When grievance replaces accountability

When conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed, some justified the act as political payback. When UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed, the alleged shooter’s anger at the health insurance industry was emphasized as if it were some kind of explanation.

Violence, in both cases, was filtered through grievance rather than condemned outright.

As a psychotherapist practicing in New York City and Washington, D.C., I see the same logic in my office: Some people believe their pain entitles them to lash out, or that grievance alone justifies destructive choices. The parallels between individual psychology and our culture at large are striking — and deeply troubling.

The question is no longer simply whether a crime was committed, but “Do I sympathize with the grievance behin