"I'll take a million court appearances and people calling me names and people hating me just to keep one of those people from getting hurt or killed." — Daniel Penny
Daniel Penny should not have had to endure any of that. I'm pretty sure he would not have if he had saved those lives in Miami rather than in New York City. In Florida, we tend to appreciate those who risk their own health and safety to protect others—as Penny did by restraining a man who threatened the lives of the other subway passengers. It is unfortunate that the man later died, but Penny did the right thing. Many people are saying that his Not Guilty verdict proves that "the system" worked, but he never should have been tried in the first place, much less still be facing a civil lawsuit.
How many people will in the future be hurt or killed because a potential hero will be less inclined to intervene in a dangerous situation? It may be that those who could become heroes fear death less than trials and lawsuits!
You may feel differently about this situation, and that's certainly your right and privilege. But please refrain from saying so here. This post is meant to honor Daniel Penny, and I'm just not in the mood to argue.
