Violence is not the way to effect change

My mouth dropped when I read a recent op-ed justifying murder as a means of arguing against America’s insurance industry (“A warning shot to the rapacious health insurance industry,” December 16). The author began by stating, “I have a hard time finding a single tear to shed over the assassination of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare.”

An American citizen has been brutally murdered in the past month, and Maine’s leading newspaper is participating in the celebration of populist and mob violence. Unfortunately, the content of Ms. Thompson’s article contained a strong argument but was negated with a disingenuous statement “I don’t condone murder, but…”.

I cannot accept the populist zeal that justifies violence as a means of effecting change. To me, this is no different than those who stormed our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021, and I fear that our nation is headed for a state of decivilization, where extremes on both sides resort to violence, even murder, as a means of effecting change.

Furthermore, the author was wrong that it took this event to “strike a blow that made … the American public sit up and take notice.” I suspect that the political process, led by people like Barack Obama or Bernie Sanders, who have done more to bring this subject to our attention than to credit demagogues like the man accused of murder, Luigi Mangione.

I was disgusted by the Press Herald’s judgment. Our great nation deserves better journalism.

Fred Follansbee
Scarborough