Crime or Crisis? The Attack on Gov. Shapiro and What It Really Means

Show: The Neoliberal Round

Episode Title: Crime or Crisis? The Attack on Gov. Shapiro and What It Really Means
Host: Renaldo McKenzie
Episode Length: ~11 - 12 minutes

"You're listening to The Neoliberal Round. I'm your host, Renaldo McKenzie, and today I want to share a quick but important thought about the recent attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family at the Governor’s Mansion.

This was shocking, disturbing, and yes—deeply serious. But it also reveals much more than just a security breach or an isolated act of violence. It forces us to ask: Are we looking at a crime… or a crisis? And are we responding in a way that will prevent the next one?"

"The first thing we need to understand is this:
What happened at the Governor’s Mansion is not necessarily a sign that crime is out of control. It’s a sign that mental health and opioid-related crises are being ignored, misdiagnosed, or underfunded.

This wasn't just a 'madman.' This could have been someone in deep psychological distress—someone who, if properly supported, may never have ended up in that situation."

"After incidents like this, we often see calls to crack down—more arrests, more surveillance, more punishment.
But punishment is not prevention.

We can’t keep treating mental illness and addiction with police and prison. We need:

• More accessible community mental health services

• Robust substance use treatment

• Mobile crisis teams trained in de-escalation

• Policies that deal with why this happened—not just what happened."

"I also want to draw a parallel that might make some people uncomfortable: the January 6th Capitol attack.

That was not just political extremism. That was psychological manipulation. That was mental instability, radicalized by fear, lies, and toxic leadership.
And we have to start asking ourselves: Are the people leading these movements mentally fit themselves? What happens when unstable leaders weaponize unstable followers?

Again, you can’t jail your way out of that. You need public health solutions."

"Let me be clear—I’m not saying people shouldn’t be held accountable. But throwing someone with untreated schizophrenia or severe trauma into jail is not justice—it’s just delay.

And when that person spirals again, guess what? We’re all still at risk.

That’s why we must invest in mental health infrastructure the same way we invest in roads, policing, or national defense."

"Now, let’s talk about something else this incident raises: How did this individual get close enough to a sitting Governor and his family to cause serious damage?

That’s not just a lapse—that’s a massive security failure.
We need to rethink how we protect elected officials, not just in public spaces but in their homes.
Mental health crises don’t pause at the gates of power. Our security systems need to account for that."

"My point today is this: If we want to be safe, we have to get real about what safety means.
It’s not just cops and fences.
It’s compassion.
It’s care.
It’s crisis prevention.

We need to stop punishing pain and start treating it. Because when we ignore mental illness and addiction, society pays the price—every time."

"That’s it for this episode of The Neoliberal Round.
I’m Renaldo McKenzie—thanks for tuning in.

Remember: the way we respond to crisis determines whether it happens again. Let’s choose prevention over punishment, and policy over panic.

Until next time, keep questioning, keep thinking, and keep it neoliberal—but compassionate."

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