The recent developments surrounding Luigi Mangione, an accused murderer, have left a lot of people scratching their heads, and it seems some folks on the left have decided to turn this individual into an unlikely folk hero. This is perplexing for many, especially when considering that Mangione is accused of killing the CEO of United Health Care, a man who was a father and husband. The Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has taken a strong stance, pushing for the death penalty in this case.
In a peculiar twist of events, it appears that Mangione’s actions have struck a chord with certain young people who are now idolizing him, as if turning him into a symbol or an icon. News surfaced from California, where someone has named a ballot measure after Mangione, aiming to address insurance companies’ denial of claims. One has to wonder if the left is reading straight from Mangione’s supposed manifesto, considering how they seem to have adopted his anti-corporate sentiment wholesale.
The embrace of Mangione by parts of the left seems especially ironic after their prolonged outrage over what they term “domestic terrorism” and insurrections. It seems that after all the shouting about these issues being paramount to the survival of democracy, they have found a way to glorify a man who is accused of committing murder. Do they realize the hypocrisy, or is it more convenient to look the other way?
This newfound hero status granted to Mangione is reminiscent of the summer of 2020, where riots were seemingly downplayed by some political figures. Back then, riots caused billions in damages and tragically took lives, yet there seemed to be a reluctance to outright condemn these acts from certain quarters. Now, a similar tone-deaf approach appears to be at play as some individuals on the left seemingly brush aside the severity of Mangione’s alleged crime and focus instead on his anti-corporate rhetoric.
It also appears that amidst all this hullabaloo, Elon Musk has found himself in the crosshairs of a similar narrative. The purported encouragement of domestic terrorism against Musk’s ventures, like Tesla, is eerily similar to the deification of Mangione, suggesting a systematic penchant for turning figures of controversy into champions for questionable causes. Perhaps, instead of romanticizing such figures, it would best serve everyone to focus on constructive dialogues and genuine discussions on pressing societal issues. And for goodness’ sake, perhaps it’s time for the left to choose better idols if they hope to engage meaningfully with the broader audience.
