Two Men Dead in New York City

Two deaths with very different causes and motivations

This week, the nation focused on the deaths of two men in New York City.

In one case, a mentally stable man confronted a mentally unstable man on the F Train. Out of an intentional drive to protect the lives of those around him, the stable man — a 25 year old Marine from Long Island — put the unstable man in a chokehold that resulted, directly or indirectly, in his death.

In the other case, a mentally unstable man targeted a mentally stable man as a consequence of his job leading one of the largest health insurance companies — shooting him in the back as he walked down the street. The unstable man in this case — a 26 year old Ivy League scion of a wealthy and powerful Maryland family — also expressed his motive as protecting others: the countless Americans who’ve lost their lives and health because of the denial of coverage and care.

His purported manifesto is here, if you want to read it. Some people won’t want too. But just as this shooter found inspiration in the work of the Unabomber, these things have to be reckoned with and countered. We read The Screwtape Letters and Paradise Lost for a reason: Evil, especially when it has the charisma to motivate others, should be understood instead of ignored.

So let’s talk about American health insurance…