In the wake of the recent assassination of United Health Care’s CEO, we find ourselves staring down the barrel of an unsettling truth: Our society needs a recalibration. Modern day society has become an intricate symbiosis of the modern day law abiding citizen and big business (and big government). Now when one party does not keep up it’s end of the bargain, chaos will erupt.

United Health Care CEO tragically killed

In case you missed the news, on Wednesday, 4 December 2024, the CEO of United Health Care was shot multiple times by an unnamed masked man outside a Manhattan hotel. Shell casings found at the scene bore words like “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” etched into them. It was a chilling statement—one that suggests this act was deeply personal, fuelled by anger at a system many feel is exploiting ordinary people. This can be seen as a tragedy as the life of a father of two children was taken. Strangely this is not the sentiment that was seen on social media, but rather that of citizens being fed up with a system that aims to exploit them.

The problem is as clear as it is overwhelming: millions of Americans face unaffordable healthcare costs. On top of that, the rising price of health insurance puts coverage out of reach for countless families. Rumours have even circulated that insurance companies are using AI to automatically deny claims. This further deepens the public’s distrust.

Healthcare is not just a service; it’s a lifeline. And when people feel the system values profits over patients, the sense of betrayal runs deep. The public should be protected not only from negligent practices but from a system that prioritizes shareholder returns over human lives.

The question is who is to blame? The politicians? The courts? No. Maybe we should look at ourselves: The voter.

Political integrity is lost

I grew up idealizing heroes. Leaders who fought not for their own gain, but for the well-being of others. Men and women who stood tall for justice, fairness, and the ideals of freedom. But over time, I’ve come to see that the heroes in our political arena are fewer and further between.

In their place? A political class whose allegiance is to the highest bidder. The corporations that fill their campaign coffers. The lobbyists who whisper sweet promises of wealth and influence. And we, the voters, are left on the side-lines, clinging to hollow slogans and empty promises.

When was the last time you felt a candidate truly represented you—not as a demographic, but as a person? When was the last time a politician fought for your family, your health, your ability to live a life of dignity?

This isn’t democracy. This is theatre. And behind the curtain lies a machine that serves itself, not us.

A Return to True Representation

The solution isn’t easy, but it’s simple: we need leaders who work for us, not for their donors. More importantly we as voters should choose candidates based on their policies and not their propaganda.

We need campaign finance reform that breaks the stranglehold of corporate money. It means opening the doors to third-party candidates and dismantling the two-party monopoly that stifles true choice. And it means holding our elected officials accountable—not just at the ballot box, but every day.

We need to remind them that they work for us. That our health, our families, our futures are not bargaining chips in their games of power.

The Path Forward

Incidents like this reminds us of the fragility of our social contract. If we don’t act, if we continue to let the system fester, we’re inviting more tragedy—not just for the wealthy and powerful, but for all of us.

The question is, will we rise to the challenge? Will we demand better? Or will we let this moment slip by, just another headline in the endless churn of outrage and inaction?

For the sake of our democracy, and for the average man and woman who just want to live a life of dignity, I hope we choose action.

Because when democracy fails, everyone loses.