Consider the Facts, Then Make the Call

I used to be one of those people who can easily and effortlessly see many sides to an issue. It often made it hard for me to know where I want to stand. I was afraid to offend some people if I stood too prominently in one belief or another. But as I age, and as the country is filled with so many who choose not to value their fellow humans, I’m deciding it’s essential to start sharing opinions and lobbying for more justice.I don’t know about you, but I’m increasingly frustrated with people who make brilliant and compelling arguments without considering the opposite point of view. This is especially on display on the Opinion pages of our so-called leading publications, and, these people, the literati, are paid the big bucks to share their opinions with us.It’s easy to read them, nod along, and say, “Yeah! That makes total sense.” But does it, really? Have they/you considered looking at the situation from the opposite direction?I broached this topic a few months ago, Rox 180º Rule, and think it’s something to have on repeat — it’s so easy to get lulled into one-way thinking. It’s related to the other ills of our time: whataboutism, both sides, and binary thinking.In his recent Opinion piece in the NYTimes, David French managed to hit all those and leave his readers with the ability to choose their own adventure in lawlessness and public safety. Many of you may have learned about the homeless man, Jordan Neely, who was choke-held to death by a former marine, Daniel Penny, on a NYC subway. To quote Mr. French who drew a very wide stroke covering all the feelings:

Regardless of the outcome of the case against Daniel Penny, we know this: New York City failed Jordan Neely. And it also failed the passengers on that train.

Pardon me, but one and only one man lost his life. And that man is Jordan Neely. He lost his life, literally, at the hands of Daniel Penny. That is the main point, that is the problem, not the vague “oh, there are policies that are unenforced, how sad” summary from Mr. French.“Feminist thinking teaches us all, especially, how to love justice and freedom in ways that foster and affirm life.”— bell hooksThe fact that NY State policies and practices did repeated disservice to Mr. Neely should not obviate the single fact that Daniel Penny, a former Marine, theoretically of sound mind and body with military training, should feel threatened by a homeless man who yelled, “I don’t have food. I don’t have a drink. I’m fed up.” To me, that’s an absurd take.To state that Mr. Neely’s agitated presence disturbed Mr. Penny and others on the train, is a limited one-way view of the situation.We must also be willing to look from the opposite direction: a man is dead. Who caused that death? 15 minutes of being choked to death. Set your timer for 15 minutes and experience how long that is. (And since there’s always more to the story, we can ask: Was Mr. Penny himself suffering from any sort of PTSD? Was he also in need of treatment? Did the system fail him?)“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.”— Cornel WestNow, looking from both directions, which one deserves to take precedence? Clearly, the fact that a man is dead should take precedence. It’s not that hard. Even many of the NYT commenters state something like, ‘He (Penny) went too far BUT people shouldn’t have to deal with scary people on the subway.”’ Should is a fantasy town with no actual residents. Plus, you can say anything you want just remember: it’s what you state after you use the word “but” that is your main point.As more homeless and mentally-challenged fellow humans co-mingle with us in our public spaces, as unshame-able liars wrest the levers of government from us, as AI floods the space with made-up media, it’s time for the collective us to develop better critical thinking and be able to pair that with the courage to make some difficult calls.“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”— Archbishop Desmond TutuI don’t believe in taking another person’s life because they were making noise on the subway. If anyone could have protected himself in the face of an imagined physical attack by a hungry and dehydrated homeless person that did not happen, I imagine Mr. Penny, the Marine, could have handled it. I mean, I doubt he would consider himself a “snowflake.” Nor do most NYC subway riders. Some are trying to justify a murder that took place in plain sight by clouding the discussion with generic stats about crime. That is a destructive application of whataboutism and I’m here to call it out.It is time to stop thinking that just because we all are entitled to HAVE opinions, that we are all entitled to take the law into our hands. Like everything in life, this too is on a spectrum. But I can assure you, if you take the time to look at things from the unsung point of view, and keep in mind the principles of a fair and just society, it can be quite straightforward in supporting legal, healthy outcomes.Vigilantism is taking hold in part because we have in fact expanded our thinking to be less black and white — and that’s mostly helpful. But when life is on the line, it’s time to look both ways and then make the call. Not everyone gets to be right all the time.Daniel Penny is no hero. If you want to both sides this, then also join me in demanding a return to mental health facilities that Reagan shut down AND address the systemic causes of homelessness — primarily the vast wealth inequality we have in this country, which is fed by poor wages and worker protections.Commenter Jasmine Armstrong summarized it succinctly:“Here's the thing about the rule of law: In a civil society, people do not appoint themselves executioners.”“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.”— Reinhold Niebuhr