December 13, 2024
Celebrating a murderer as a modern hero is not just about one man’s actions, but about the stories we tell ourselves as a nation.
America’s elite are infatuated with white vigilantism reappeared In the form of Daniel Penny. The Marine veteran recently acquitted of murdering Jordan Neely is now being lionized by President-elect Donald Trump and his foolish VP-elect JD Vance. Their embrace of Penny as a national hero is long and troubling inheritance covered with a veil of righteousness.
This story is not new. 1984 by Bernhard Goetze subway shooting Dylann Roof White supreme assassin rage, the myth of the white savior has been repeatedly used to justify or glorify lethal actions against marginalized people.
The Penny Case: A Catalyst for Division
Daniel Penney’s actions in May 2023 underscored the continued division of the nation. While some see him as a brave defender, others condemn him as a symbol of unchecked white vigilantism.His justification for the death of a black man live homelessness and mental illness. have sent shockwaves through a nation already grappling with issues of race, justice and public safety.
Penny’s invitation to join Trump and Vance at the Army-Navy game on Dec. 14 highlights how the political right took his story as a model In the face of alleged liberal overreach, Vance’s statement describing the Manhattan district attorney as a “mob” leader reflects a broader strategy of portraying white defendants as victims of an overzealous justice system, especially when their actions are directed at black victims.
Historical parallels. Bernhard Goetz and Dylann Roof
Penny’s celebration echoes that of Bernhard Goetze, the white man who shot dead four black teenagers on the New York subway in 1984. Like Penny, many hailed Goetze as a hero for standing up for himself in a lawless environment, bolstering Goetze’s acquittal of attempted murder his perception as a watchful savior.
Fast forward to 2015, and Dylann Roof took this ideology to its grotesque extreme. Roof, who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, openly described his massacre as a defense of white America was what Götz valued, and now Penny.
The role of politics in shaping narratives
Trump and Vance’s endorsement of Penny clearly fits into a broader political agenda. By elevating figures like Penny, they virtue-signal their commitment to “law and order” while capitalizing on the politics of white grievance to make prosecutors soft on crime and perpetuate the idea that cities, especially those led by Democrats cities are dystopian war zones.
This strategy isn’t just about politics, it’s about identity. By framing Penn as a savior, Trump and Vance are appealing to a largely white base that feels threatened by demographic shifts and social progress. he is a symbol of resistance against loss of control.
The white savior narrative is not only flawed, but dangerous. It perpetuates the idea that violence is an acceptable solution to systemic problems like homelessness and mental illness. : However, Penny’s defenders have described his actions as a necessary response to Neely’s alleged threat, ignoring the systemic failures that put both men in that subway. in the wagon.
This myth also reinforces racial hierarchies by portraying white heroes as protectors of a fragile society. It absolves them of responsibility while dehumanizing their victims. that the lives of black men like Jordan Neely are being spent to maintain law and order.
To overcome these recurring tragedies, we must confront systemic problems. Mental health crises, racial disparities, and homelessness cannot be solved by vigilantism or lionizing the perpetrators. Instead, they require investments in public health, housing, and community solutions.
Politicians like Trump and Vance will instead exploit these problems for political gain rather than address their root causes. Their glorification of Penny distracts from the hard work of governing and tacit approval of a world where individuals, not institutions, deliver justice.
Celebrating a murderer as a modern hero is not just about one man’s actions, but about the stories we tell ourselves as a nation. By elevating Penny, Trump, Vance and their allies perpetuate a dangerous myth that valorizes white violence and devalues black people. Life: The current political and racial climate is not the America we should aspire to is to reject the white savior narrative and commit to building a society where justice is not defined by race or political expediency, but by justice and humanity for all.
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