DISCLAIMER:
The following opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent the KHM organisation as a whole. KHM strongly condemns any form of violence or murder of any individual. For legal reasons the identity or alleged identity of the shooter will not be discussed nor will any names be attributed.
Article by Chris Hyde.
We need to talk about Vigilantism. With the recent events in New York City, with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the ongoing online fallout being split I felt it was time we addressed the elephant in the room. Why do people idolise a vigilante?
Well it's a lot more complex of an answer to give. If we assume everyone was accepting of the killing then we would see a lot more people take to the streets, thankfully despite American politics reaching boiling point we have a lot of people on both sides of the spectrum of politics condemning the murder instead of inciting more.
That's not to say there isn't anyone inciting more fatal repercussions for the rich. I have seen people openly expressing the need to "take out" more rich people, among them Elon Musk. However their opinions are the minority. But the question still remains: why do people idolise the vigilante?
Well firstly let's look at healthcare in America.
Unlike Britain, the United States of America has a very complex and often frustrating healthcare system. According to statistics (US Census Bureau) 92% of American citizens pay for private healthcare insurance. That's because the US does not have a universal free healthcare system and private companies leverage this to their advantage. Even though pretty much the entire country have access to health insurance, these private companies have the ability to deny healthcare which they are permitted to do. This is part of the motivation behind the killing of Thompson.
Now before we go any further I feel it necessary for transparency and honesty to address my own bias. Whilst I believe that any form of violence is abhorrent, I also believe that this attack has a small amount of justification. It's a demonstration of the wide held beliefs among Americans that these private companies eat up so much profit, so much money and yet continue to deny those who badly need services like chemotherapy, MRI and other scans to determine illnesses, operations, transplants etc. leading to unnecessary deaths or terminal illness that under a free healthcare system would have been preventable.
Back to my original point, why is it that we idolise this individual and vigilantes in general? The most famous example, and one with more than a hint of irony is Bruce Wayne/Batman. A billionaire who inherited a worldwide corporation whose alter ego stalks Gotham City at night, fighting a rogue gallery of villains.
Surely if we are to condemn all vigilantes, we should include fictional ones too. It's easy to rebut this as a silly or unfair example but my point is still valid. Batman has no legal right to do what he does and yet we make films, TV shows, comics, all sorts of media depicting him as a hero (or anti-hero depending on which version). The same goes for Walter White, the chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin who's original motivation was to pay for the healthcare of his family including a disabled son.
These examples serve as a reflection. We like to think that the motivations of fighting crime and doing what you can to support your family are honourable. Okay yes I'll admit, Walter isn't a "vigilante" as such but his motivations are still honourable despite the fall to crime.
So what else, I could give many more examples of superheroes, all of them being some form of vigilante. Operating without consent of the people and no oversight from a trusted institution (do they even still exist, that's a question for another day).
I think much more is going on beneath the surface. It's easy to judge, to assume, to warp the event into an outcry instead of addressing the real problem. The public have been fed lies throughout the 21st century, and only now are people starting to realise this. Politicians are predominantly to blame. Promising unachievable or unlikely (to pass) policies just to win over those who don't look further into their motivations. Lobby groups have enormous sway in Washington D.C. They can easily influence politicians to maintain the status quo, allowing more Americans to die whilst maintaining their profits.
It's believed that we have entered a late stage of capitalism, where everything relies on money. As the public, especially those in "low skilled" jobs try as hard as they can to stay afloat, their wages to not reflect the same. More and more it is becoming unaffordable to pay the insurance costs, the hospital bills, even transport to the hospital via an ambulance will set you back anywhere between $250 to $1,500 with insurance and between $500 to $3,500+ without (source: BetterCare).
In a civilised society, that prides itself on Freedom, liberty, Individualism, Equality, and Progressive values you'd think that private healthcare would be a thing of the past, a bygone era where it was necessary then, but unnecessary and cruel to deny people the right to fair treatment now.
But even that casts a shadow on the truth. We like to think that we're at the pinnacle of civilisation. That centuries of progress has led us here. But it is far from the reality that we are still young as a civilised society and that progress hasn't been fully reached. The truth is, we are still on our way to the society we want. Issues like homelessness, addiction, abuse, crime, poverty are yet to be solved. We have fixes akin to plasters on a gaping wound, trying to hold back the outpouring of blood but the adhesive is dissolving faster than we can keep it holding together.
Whilst I believe that this is an isolated incident. The shooting did spark the question I had been mulling over for quite some time. I do believe that this incident gives a sour taste to violence being the answer, it NEVER is. But we can't ignore that we are at a tipping point. Sooner or later the powder keg will go off and it will lead to further violence or even vigilantism that if not fully addressed could completely dissolve the plaster keeping society together which could tear us all apart.
Earlier this year, I watched A24's Civil War by writer/director Alex Garland. As much as I found it unbelievable or highly unlikely that Texas and California would unite to take on the White House, there was something in the back of my mind itching and scratching. A feeling that what I was seeing, could very well be a reality not too far on the horizon. I think this isolated incident could have been one of many sparks to set off the powder keg. If not addressed it could very well lead to more sparks which will lead to some kind of revolution or rebellion.
We've already seen a glimpse with January 6th, 2020. The coup at the Capitol that could've easily gone disastrously worse for the "democracy" America likes to think it is (let's leave that can of worms for another day).
So with all that being said, I think it's time I wrap up my article, I'm not sure how I want to end this. I'm not sure why we are so divided on vigilantism, I think most of it stems to the fact things are so bad, our only form of justice is the one we have in our own heads. I don't think there's anything I could say that would make an ounce of difference. We're all shouting our opinions into the abyss of madness I like to think social media is. If there's one thing I could say it's this: if you truly care about your country. No matter where you live. You can't stand idly by and let things get worse. Patriotism isn't the same as Nationalism. Patriotism is loving your country, acknowledging it could be better for everyone and fighting until your last breath for it. Protest in the streets, challenge these so called "representatives" and point out all their hypocritical stances. Unite not under ideology but under a shared belief that no one should have to suffer and die at the hands of those who are hoarding enormous amounts of wealth they don't deserve.
It doesn't take an expert to understand that what truly is going on is abhorrent, but violence leads to violence and if we accept vigilantism as the alternative the world will see more pain.
Thank you for reading this article. Whilst I am not a professional journalist or have any qualifications in journalism I find it necessary to voice my opinions and concerns. I have done my best to research and will link the articles I have used for evidence below. Also you can support our efforts. We are an independent media organisation specialising in published and audio productions but we hope to expand our efforts further. With your help we can be a force for change. If you donate to our cause, not only is it cheaper than any streaming service but you will get exclusive access to behind the scenes material but a moderated forum which you can express your thoughts and feelings without censorship, an opportunity to vote or suggest what we cover next (Netflix, BBC and Disney don't let you have that kind of control) and we will be upgrading our perks in the new year.
You can donate by clicking this link: https://www.keziahhydemedia.com/donate
SOURCES:
BBC Coverage of NYC shooter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c99xy2j23gvo
US Census Bureau: https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-284.html
Comments