In Re: The Mad As Hell And Not Going to Take it Anymore…
Why it’s Important to Pay Attention to the Murder of Jordan Neely
IF WE MUST DIE
If we must die—let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die—oh, let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common foe; Though far outnumbered, let us still be brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but—fighting back! — Claude McKay
I vaguely remember some years ago watching a tv show where a guy on a radio program was so frustrated with something he went on a mental break-down rant and shouted “I’m mad as hell and I ain’t going to take it anymore!” The scene cut to a dark tenement street where a window flies open and a lone man shouts “I’m mad as hell and I ain’t going to take it anymore”. Then in a quickening pace more and more windows open up and people make the grand shout. For some reason that scene stuck with me even though a lot of the details didn’t. There is just something refreshing about people caught up in a dysfunctional system getting to the breaking point of wanting out. I can hear Freddie Mercury of Queen singing now“I want to break free from your lies your so self satisfied I don’t neeeeed you…”
Turns out this is a scene from the movie Network starring Howard Beale. The movie follows Howard Beale, an anchorman for the UBS Evening News who struggles with the social problems and depravity he sees in the world. When his producers exploit him for high ratings and refuse to provide him with psychiatric help, he becomes the "Mad Prophet of the Airwaves" and begins a foul-mouthed tirade about the state of the world. The executives at UBS give him his own show where he can say whatever he wants, and the show becomes a huge success. However, Beale's expose of the ties between CCA and business interests in Saudi Arabia leads to his downfall as his ratings plummet and the network executives order his assassination.
The film offers a grim commentary on the media industry and its willingness to exploit people for profit, while also exploring themes of mental illness and the decline of so-called American values. I say “so-called” not because America doesn’t have any values, but that it does and they seem to shift and change depending on who is transmitting them. Beale's transformation from a respected anchorman to a "Mad Prophet" highlights the dangers of sensationalism and the pursuit of ratings at all costs. Ultimately, the film suggests that the media has a responsibility to address the social and political issues of the day, rather than simply catering to the desires of their audience issues still grappled with even in todays culture.
To be clear, there is more of a chance than not that had his initial angry rant not received the bump in ratings, the equivalent of “views” or going “viral”, then it would have amounted to nothing more than the quiet passing of another speck of dust in the wind.
Speaking of specks of dust in the wind, I am sitting here having a coffee while my brain seethes about the news of the murder death of a Mr. Jordan Neely: “on 1 May, Neely was choked to death on a subway car as he complained about being homeless, hungry, and thirsty. He was confronted by a man, reportedly a US marine veteran, who placed Neely in a chokehold for several minutes.” 1
As days past more and more information about Mr. Neely comes to light. He’s been hailed as an entertainer. Reportedly seen as one of those acts you stop to see on the subway from time to time and elsewhere. A Michael Jackson impersonator. Someone’s loved relation. A son whose mother was lost to a murder some time ago.
But was it the circumstances of his life? His temperment? Mental illness? Whatever it was, something got the best of him and he found himself another annoying speck of dust in the wind of the New York City subway system daring to publicly rage at his lot in life.
I must say that it doesn’t feel appropriate to draw a parallel between a real-life tragedy and a fictional character in a movie. However, it is clear that both Jordan Neely and Howard Beale were individuals who were struggling with personal issues, perhaps even societal as well.
In the case of the movie character Beale, he was a respected anchorman who began to lose his grip on reality due to the exploitation of his producers and the decline of traditional values in America. Neely, on the other hand, was a homeless man, real person, flesh and blood, who was clearly struggling with what could have been a more prolonged mental illness and the challenges of poverty and homelessness.
Both characters were seeking to express their frustrations and their sense of powerlessness in the face of bigger social issues. Beale had a voice on television and became a "Mad Prophet of the Airwaves," while Neely's rant on the subway was seen as aggressive and resulted in a violent death response from other individuals. The tragic outcome of Neely's situation underscores the need for greater compassion and support for individuals who are struggling with mental illness and poverty. In the case of Beale, the film Network highlights the dangers of sensationalism and the pursuit of ratings at the expense of ethical journalism.
And it is important to recognize the ongoing issues of exploitation, power imbalances, and systemic injustices that exist in our society. Both Jordan Neely and Howard Beale were individuals who were pushed to the brink by the realities of their situations and were struggling to cope with the injustices they faced. I wonder if Beale had been on the subway having his mental break-down would he have been choked to death?
Which also brings us to the point about why it is important to pay attention to the murder death of Jordan Neely. While the circumstances of their deaths are vastly different, their stories highlight the need for us to recognize the importance of empathy, compassion and taking actions toward the alleviation of the conditions that produce a Jordan Neely, and the need to address the underlying issues that lead to these situations. Rather than killing off the poor, the homeless, the least of these. It is crucial that we continue to speak up and demand change, even in the face of adversity and opposition. To be those other windows flinging open upon hearing the call. We must not let their stories be forgotten, and we must continue to work towards a more just and equitable society for all.
We also may need to consider, just as an aside, a wider reaching citizen initiated group individuals that carries food and juice while on the subways, on their ways to work ro back home from work, to make sure those less fortunate and forced to the subways by social policies can at least get a quick bite to eat at the least enough to calm that savage beast called hunger. A group not just of people who belong to agencies but regular every day folk. Maybe take a small bag and place a candy bar, a bag of chips and a sode or something that can last like that, in there and keep it in a backpack while riding the subway. This way you might save one persons life.
Lastly, I remember the tense and painful videos of the cops killing a man by holding a knee on his neck until he could not breathe himself alive. The people standing around wanted to help but were powerless over the police barricades that held them off and seeing them more as enemy aggressors than concerned citizens.
But now I am wondering perhaps that scene was also about training the public on how to stand helplessly by while certain murders happen right before their eyes? I am reminded of a constant story my father would mention about the elephant who was chained as a baby and as an adult could not bring themselves to move past the length of the chain even though they didn’t have a physical chain on their bodies anymore. Their minds were trained. Is that us? How many other people were on the subway and stood by while a man was murdered in front of them? Or could it have provided training material for people like the
What was the chain on their brains? What is the chain on yours? I am looking for mine as well.
What ever they are we must continue to take a stand for “the least if these” and not be silenced. The Jordan Neelys of the world need us.
Jordan Neely dies in New York subway chokehold incident." The Guardian, 5 May 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/05/jordan-neely-new-york-subway-chokehold-death#:~:text=But%20on%201%20May%2C%20Neely,a%20chokehold%20for%20several%20minutes.