On Sunday, December 22nd, 2024, en route from Brooklyn to Manhattan to see the annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the F train was significantly delayed. Subway train delays are typical of living in the city. Opting instead for the L train, it did not become clear until later why the F train was inactive. On Sunday morning a woman had been burned alive on the F train by an illegal immigrant in Brooklyn. The videos began to appear online and were extremely difficult to watch; graphic footage of the victim standing in the subway car, still alive, as she burned. The NYPD is shown walking past the burning woman, without looking at the victim, or attempting any form of intervention. Onlookers watched in horror, as some individuals began to stop and film the burning woman. One person began to fan the woman with a tee-shirt; conversely adding more oxygen to the fire. There were no further attempts to extinguish the flame; pointing to a lack of resources in the subway systems directing riders in the event of an emergency. Rather, the city leaves responsibility to the government. This tragic display of negligence is symbolic of the omission of duties from the federal government; specifically the previous administration. The past four years have led to the deterioration of metropolitan infrastructure, and the invitation of violence. Now, people are literally being burned alive in our public transportation system. We the taxpayers have wasted our tax dollars to enrich the ruling class as citizens risk being burned alive if they wish to leave their apartments. Last year in 2023, NYC increased its subway fares. It did not make subways cleaner, safer, or observable improved in any way. Thus, the funds gained from subway fares are being misappropriated to other ventures. The U.S. government is not obligated to rule but is given the authority to uphold justice by the people. If it fails to succeed it should not be given the position to decline society.
As the victim was burning alive on the subway car, Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted “In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day. Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up,” (X). Hochul’s words posted during a murder by arson on a subway car reveal that her words are strictly demagoguery. Instead of taking appropriate action based on data and facts, Hochul utilizes illusory rhetoric to provide citizens with false hope for change.
The national government, New York State, and New York City’s governments have instead allowed the city to become poisoned with crime to regain authority over the people. After the imposition of tyranny that occurred during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, New Yorkers began to see the impact of the Leviathan on the greatest city in America. Now, the city has fallen to criminals and a lack of government initiative, as the legislature strives to pass self-enriching policies. Kathy Hochul has exploited the incumbency advantage to remain in power after she was appointed by the state following the resignation of Cuomo. When society reaches a point where it is no longer safe to go in public, many people will look toward the government to provide protection—resulting in more laws and costly force to uphold them.
As Scripture reminds us, “[s]o whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” (Matthew 7:12; ESV). How many observers who did not attempt to intervene would have wished the same inaction upon themselves, when placed in a life-threatening situation? Even if nothing could be done to save the victim of the attack, the lack of humanity witnessed by onlookers and the NYPD shows the government’s misuse of New York tax dollars. A larger budget and more government implementation have made subway cars even less safe, by producing an ineffective system. Disarming New Yorkers has led to a total reliance on government protection. The police are government workers. Witnessed here, the government is not an entity thus, it does not possess the ability to care about individuals. Police officers who invoke empathy toward other individuals do so on their own volition. Here, the government has chosen to employ officers that exhibit drone-like compliance, thus rejecting the Christian mission to save as many lives as possible—both spiritually and physically. Over-government tends to result in a lack of efficacy through individual delegation of personal responsibility to negligent Departments lacking directive and initiative. This horrible incident actualizes the worst-case scenario of over-governance, that is a lack of safety and zero accountability.
Jordan Muhsin 