Violence is rarely an answer, even when frustrations boil over and the cause seems just. The recent killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has sparked a divisive debate across the nation. For some, the act is seen as a desperate cry against a system that many believe has prioritized profits over human lives. For others, it’s an indefensible crime, an attack on the rule of law that undermines the very principles of justice and democracy.
But here’s the core question: Is it ever right to celebrate an act of murder, even when the person killed is viewed as a symbol of systemic injustice? If our society crosses that line, what does it say about us?
Luigi Mangione is a murderer, and his actions cannot and should not be celebrated. No matter how justifiable his anger might seem, taking a life crosses a moral and legal line that we cannot afford to ignore. If society begins to tolerate or even celebrate such acts of violence, we risk descending into a dangerous cycle of retribution and vigilantism.
Thompson — as the CEO of UnitedHealthcare — held one of the most powerful positions in the American healthcare industry. Under his leadership, the company became synonymous with the broader debates about the privatization of healthcare and the ethics of for-profit health insurance. Critics accused the company of denying coverage to vulnerable patients, raising premiums and failing to prioritize patient care, according to MSN.com .
Yet Thompson’s tenure wasn’t without its positives. He spearheaded initiatives aimed at expanding insurance coverage for underserved populations and invested in programs to modernize healthcare delivery, according to The New York Times.
While those efforts fell short for some, they represented an acknowledgment of the system’s flaws and an attempt, however imperfect, to address them.
On the other side of this tragic story stands Mangione, a 26-year-old activist with a history of railing against the American healthcare system. Described by friends as passionate and uncompromising, according to ABC News, Mangione saw the system as fundamentally broken and viewed corporate executives like Thompson as the architects of its injustices.
According to ABC News, Mangione confronted Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel, and ended the CEO’s life. While he may claim his actions were born out of righteous anger, they have sparked intense debate. Was this a tragic but inevitable result of a broken system, or was it the unconscionable act of a man who took justice into his own hands?
The healthcare system in the United States has been a source of frustration and heartbreak for millions. Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the U.S. remains an outlier among developed countries, with millions of citizens unable to afford basic medical care, according to Westhealth.org.
It’s within this context that Mangione’s actions have struck a chord. His anger reflects the genuine frustrations of countless Americans who feel abandoned by a system that prioritizes profits over people. But systemic problems demand systemic solutions — not personal vendettas.
Mangione’s actions do not represent justice; they represent a breakdown of it. Killing Thompson does nothing to fix the problems he was so angry about. If anything, it distracts from the real issues at hand, turning the focus away from systemic reform and toward the act of violence itself.
Thompson’s death doesn’t bring relief to those suffering under the flaws of our healthcare system — it simply leaves another family grieving.
The problems in American healthcare are real, and the anger many feel is justified. But meaningful change comes from building better systems, not from acts of destruction. History teaches us that violence rarely solves systemic problems. Instead, it breeds more division, chaos and suffering.
For example, successful healthcare reform movements, like the establishment of the Affordable Care Act, required years of advocacy, negotiation and legislative work. These efforts succeeded not through violence but through persistence and coalition-building.
Mangione’s act doesn’t empower reformers or strengthen the cause for healthcare justice. Instead, it undermines the rule of law, creating a dangerous precedent where individuals feel justified in taking extreme measures to address their grievances.
According to Boston University Today, progressive politicians, public figures, journalists and advocacy groups argue that Mangione’s actions, while extreme, highlight the desperation of those failed by the system. They say that his act of violence was not the cause of the problem but a symptom of it. To them, Mangione’s actions are a wake-up call, forcing society to confront the human cost of a broken system.
Others go even further, likening Mangione to historical figures who used radical means to spark change. Some at Smithsonian Magazine point to figures like John Brown, whose violent actions against slavery helped ignite a national reckoning.
While these arguments might explain Mangione’s motivations, they do not justify his actions. Violence is not a solution — it’s a shortcut that ultimately leads nowhere. Advocates for healthcare reform have achieved progress through peaceful means, from grassroots activism to legislative change. If Mangione had channeled his anger into productive action, he might have been a force for real change. Instead, he chose destruction, and that choice should not be celebrated.
Mangione’s actions are neither heroic nor justifiable. The killing of Thompson is a tragedy on multiple levels: for Thompson’s family, for Mangione himself and for a society grappling with the deep flaws of its healthcare system.
If we want to honor the frustrations that fueled Mangione’s anger, we must reject his methods. Real justice comes from addressing the root causes of systemic injustice — not from taking the life of another human being. Thompson’s death should not be a rallying cry for violence. Instead, it should remind us of the urgency of reform and the importance of pursuing it through peaceful, constructive means.
Justice for Thompson must come through the courts, and justice for those suffering under our healthcare system must come through the hard work of systemic reform — not through violence, but through hope and action.