On Saturday afternoon at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. Army and Navy will clash in its annual game, a game symbolizing tradition and hard work and a way to honor those serving the country.
But the 2024 version has now been taken over by the self-serving MAGA leadership and embarrassingly transformed into an event meant to showcase the power of the incoming administration while slapping humanity in the face.
Not only is the incoming president expected to attend along with others like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but his incoming Vice President has invited Daniel Penny to the game.
Penny is the Marine veteran who was arrested after putting Jordan Neely in a chokehold for six minutes, eventually killing him, in a New York City subway car in May 2023.
Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide and earlier this week, he was acquitted of both charges.
His defense team argued that he was protecting passengers in the car from Neely, who suffered from schizophrenia, was reportedly high and was yelling in the car.
While he yelled and scared passengers, they said he hadn’t touched or attacked anyone in the car. Yet Neely took him down and held him in a severely lengthy chokehold that eventually killed him.
His arrest brought immediate support from the right, and his case became a lightning rod encapsulating the continued battle between those fighting for justice, especially for Black victims, and those who could care less.
And now the latter party will welcome Penny as a hero at a game meant to celebrate tradition and those protecting the country.
“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” said Vice President-elect JD Vance, who is also a Marine Corps veteran, in a post on X. “I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”
His invitation and Vance’s statement are slaps in the face to Neely and his family.
Penny’s initial show of courage and backbone dissipated for every unnecessary second that he kept Neely in that chokehold.
By choking him for six minutes, Penny was no longer protecting people for it doesn’t take that long to render someone unconscious. Even MMA fighters will tap out after a few seconds of being in a chokehold.
Instead, he chose to escalate a situation that turned violent and ultimately fatal.
That was his choice.
And despite Vance’s comment, the only one who ruined a life was Penny.
Now, after the pain and anger of seeing yet another case where a white person is acquitted after killing an unarmed Black man, Penny will be celebrated as a hero at a football game where real heroes are meant to be honored.
Meanwhile, Neely’s family is left grieving.
So while an honorable event will be taking place on the field in Maryland, a dishonorable one will be taking place in a MAGA-filled suite above it.
