Sometimes Violence Is the Answer
There should never be an excuse for murder, but our society seems to find a way
Thanks for being a subscriber to Let's Not Be Trash. If you’re new here, we (Mostly me, Evan J. MastronardiandKarina Maria write about patriarchy, politics, race, culture, music, and ruminations. The goal is to talk about important issues, in a way that is digestible and relatable because nobody wants to read a Ted Talk.
It’s the holiday season, so if you haven’t already, consider becoming a paid subscriber. If you want to support me financially but don’t want to commit monthly, buy me a coffee, or a PS5, whatever is cheaper.
If you like my substack and want to discover other great writers, check out this directory from Marc Typo, called The Cook-Out.
Earlier today, the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced they had apprehended Luigi Mangione as a prime suspect in the murder of Healthcare Executive Brian Thompson. Mr Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, led a corporation known for denying more insurance claims than any other. Just last year, they had a class action lawsuit filed against them, arguing that they “used AI in place of real medical professionals to deny elderly patients care wrongfully.”
The public response to Mr Thompsons death is reflective of the collective exhaustion many of us have with America’s broken healthcare and justice systems. While those who have the least struggle to make ends meet, we are forced to watch the ultra-rich collect more wealth and then expected to accept any level of exploitation in the name of a “free market.” Even if that “free market” encourages the exploitation of human beings.
If found guilty, Mr Thompsons killer will be held accountable for his actions, and he should. No matter how bad things get, we can never be ok with violence, especially when that violence leads to a loss of life. However, we can not look at this case without considering the broader implications.
If all we have seen on social media is true, Luigi acted against a system that has failed everyone and decided that violence was the only solution. The “Justice” system will now do everything it can to put him behind bars and probably succeed. But if Mr Thompson was Black, poor, struggling with his mental health, or all three, could his family expect any form of Justice? According to another verdict, the answer is not likely because, on the same day, the police found Luigi, a high-profile case involving another instance of senseless violence came to an end with a different outcome.
After some deliberation, a jury found Ex-marine Daniel Penny innocence in the death of Jordan Neely. Penny, an ex-marine, choked Neely to death after he entered a subway cart and began to shout at strangers that he was hungry and “willing to die” or “go to jail.” Several riders shared that they feared for their safety before Penny stepped in. Despite his rants, Neely didn’t have a weapon and didn’t approach or attack a single person. Instead, Penny put him in a chokehold while another rider held Neely’s hand so he couldn’t resist. After Neely went limp, people begged for Penny to “let him go,” but he held on for another minute.
Jordan’s death was senseless and an example of a broken system that is upheld by selfish elected officials, the ultra-wealthy, and a society that rewards greed and wealth over humanity. When the “not guilty” verdict was read for Penny, the courtroom broke out into applause; Neely hadn’t run a company that excelled in ripping off its customers or making it incredibly difficult to get critical health services, but as a poor Black boy with no money and no hope his moment of crisis made enough people uneasy his death felt justified them.
Watching these two instances unfold has been fascinating to me. While the media and those in power have chastised the public for our lack of empathy surrounding the death of Brian Thompson, a different tone has been taken with the Jordan Neely verdict.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, praised the verdict on Twitter, saying, “Daniel Penny’s actions were heroic & protected the lives of people on that train.”
Mayor Eric Adams, a Black Republican facing multiple criminal charges, shared Speaker Johnson’s sentiments, saying, “Penny did what we should have done as a city.” Outside of Speaker Johnson and Mayor Adams, Penny’s not-guilty verdict has made him a cult hero on the right. But is that fair? I don’t think so. Jordan wasn’t a monster; he was someone struggling and needed help, but that help never arrived.
As a 14-year-old boy, his life took a drastic turn when his mother was murdered by an abusive partner, making him an orphan. After staying with his grandparents for a bit, he eventually entered the foster care system, where his growing struggles with his mental health weren’t adequately addressed.
Instead, at 21, he was discharged with a Metro card and well wishes. From there, Jordan lived in the streets of New York, where he encountered NYC’s Mobile Crisis team. A Project funded by hospitals and non-profits aimed at providing quick support to those struggling with housing and their mental health. While these Mobile Crisis teams are essential and can be life-saving, the system under which they function is deeply flawed.
With low wages, there is high turnover among the staff. Because most of these programs are funded by insurance reimbursements, teams don’t get paid when supporting homeless people without coverage. By the time he arrived on that train disheveled, in crisis, and ranting, he had run the gauntlet of poorly funded programs and had nowhere else to go. Does that permit us to kill him?
If the answer is yes, will that sentiment remain the same if it’s you or someone you love? As the cost of living continues to skyrocket, and companies like United Health Insurance look for new ways to exploit us, the number of people at their wit's end will only increase; is our solution to this problem violence as well? If so, I hope you’re prepared to face that moment.
Congratulations—you made it to the end. Do you have thoughts on it? I would love to hear them. Let me know in the comments.
Were you following this case? If so, were you surprised by the verdict?
Do you think the Jury made the right choice?
Are we doing enough to support those who are homeless and struggling with their mental health?
Do you think Daniel Penny was justified in his actions?
I've been following this case. I find the whole thing ugly and heartbreaking.
I think the jury actually struggled with this which is why they kept getting sent back to deliberate and the judge even changed some of the charges but that still doesn't make what came out of the courtroom anything remotely resembling Justice.
"Are we doing enough to support those who are homeless and struggling with their mental health?"
Before I answer this question I want to give some background and context for my answer. I used to work in NYC and stayed there for part of the week as part of my commute. I worked in ministry contexts while studying at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan and I also did fellowship work for The Coalition for the Homeless. I've spent a lot of time navigating the subways and interacting with the homeless of NYC in addition to similar work in other parts of the country.
I don't have much fear of homeless persons. Some people find that surprising coming from an aging white lady who is not 'able bodied'. I've been homeless, and addicted, and forlorn. No not to the same degree as Jordan Neely. I was a young attractive white girl when I was homeless, that just won't compare. That said I do have a very deep sense of compassion for being cold, hungry, tired, ignored, and completely unsure of where my next meal or next chance to sleep safely was coming from.
We don't do nearly enough for homeless people. We treat it like some grift, as though people choose to be homeless rather than some mystical alternative that will levitate them out of the cracks they slipped into. I've never met a homeless person who decided to be homeless. (I could write more extensively about this but will not here for the sake of brevity.)
Do you think Daniel Penny was justified in his actions?
This is the question I've really had to wrestle with because no, NO! I absolutely do not think Daniel Penny's actions were justified. I've thought long and hard about what was going through this man's head. Was he afraid? Did he think he was being heroic? Was he just having a bad day and this was the last straw? I don't know and I can't know but I've run through the scenarios from my own POV. Even if I were able bodied I wouldn't restrain someone. On my worst day I might have shouted at a person to be quiet and stop upsetting everyone else but no one wants that on the subway.
What would make me think I needed to attack and restrain someone on the subway? I can't think of anything short of the threat of armed violence, waving a gun or a knife around. Being armed and threatening would probably provoke my drive to action but that action would be limited. Sure I'm an ex first responder and ex army but as noted I'm aging and not as hale and formidable as I once was. My default tends to be trying to talk people down first, soothe the wounded don't piss them off.
Now here's the heart of why I'm so deeply outraged. I've seen Jordan Neely busking down on the subway platforms, and many of the myriad of buskers down below the city streets. Many of them are homeless and desperate. One gets used to seeing them around. I even got used to the dramatic and fever pitched scenes of desperation that could unfold on subway cars.
I've never been rich. I scrape by through a series of part time jobs, family support, fellowships, and student loans. I've never been in a position to hand someone a life changing amount of money when they're crying out in desperation. That said compassion can go a really long way.
I've seen men and women wild with desperation crying out and acting in the exact way Jordan Neely did. Most people do their darnedest to ignore it because what do you do? Can you solve this man's problems? You're just trying to get to your stop on the subway. I get how apathy happens there's a horror in helplessness that numbs us as humans. But I don't look away.
I often call out to those people, and when I do no one on the subway car wants to look at me either. Sometimes you can settle someone down just by making space for them to sit next to you while you listen to their grievances, sometimes yes a small amount of cash, or a granola bar and a ham sandwich from my backpack can solve at least the immediate hunger and that matters. I've had countless encounters where compassion helped someone de-escalate. No bystanders looked directly at me when I did, or at the person I reached out to. At best a few times I remember being quietly thanked by people who refused to make eye contact as they left the subway car.
I've given away the gloves off my hands, my coat, my shirt, my lunch, bottles of water, or just lent a compassionate ear and extended human to human dignity enough times to have stopped Jordan Neely a hundred times over. There are other compassionate souls who do likewise but Mayor Adams is never going to call us heroes... because sadly Stanley your title nails it.
I think it is complex. I actually think at least half of our society’s problems can be solved by better funded and run foster care and CPS. There isn’t a person on death row that wasn’t abused and traumatized as a child. Jordan was failed terribly by family and the State failed to adequately rescue him. But it is genuinely hard to “rescue” kids failed by family. I’m not judging his family as I’m sure they had their wounds and difficulties but not acknowledging that issue is a mistake. Most 21 year olds can (and should?) reasonably be expected to hold down a minimum wage job. He couldn’t. As you mention, various organizations tried to help Jordan and sure if they were better funded and run that might have helped but also might not have if he refused services, some mental illnesses makes that likely. It might well have taken coercion to help him.
Jordan did not deserve to die. And people don’t deserve to be scared and yelled at by unstable people on the Subway and it’s a huge mistake for liberals to say it’s not a big deal, and we should all show compassion. I mean yes compassion is always a good idea but decent public order is a societal good that is very important to most people’s well being. And I’m not at all certain that Jordan wasn’t dangerous to others in certain states. So I certainly feel that Daniel made a terrible mistake (in not letting go) and should face some sort of consequence/punishment I’m not at all sure I would want him in jail for as long as we put people away for murder.