“It wasn’t until Karen saw the infamous perp walk that something clicked inside of her. “I saw that the ruling class was absolutely terrified of us, and that sent a bolt of energy through me like nothing ever has (except maybe motherhood).”
That’s when Karen decided to send Mangione a letter. “I felt very weird about it,” she told me. “Driven by some force that didn’t make sense but couldn’t be ignored.” This resonated so much with me, Gen X. Not young. Not goo goo about anything.
this is how i would expect him to be. it only confirms my suspicions of why he did it, and it makes me respect him all the more.
I WAS Karen's daughter. I was that sick child spending weeks in the hospital. So much that it became normalized for me, and I find hospitals comforting.
I sent information to his lawyer about a man who did something incredibly similar about 100 years ago, got off, and is seen as a hero by his country. I hope this will happen for Luigi.
I'm so sorry you had to endure that experience. Hearing this from you, along with Karen's story, really underscores the reasons behind Luigi Mangione's public support, and why the scolding and the shaming the media engaged in didn't work. At all. The truth is that the harms caused by the insurance industry are so widespread that the public just can't be gaslit into believing their own experiences didn't happen.
I’ve written to Luigi several times…. I don’t expect him to read any of my letters any time soon, much less write back. I’ve told him what I do for a living—working with children with disabilities (mainly boys on the spectrum), but I’ve never thought to go into why I chose the career. My experience as a chronically ill child…. Wow this is actually making me tear up. Um so I don’t want to talk about it, or my experiences of being in a mental hospital (I have bipolar as a side effect of taking heavy medications as a child to stay alive), because other fans (that’s what it’s become now, a fandom) have drilled in not to talk about anything related to the case. An acquaintance of his that I've spoken to a few times encouraged me to be vulnerable, but that’s difficult to do with a stranger. I grew up in a time of pre-existing conditions…. I aged out right when Obama was elected and implemented the ACA. It turned my republican mom into a dem. Maybe someday I’ll work up the courage to tell my story.
For what it's worth, I think that letters sent after those first few weeks became much more heavily censored. I have information from a source (which I can't share the details of at this time, unfortunately) indicating that he may not receive much of the mail that is sent to him.
I can see why his response to Karen would resonate with anyone who has experienced the trauma of chronic illness (especially as a child), mental health crises, severe physical disability--the list goes on. Speaking as writer now--the novelist, not the journalist--I would encourage you to keep the door open to being vulnerable and sharing your story and your pain. And based on what I've been told by someone who would know, I would not interpret a "no response" as "no response." I'd assume that the letter didn't reach him, which is why writing more than one would not be weird at all. I have reason to believe that a healthy proportion of the mail sent to him disappears before he gets it.
His compassionate/empathic words are Huge in heart. It confirms what we feel from him, what we know of him. I don't think this confirms or denies the sh**ting or not, but confirms how attentive and intelligent he is. His care for others and the world is not fake. Thank you for this piece and to Luigi.
I'm so sorry that you & your daughter have had such a harrowing and unforgiving experience with our country's healthcare system. Thank you for sharing your story. I know it was not easy, but I sincerely believe we need to hear more raw accounts of how this system treats everyday Americans. It help others understand just how violent & heartless this system and these "providers" are. Sincerely, thank you for sharing with us!
I teared up, too. I don't think you need to hear it from an anonymous reader, but I feel his response was genuine. By all accounts, he is someone who cares deeply about society and our issues. Your letter to him (and the lovely saint artwork) is the exact type of support that fuels one to keep going; which I believe is why he is fond of it.
I wish I could offer more than my words. I'm sorry this is the system we live with. I'm sorry that our government doesn't care about us. May you and your daughter continue to fight and may she recover to a healthier state!
“It wasn’t until Karen saw the infamous perp walk that something clicked inside of her. “I saw that the ruling class was absolutely terrified of us, and that sent a bolt of energy through me like nothing ever has (except maybe motherhood).”
That’s when Karen decided to send Mangione a letter. “I felt very weird about it,” she told me. “Driven by some force that didn’t make sense but couldn’t be ignored.” This resonated so much with me, Gen X. Not young. Not goo goo about anything.
it's okay if we're millenials too.
Xennials, too!
Also too old to go goo-goo (though maybe old enough to say, "You gettin' enough to eat in there?")
i'm 44 and I am an unashamed groupie of this man so.....
lol
But I do know he is going to look AMAZING at 40.
this is how i would expect him to be. it only confirms my suspicions of why he did it, and it makes me respect him all the more.
I WAS Karen's daughter. I was that sick child spending weeks in the hospital. So much that it became normalized for me, and I find hospitals comforting.
I sent information to his lawyer about a man who did something incredibly similar about 100 years ago, got off, and is seen as a hero by his country. I hope this will happen for Luigi.
I'm so sorry you had to endure that experience. Hearing this from you, along with Karen's story, really underscores the reasons behind Luigi Mangione's public support, and why the scolding and the shaming the media engaged in didn't work. At all. The truth is that the harms caused by the insurance industry are so widespread that the public just can't be gaslit into believing their own experiences didn't happen.
I’ve written to Luigi several times…. I don’t expect him to read any of my letters any time soon, much less write back. I’ve told him what I do for a living—working with children with disabilities (mainly boys on the spectrum), but I’ve never thought to go into why I chose the career. My experience as a chronically ill child…. Wow this is actually making me tear up. Um so I don’t want to talk about it, or my experiences of being in a mental hospital (I have bipolar as a side effect of taking heavy medications as a child to stay alive), because other fans (that’s what it’s become now, a fandom) have drilled in not to talk about anything related to the case. An acquaintance of his that I've spoken to a few times encouraged me to be vulnerable, but that’s difficult to do with a stranger. I grew up in a time of pre-existing conditions…. I aged out right when Obama was elected and implemented the ACA. It turned my republican mom into a dem. Maybe someday I’ll work up the courage to tell my story.
For what it's worth, I think that letters sent after those first few weeks became much more heavily censored. I have information from a source (which I can't share the details of at this time, unfortunately) indicating that he may not receive much of the mail that is sent to him.
I can see why his response to Karen would resonate with anyone who has experienced the trauma of chronic illness (especially as a child), mental health crises, severe physical disability--the list goes on. Speaking as writer now--the novelist, not the journalist--I would encourage you to keep the door open to being vulnerable and sharing your story and your pain. And based on what I've been told by someone who would know, I would not interpret a "no response" as "no response." I'd assume that the letter didn't reach him, which is why writing more than one would not be weird at all. I have reason to believe that a healthy proportion of the mail sent to him disappears before he gets it.
His compassionate/empathic words are Huge in heart. It confirms what we feel from him, what we know of him. I don't think this confirms or denies the sh**ting or not, but confirms how attentive and intelligent he is. His care for others and the world is not fake. Thank you for this piece and to Luigi.
Miss Karen,
I'm so sorry that you & your daughter have had such a harrowing and unforgiving experience with our country's healthcare system. Thank you for sharing your story. I know it was not easy, but I sincerely believe we need to hear more raw accounts of how this system treats everyday Americans. It help others understand just how violent & heartless this system and these "providers" are. Sincerely, thank you for sharing with us!
I teared up, too. I don't think you need to hear it from an anonymous reader, but I feel his response was genuine. By all accounts, he is someone who cares deeply about society and our issues. Your letter to him (and the lovely saint artwork) is the exact type of support that fuels one to keep going; which I believe is why he is fond of it.
I wish I could offer more than my words. I'm sorry this is the system we live with. I'm sorry that our government doesn't care about us. May you and your daughter continue to fight and may she recover to a healthier state!
excellent article and thoughtful and heartfelt exchange from karen and luigi. i hope karen and her daughter are doing well