Luigi Mangione, and Why I Care
The recent case of Luigi Mangione has not only thrown America for a complete loop, but it’s started a fire in my head.
A few weeks ago, a tragic incident happened just 20 feet from my job. I work downtown, between two high rise hotels. Also nestled in my corner of downtown Austin, is a food truck park. A quaint place for sixth street goers, commuters and tourists from neighboring hotels.
I had parked on the street by the food truck park, on a whim and running late to work.
When I clocked out, my car had been blocked in by about 8 police cars. “Oh fuck.” I think. I cross to the opposite street to see what’s going on. While crossing, I pass by a news reporter who is videotaping the scene. I try to sneak a look, but policemen are lined up completely blocking the street view. I continue to walk and cross back to the side my car is parked on, and it’s still blocked in. I approached my vehicle and an officer noticed me looking around. “Is this your vehicle?” he asks. “Yes it is.” I say, complete poker faced, as if i caused this crime scene he’s guarding so well. He turns and yells to another officer to get in the car blocking me and move to let me through. I shimmy my car out of the spot and drive away.
The next day I learned what happened through the service industry grapevine.
Someone had jumped from the 20th floor lounge and landed in the food truck park. Jesus, I just had drinks there yesterday.
My heart came to a rolling stop. I know things like this probably occur everyday, but right here? Next to my job? Next to my car? My car was within crime scene tape, MY car was a witness?
The local news never reported on it. I guess if they reported on every person committing suicide in Austin that’s all our media would be filled with.
It just made me think— I pass hundreds of people everyday on the street, I greet hundreds of people at the restaurant, and this person could have been one of them. I can’t help but wonder who they were. Not just their name, but who they were before they jumped. What filled their hearts on that edge?
Next morning, bright and early, the food truck park is being pressure washed.
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I look at the slain CEO as some sort of sign. A life for a life maybe. People die, it's what happens. But I had more empathy for one stranger over the other. Why am I being villainized for it?
Brian Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance division of UnitedHealth Group. Under Thompson’s leadership, UnitedHealthcare’s profits increased from $12 billion in 2021 to $16 billion in 2023.
He also implemented a business model that used artificial intelligence to systematically deny patients claims without really looking at their files. Cigna uses this model too. Cigna denied more than 300,000 claims in just two months in 2022, spending an average of only 1.2 seconds reviewing each case, per the ProPublica report. Denying claims means saving money. Not just that, a denied claim can take up to 2.5 years to appeal, and if a patient tries to appeal a denied claim for life saving care, AI can determine using an algorithm if the patient will die before the insurer is forced to pay out. Essentially, your appeal outlives you. All so they can save a little money. Brian Thompson made $10 million in 2023.
These healthcare CEO’s are so far removed from the reality of what they're doing, that to them, American people become numbers on a spreadsheet. There is blood on their hands. I’m not really religious but I like to think that these fucking rich idiots, all probably God fearing in some way, will die thinking they are going to heaven, and end up in hell. Your approval of this monopolistic system trickled down, and did what you planned it to do. Surprise! Thousands of people are dead because of it. Welcome to Hell, where you learn the true meaning of the phrase, fuck around and find out. Except the shooter wasn't willing to wait for judgement day. He wanted to take karma into his own hands.
My entire childhood was stained with gun violence and active shooter drills, and you want me to be sympathetic to a random billionaire who was shot on the street? My peers and our children in hundreds of thousands of schools, including my hometown, die from gun violence and unregulated firearms regularly. Let me put this into perspective for you.
Luigi Mangione was charged with an act of terrorism. A federal charge typically reserved for those who plan bombings, mass civilian killings, and mass destruction- for example, 9/11, ISIS, etc. Luigi is suspected to have killed one billionaire CEO who directly or indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. And Luigi did this to “sow terror” per the prosecutors. On who exactly? The 1%? Please.
The 99% live in terror daily.
426 school shooters have never once been charged with an act of terrorism. In fact two of them walk free.
Each day 12 children die from gun violence in America. Every. Single. Day.
If as many billionaires died each day as the children in our schools do, the U.S. government would be moving a whole lot differently. Isn't that telling? And it’s not like we didn't know this before Luigi, he is just highlighting the injustice.
The unapologetic support for Luigi Mangione is absolutely warranted. You give the people a reason to rage and they will. The rage incited has to go somewhere.
Luigi won’t be the last. His message started with him but it won’t end with him.
Simultaneously, as if in the same breath, the mainstream media is praising Daniel Penny for the killing of Jordan Neely, an African-American homeless man. He was recently JD Vance’s guest in the presidential viewing room for the Army-Navy football game.
If there is anything you take away from this, let it be this: Do not let a single soul in this life steamroll you, ever. Fight for your right to live. Fight for your family’s right to live. Ask questions and stay informed. Take nothing at the surface level, and always dig deeper. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
To anyone reading who has been personally affected by gun violence, I hear you, and it’s all love, always. My inbox is open for anyone having a hard time grappling with the reality of this situation.
Love to All.
xo, zo
Works Cited:
Sandy Hook Promise. “17 Facts about Gun Violence and School Shootings.” Sandy Hook Promise, 25 July 2020, www.sandyhookpromise.org/blog/gun-violence/facts-about-gun-violence-and-school-shootings/.
KENEALLY, MEGHAN. “The Only 2 Living US Mass School Shooters Not in Prison.” ABC News, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2016, abcnews.go.com/US/living-us-mass-school-shooters-incarcerated/story?id=36986507.
“Killing of Jordan Neely.” Wikipedia, 2 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Jordan_Neely.
