Leftists’ Masks Come All the Way Off — Revealing the Ugly Truth

For years many on the left have been praised as generous, soft‑hearted souls—people who seem to care a little too much about every inequality they can spot. That concern, while admirable on the surface, often blinds them to the practical fallout of the policies they champion.

In recent months the polite veneer has begun to crack. One of the first, and perhaps most unsettling, moments came when a small crowd in Greenwich Village celebrated Luigi Mangione, the man who killed UnitedHealth chief Brian Thompson in 2024. What was once a shocking murder turned into a badge of honor for a handful of activists, who openly suggested that taking out a CEO was somehow a righteous act.

The pattern didn’t stop there. When Erin Placenti, a 32‑year‑old vice president at Bank of America, was stabbed in Times Square last month—a tragedy linked to a protest over a Wall Street recommendation—some left‑leaning commentators cheered, not because they wanted justice for Placenti, but because she worked for a firm they despise.

Even the anniversary of conservative talk‑show host Charlie Kirk’s death, which occurred during a heated campus debate, was marked by a chorus of “Happy Kirkiversary” and “Merry Kirkmas” chants across multiple universities. Drag shows have staged mock‑blood‑splattered renditions of Kirk, and a fundraiser billed as supporting free speech featured a performer dressed like his widow, shedding theatrical tears.

These theatrics are more than just shock value. They illustrate a growing willingness among certain leftist circles to applaud violence—or at least the idea of it—against anyone they label an opponent. The case of a Black juror who tried to stop a white jury panel from acquitting a confessed killer, only to be besieged with threats on TikTok, shows how quickly the tone can turn hostile.

On social media, professors and pundits are openly wishing death upon white people. Carnegie‑Mellon’s Uju Anya, infamous for tweeting about a painful demise for Queen Elizabeth II, recently replied to criticism of her extremist remarks with, “Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I’m dancing.” Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico went so far as to describe white men as America’s “top terror threat” and claimed to pray for the removal of his own “whiteness.”

Political vitriol has even seeped into campus activism. In North Carolina, a Democratic candidate posted a photo of herself in front of the Dachau ovens, captioned, “This is where Trump supporters belong,” turning a historical atrocity into a partisan taunt.

What ties these incidents together is a kind of moral aggression that masquerades as concern for the downtrodden but often ends up targeting anyone who doesn’t share the same worldview. The “help” that’s offered tends to focus on draining resources from the affluent, rather than empowering the poor through practical measures like school choice, safer streets, or immigration reform.

Historically, the roots of this brand of radical leftism stretch back to the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror and the writings of Marx and Engels—both of whom advocated a violent overthrow of existing order. The underlying current today is less about genuine altruism and more about envy, a craving for power, and a belief that the world owes its grievances to a handful of privileged elites.

When those feelings of inadequacy and resentment find a voice, they often manifest as threats, insults, and outright violence. Perhaps the most sensible remedy isn’t more shouting, but a quiet invitation to therapy—a space where people can confront the personal insecurities that fuel such hostility.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee and founder of the InstaPundit.com blog, offers this perspective, urging a shift from aggression to understanding.