When Hatred is a Virtue

A sickness pervades modern society.

On the morning of December 4th, Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, walked on the sidewalk along West 54th Street from his hotel to the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan. He was there to attend the UnitedHealth Group investor meeting. He never made it inside the door. At approximately 6:45 a.m., Thompson was shot several times at close range by an assassin who calmly - and with seemingly experienced precision - took a human life. Thompson was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.

CCTV video captured the murder. It has been widely shared online.

What has happened in the days since the brazen, clearly planned attack is what usually happens in our internet-obsessed culture: online reaction. News junkies dissect current happenings, opine, and even battle back and forth over issues that will stay in the public consciousness for so brief a time. It's the rinse and repeat aspect of a 24-hour news cycle. It's a mix of exhausting and addicting. But the response to Thompson's murder has included a large dose of elation and support from people who believe he deserved to die. Why, you ask? Well, you see, his job as chief executive of a health insurance company earned him a sort of summary execution. An innocent man, a husband and father of two, was shot in front of the unblinking eye of a security camera, bled out on cold concrete, and died at the age of 50.

There are moments that provide a quick capture of society's health. They often follow a tragedy, natural disaster, or attack of some kind. Sometimes, they are refreshingly positive and point to a communal type of greater good and care for one's neighbor. The reaction to Brian Thompson's murder is a hard turn in the opposite direction. And it is broadly disturbing.

A piece at The New York Times titled Some on Social Media See Suspect in C.E.O. Killing as a Folk Hero provides some alarming detail: "...while high-profile crimes have in recent years mobilized internet sleuths hellbent on finding answers, civilian efforts to find Mr. Thompson’s killer have appeared muted. Instead, the executive’s killing has released a tide of online frustration toward the health insurance industry, with some people even voicing their support for the gunman." And support for the murder isn't confined to a few people or an odd post on Reddit. It's not a fringe thing.

In a report this week, the institute found that of the top 10 most-engaged posts on X about the shooting on Wednesday, six “either expressed explicit or implicit support for the killing or denigrated the victim.” The dynamic is similar to the discourse that often emerges after a mass shooting on websites like 4chan and 8chan, where perpetrators of extreme violence become memes themselves, Mr. Goldenberg said, “but what’s disturbing about this is it’s mainstream.”

The killing of a healthcare CEO is a sort of "power to the people" moment. A wealthy executive, running the nation's largest health insurer, where the 2023 revenue was $281.4 billion, just "had it coming." It matters little if Thompson himself denied claims or not; he was the face of a company that does that very thing, all while garnering massive profits. Taking him out would surely send a message and/or change the industry. These are the conclusions that find their home in a delusional mind. The problem is, this illogical reasoning is shared by many. Enough that it is noticeable. And deeply disquieting.

Just this July, then-candidate Donald Trump was almost assassinated during a rally in Pennsylvania. What happened is nothing short of a miracle. What could have been a violent end to his life, all caught on live television, was instead nothing more than a minor ear injury. But far too many of his biggest haters were either unmoved by the attempt on his life or worse, upset the shooter missed. All because of hate.

You see, hate is all you need. If you possess hatred for another human being, then their life means nothing. Any violent action, or praise of such an action, is entirely justifiable. This is the lesson we're seeing. This normalization of violence should unsettle all of us who value life, no matter who they are. Thankfully, I believe we are still the majority.

On Monday, December 9, police arrestedLuigi Mangione for the murder. According to CNN, Mangione "wrote a hand-written document that speaks to both his motivations and mindset." The arrest prompted a flurry of applause for the apprehension. It also resulted in more praise for the suspect on social media. Far too many called him a hero, demanded his release, or even commented on his looks, as if his pleasing outward appearance in some way makes his monstrous act more palatable.

I had never heard of Brian Thompson before the news of his death. I don't know what his personality was or if he was kind to his employees. I don't know if he was guilty of insider-trading. I'm not sure how he felt about the healthcare industry at large or the millions of Americans insured by the company he ran. I know nothing except the bare, basic facts about his life and the manner of his death. And you know what? What I do or don't know has no bearing on Thompson's worth. None of this changes the fact that I must loudly condemn those who cheer on his untimely, violent demise.

The news cycle can sometimes create a sense of numbness to all the varied atrocities happening at home and abroad. But I prefer a strong sense of horror. A humanity that demands I recoil in the utmost disgust when human beings are targeted and shot, no matter their career. The kind that understands each individual is a unique creation of God whose worth is infinite. I don't have to like or know them to acknowledge their value. This is what I'm teaching my children. And it should be standard.