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On the one hand of the issue of the CEO shooting, you have reasoned vioces rightly calling the shooter a coward and indicating that violence is not the answer in the face of such disputes. On the other, you have The Artist Formerly Known as Jerry Rivers giving the shooter credit for driving the discussion on healthcare reform.

Do not attempt this at home, kids. Watch as Gerardo Rivera gives it up to the shooter:

CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP

12/11/24

10:23 PM

GERARDO RIVERA: The fact is Luigi (Mangione) succeeded in- if, indeed, honestly, his goal was to direct attention to the injustices and rally support to reform the healthcare system. There has not been this concentrated discussion of U.S. healthcare in the last 24, 48 hours. It is remarkable to me how this kid, however misguided and sick and- and sadistic or whatever else you want to call it, uh, or however warped and, you know, Ayn Rand, uh, Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged he was. The fact of the matter is- America’s having this discussion. 

If we could just reiterate that one does not have to give it to the accused shooter. Never. Likewise, the shooter is not a successful driver of debate. Murder is not persuasive, and does not trigger systemic change.

Rivera, who is old enough to know better, should know that this type of lone-wolf violence does not drive the debate on any given issue. Domestic terrorism seldom does. 

And yet here’s Rivera, giving credit to a domestic terrorist. 

The only thing that the shooter succeeded at was in committing a heinous crime and leaving a family without its father. Perhaps we should also consider that the shooter succeeded in getting the media to cheerlead for him, and idolize him and put him on magazine covers.