Justifying Murder of United Healthcare CEO

Recently, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down in a brazen and calculated act by a murderer. The alleged killer had a life of privilege with top drawer education.  He was the valedictorian of his high school class.  We still do not know the reasons underlying his radicalization against the health care establishment.

It has been astonishing to hear and read many voices expressing sympathy and understanding for this heinous act.  The enemy of my enemy is my friend.  Really?  It is galling that some out there believe that acting against a health insurance executive should be considered a mitigating factor in a murder. 

Indeed, a U.S. senator commenting on the murder decried violence but then added that ‘people can be pushed only so far’.   Public outrage to this forced her to do some clean up a day later, but her initial instincts and analysis remain in plain sight.

The senator needed to 'clarify' her initial remarks.

If a man shoots up the owner of a liquor store because he is rabidly against alcoholism, does this lessen the crime or even deserve any consideration?  Perhaps, his lawyer might argue that it does, which I understand, but the rest of us should remain more clear-eyed.  How does this hypothetical headline grab you?  Man guns down flight attendant after flight delay and loss of luggage.   I could offer many other similar examples and so could you.

In addition, the alleged assailant’s attractive physical appearance is also frequently mentioned.  Please explain to me the relevance of this.

I don’t think that the excesses and abuses of the health insurance company should even be mentioned in the same sentence, paragraph, news article or commentary unless it is to reject this juxtaposition with the crime committed.   If we wish to take this industry to task, then there are separate and appropriate forums to do so.

This blog has nearly 900 posts many of which are critical of insurance companies, the health care system and medical professionals including myself.  I will continue doing so.   Indeed, this is the raison d’etre of this blog which has been percolating weekly for over 15 years. 

We cannot allow the motivations of a deranged criminal to sanitize a violent act.  Again, I expect that argument might go forth in a court of law, but those of us who serve on the ‘jury’ in the court of public opinion might judge the matter differently.