monday's mulling: law and order

Last Thursday night while Todd was watching some March Madness basketball, I went in the other room and turned on "Law and Order," a TV show that focuses on the criminal justice system and takes place in New York City. This episode's story was based on Luigi Mangione, the young man who is accused of fatally shooting the United Healthcare CEO on December 4 outside the Hilton Midtown Manhattan as the victim was walking to an investors conference.

This episode really hit home. On December 4, my friend and I, along with our daughters, had landed in New York, two hours after this shooting happened. Our hotel was just a few blocks away from the Hilton. A little excitement to start our few days in the city.

The show's storyline followed the story of Ethan Weller, a young man who felt abandoned by the American healthcare system and with just a few differences, it paralleled the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of the Hilton Midtown Manhattan. Just for something a little different, I decided to make a comparison chart between the two young men who had a beef with the insurance industry,

Both these young men were turned into folk heroes, expressing society's disdain with the insurance industry. Many people believe that the shootings were justified and that these young men shouldn't be punished for calling attention to something that needs to be fixed. I'm glad the "Law and Order" writers didn't provide a verdict as it would have been hard to seat a jury with people who had not seen this. This was very thought provoking but I wish it hadn't been aired. The show made me feel like the jury would side with the defendant and to make killing a legal form of protest is a scary thought.