You’ve probably heard of a vigilante—someone who stands up against the injustice of law enforcement deemed inadequate. For centuries there has always been someone who raised violence against the rich, ones who controlled the poor for so many years. Recently, the murderer of the healthcare CEO, Luigi Mangione, has been this generation’s labeled hero by sending an important message to fight against the mistreatment of the rich.
Throughout history there have been many who started a revolution against injustice and labeled them as American folk heroes. During the Great Depression, there were bank robbers John Dillinger and “Pretty Boy” Floyd, who stole from the rich. Criminals are often seen as heroes during periods in history when the public is fed up with extensive displays of wealth and power while ordinary people struggle to make a living.
Luigi Mangione, an Ivy League-educated 26-year-old of a Baltimore real estate family, was charged with murder as an act of terrorism back on December 19th, 2024. He allegedly shot Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of health insurance United Healthcare, to death. Police say that Magione was apprehended with a gun that matched the shell casings at the scene of the crime. Despite being accused of a cold-blooded assassination, Mangione has been hailed by a substantial subset of Americans not as a villain, but as a folk hero. Many Gen Z supporters have embraced Mangione as a bold American champion against the evils of corporate greed and insurers that deny and delay benefits to keep profits high. Emerson College polled voters aged 18-29, and a shocking 41% said that the killing was acceptable compared to the 40% who called it unacceptable and the 19% who were neutral. The truth of the support towards Mangione isn’t unique to late-stage capitalism or the internet era. He is the latest in a long line of criminals whose deeds have been hailed by Americans frustrated with institutions that continuously take from them without compensation.
The glorification of Mangione’s actions is a cry for change and a better country. Until powerful people recognize that political problems need political solutions, Mangione, unfortunately, will not be the last accused criminal turned American hero. Mahatma Ghandi said, “The greatest of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.” Is there any cause worth the taking of a human life? Despite Thompson’s role as a figure at the top of corporate greed, he was still a human being, a husband, and a father of two young sons. With that in mind remember: Vigilante acts seem cool in the comic books, TV and movies, but in reality its just murder and human life is gone.
Works Cited
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/10/us/jury-nullification-luigi-mangione-defense/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/luigi-mangione-healthcare-ceo-shooting-what-we-know/
