Our society is erasing values from people’s lives, and as a result, empathy is becoming increasingly rare, while what should be considered madness is presented as justifiable. A veteran who risked his life to stop a drugged man from attacking subway passengers in New York is being condemned by the Left, labeled a murderer and racist, and was facing calls for his imprisonment. (Fortunately, the jurors on his trial acquitted him on Monday.) Meanwhile, the same left-wing movement exonerates and even defends the murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” wrote former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz in a Bluesky post, referring to Thompson’s murder. Like her, many other leftists have taken to social media not only to exonerate the killer but also to mock Thompson’s tragic fate. These reactions reflect a segment of society that no longer values life and has lost its sense of empathy. These leftists are unmoved by the fact that a man was brutally murdered or that his two children and wife will spend the rest of their lives in deep grief.
The bullet casings left at the scene of the murder bore the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” terms commonly used by litigators suing insurance companies for denying claims. The healthcare problem in this country affects millions of Americans, but the real culprits are not the CEOs of insurance companies. The primary culprit is the government. However, even if the executives of these insurers were directly responsible, Western society has prospered based on certain principles of justice, such as the belief that every person deserves a fair trial rather than being murdered in cold blood. The moral decay of a society that rejoices in murder is terrifying.
On the other hand, we have the case of Daniel Penny, a Marine veteran who decided to act when a drugged man, in the midst of a psychotic episode, threatened to kill passengers on the subway. This is a completely different situation from the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. In Penny’s case, he found himself in a position where his immediate actions could prevent an innocent person from being hurt or even killed. Despite the risks of confronting a drugged individual, Penny risked his life to protect others. In his statements after the incident, he made it clear that he never intended to harm the man and that his goal was simply to prevent an attack on the people on that subway.
In game theory, when economists study individual behavior, there is a phenomenon known as the “bystander effect,” which describes how, in emergency or risky situations, most people tend not to act and instead wait for someone else to do so, assuming that their actions could lead to problems for themselves. The more people present, the less likely it is that anyone will intervene, as each individual assumes someone else will take action. Penny is the individual who breaks this trend, choosing to act in the face of danger — even at the risk of his own life and knowing he could face legal or personal consequences. This is not a common response, and several people on that train have publicly expressed their gratitude for his actions.
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The world is upside down. A cold-blooded murder with no justification is being defended and even praised, while a man who risked his life to prevent a tragedy faces humiliation. This is a crucial moment to speak out, defend justice, and remind ourselves of the importance of love and compassion for our neighbors.
It’s time to stand up for what is right. If our values are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Vanessa Vallejo (@vanessavallej0) is an economist and political analyst for various Hispanic media outlets.