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The Lisa Wexler Show

Mercy or Mistake? The Debate Over “Suicidal Empathy”

Season 2026, Ep. 5.15

Freelance pop culture and political writer Kat Rosenfield joins Lisa Wexler to discuss her recent article in The Free Press, “I Don’t Want to Put Another Black Man in Jail.” Rosenfield explores the concept of “suicidal empathy” and its potential role in shaping public attitudes toward crime, accountability, and justice, following a recent New York City murder that she argues may have been preventable. The conversation examines the balance between compassion and public safety, and asks whether cultural shifts in empathy are influencing real-world consequences.

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