhunt for the assailant, crescendoing with the capture of 26-year old Luigi Mangione at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania on December 9th.
What we have seen in the days since, however- since Mangione was arrested and charged with second degree murder as well as some additional weapons charges- is unparalleled in the history of the United States of America. And I believe it’s just the beginning of a tectonic shift that could provoke something that could change our country forever.
While the idea of Americans glorifying and romanticizing criminals is nothing new (see Bonnie and Clyde, Ted Bundy, the Menendez Brothers), I think the political and social element of this is something fundamentally different and potentially ground shaking. The widespread sympathy we have seen for Mangione- not one single comment on any news article or YouTube video I have seen has been negative- and the adoration we have seen such as the cheers and screams in response to images of him projected on the screen at a concert in Boston- has made me consider and reflect on these events in a deep and profound way.
It should go without saying that murder- the taking of a human life- is terrible and unacceptable in any context. I in no way condone violence. I also recognize the reality that it appears many Americans support, passionately and vocally, Mangione’s actions. They believe that he, with the message of “DENY”, “DEFEND” and “DEPOSE” he wrote on those bullet casings that were found at the crime scene- was standing up for the little guy and sacrificing himself for the broader cause of exposing the corruption of the healthcare system.
I believe law and order is essential to the survival of any civilized, functioning society. I identify as a capitalist and have never even necessarily identified as a populist. I am an institutionalist by nature. And that’s why it’s extremely important that elites and institutions make changes to our system quickly and recognize the severity of this situation that is escalating fast. If they don’t take a hard look at the response that a large chunk of America has had to this shooting, then the way of life we currently have in place is in perilous danger.
People are angry in a way that I never seen before. Those who dismiss or minimize this anger as social media gadflies glorifying Mangione on a superficial level, simply because he’s physically attractive, are not seeing the big picture; sure there’s an element of that among some, but it’s much more serious than that. There’s an air of revolution in the air, and I’ve seen the words of former President John F. Kennedy posted all over the internet: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
Alarm bells are ringing, red flags are waving. I also see comments from people on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms saying things like “I think he’s going to walk”, or “good luck getting a jury to convict him”. I think if that ends up being true- that a jury either finds him innocent or 1 juror or more refuse to convict him and it ends up being a hung jury/mistrial- that it will have reverberations for decades and generations to come. What if a jury is so angry at healthcare companies and corporations for their abuses, for their greed, that they refuse to jail someone who murdered one of the industry’s leaders in cold blood? Mangione’s supporters seem to think that may be the only way for the institutions to be scared into finally changing. It’s an unsettling, disturbing, overwhelming question that we will have to consider in the days, weeks, months and years to come.