It was a sad, sad sign of our times last week to see individuals holding “Free Luigi Mangione” signs outside of the courthouse in New York City where Mangione made a court appearance.
Mangione is facing state and federal charges for the December, 2024, shooting on a street in midtown Manhattan of Brian Thompson, who was the CEO of United HealthCare and the father of two teenage boys.
Those who carried the signs supporting Mangione expressed the view that they support the larger issue of healthcare justice in the United States and see Mangione as a martyr for their cause.
We think most Americans would agree with the premise that the healthcare system in this country is broken and skewed toward the rich. The leading cause — almost two-thirds — of bankruptcies in this country stems from astronomical medical bills and the associated loss of income that can leave middle-class families, even those with health insurance and a good income, in dire financial straits if a serious illness or accident befalls them.
But we also would like to think that everyone in our society would agree that shooting and killing a person in cold blood is not an acceptable means of “protest” (or anything else).
However, we seem to be living in an era, fueled by social media, when even the most heinous of acts can find a large swath of supporters. According to an Emerson College Poll in December, 41% of surveyed young adults aged 18–29 said Mangione’s alleged actions were “somewhat” or “completely” acceptable.
We find that point of view to be completely unacceptable. But we fear we are swimming against a tidal wave.