On Dec. 4, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside of a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Five days later, Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old from Maryland, was arrested in Pennsylvania and now faces a multitude of charges, including first and second-degree murder, forgery, stalking and possessing instruments of crime.
Although this case inspired mass controversy, as it, of course, ended in the death of a husband and a father, support for Mangione has been widespread. People have taken to the internet to voice not just their approval of his actions, but their experiences with denied claims or lacking coverage, which has provoked discussions over the ethics of the American healthcare system.
While these types of discussions are necessary for our improvement as a society, the praise and blatant idolization of Mangione is excessive and serves as evidence of society’s developing lack of independent thinking.
This over-the-top support has taken many forms, including posts and videos by many users on TikTok and Instagram. For example, on these platforms, a cover of “Good Luck Babe” by Chappell Roan has been circulating, but the normal lyrics are replaced with ones praising Mangione.
“You could kill a hundred CEOs, shoot another shot, get accused of treason … that shot heard ‘round the world couldn’t stop the feeling,” the lyrics say.
This isn’t solely happening online, though. Barely a week after the shooting, a Mangione look-alike contest was held at the University of Florida. Shortly after that, a Florida business owner tattooed Mangione’s face and the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on his thigh.
Examples like these are just the tip of the iceberg, but their extreme nature shows the extent to which people believe in Mangione’s cause. Because the lower and middle classes feel so victimized, they are too willing to see anyone who takes action against the upper class as close enough to a saint.
This mentality is understandable. However, this idolization often leads to fixation on a specific viewpoint, which then causes people to forget that problems such as the American healthcare system aren’t cut-and-dry.
In other words, because many people view Mangione as a hero, they are convinced that his opinions about the healthcare system, which they share, are correct. They are then not able to even consider another viewpoint, deeming the expression of these ideas an attack on him and, therefore, an attack on themselves.
Although it may be hard for some to admit, this is largely the same situation when it comes to politicians such as President Donald Trump. Because some idolize him, instead of caring enough to fact-check his claims, they may follow what he says blindly, leading them to believe there is a clear answer to every situation without even fully understanding it.
Of course, while everyone is entitled to their own opinion and can get their information however they want, it is always important to understand the reasoning behind one’s opinion. This means doing your own research and using as many facts as possible to support your argument.
In this time of extreme polarization and change, critical and independent thinking is more important than ever. When forming an opinion on an event as controversial as the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, take a step back, ask yourself, “Why do I think this?” and don’t follow one opinion blindly.