What the Daniel Penny acquittal means for America
—
ANewYorkCitycourtroomtodayissuedastunningverdict:DanielPenny,aveteranUSmarinewhorestrainedathreateninghomelesssubwayridernamedJordanNeely,wholaterdiedinpolicecustody,isnotguiltyofnegligenthomicide.AndtheverdictwasnotjustaboutPenny.Makenomistake:theBlackLivesMattereraof“restorativejustice”isoverandtherealspiritofjusticeisreturningtoAmerica.
Penny’strialcapturedpublicattentionbecauseitdramaticallyemblematizedthiscriticalculturalfaultline.Mostimmediately,itsymbolizedarecurrentthemeinNewYorkCityaboutthefailuresoflawenforcement,andtheappropriateresponsetocriminality.ButitwasalsoastorythattheLeftsoughttoturnintoaracialmoralityplaybyrepeatingtheBLMplaybooktheyappliedtothedeathofGeorgeFloyd,toTrayvonMartin,toMichaelBrownandcountlessothers.
Inthisstory,DanielPenny(“thewhiteman”intheloadeddescriptionoftheprosecutorDafnaYoran)wasaracistwhiteman,whocruellyhunteddownandkilledaninnocentblackman(a“MichealJacksonimpersonator”)whowaspeacefu
