Victor Davis Hanson
American Greatness
Recently, a large group of black youths began pummeling several white adults in downtown Cincinnati.
The original altercation apparently broke out between a black and white male in he-said/he-said fashion.
But that dispute soon turned into a virtual free-for-all.
Numerous male and female black youths sucker-punched a middle-aged woman and a man. Others continued to kick or body slam the victims, who were sprawled on their backs and seemingly unconscious.
There were many disturbing aspects to the beat-downs.
One, the violence broke out along racial and age fault lines. After the initial one-on-one dispute, groups of black youths swarmed solitary older white bystanders to pound them.
Two, the surrounding assembled group of black youths not only failed to intervene to restrain the bullies. They also recorded the beatings for social media and were heard cheering on the one-sided violence.
Three, there was neither a police presence nor any timely Good Samaritan interventions.
Instead, what ended the attacks was simply the fact that at least two of the targets appeared nearly comatose. So their assailants apparently concluded that their agenda of beating whites into unconsciousness was mostly complete.
Four, oddly few of the usual black spokespeople who habitually comment on interracial violence were to be seen.
During the fake Jussie Smollett attack, self-appointed leaders from Al Sharpton to Kamala Harris immediately issued warnings about so-called systemic white racism that had reared its ugly head to victimize Smollett.
Yet when it was revealed Smollett had concocted the entire charade—and even hired his own assaulters—there were few if any retractions from those once so eager to shout “racist!”
Such demagoguery is a well-known pattern dating back to the days of the Tawana Brawley rape hoax, the Duke Lacrosse charade, the Covington kids ruse, the Michael Ford “Hands-up-Don’t Shoot” fabrication, the “pseudo-transformation of George Zimmerman into a ‘white Hispanic,’” or the NASCAR noose fable.
Racialists too often concoct white racist attackers and go silent when the evidence proves fabricated—only to be primed to manipulate the next hoax.
Five, the media and authorities did their best to either hide or play down the violence.
City leaders, the chief of police, and the media variously blamed the mass black-on-white violence on 1) social media, 2) the original one-on-one dispute, 3) alcohol, 4) the lack of civilian intervention to stop the violence, and 5) a festival atmosphere—anything except endemic racial hatred shown toward whites from the crowd of black youths.
Six, had a gang of white toughs beat middle-aged African-Americans senseless, recorded it, and cheered on the violence, there would have been immediate national outrage.
Nor did anyone wish to raise the taboo topic of inordinate black crime rates, disproportionate to respective demographic realities. In rare interracial violent crimes, the asymmetrical ratio of black-on-white versus white-on-black assaults ranges from three to five times greater.
Seven, the quiet of the left-wing media to the reprehensible violence stands in marked contrast with their usual rush-to-judgment racialism in two near-simultaneous incidents.
When a shooter of mixed African-American heritage recently entered a New York City corporate headquarters and executed four innocents, CNN falsely raised the speculation that a “white male” was perhaps responsible—despite the photograph of the suspect, who was as clearly male as he was not white.
Media and municipal officials jumped to explain the violence as due to the killer’s alleged past traumatic brain injury or because of his access to a semi-automatic weapon—or anything other than his hate-filled plan to murder an NFL executive.
Actress and model Sydney Sweeney just cut a jeans commercial in front of a poster that said, “Sydney Sweeney has great genes”—with “genes” crossed out and replaced with “jeans.” The left then exploded, alleging the ad was a supposed Hitlerian reference to white eugenics.
Yet the eugenics movement in America was mostly a product of left-wing progressives, from Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger to Democrat president Woodrow Wilson.
And the ad’s sponsor, American Eagle, had previously used all sorts of models from all racial backgrounds. All might agree that the ad simply shows both tight, sexy jeans and a naturally attractive wearer—period.
The country is descending into a tribal morass of double standards and racial fixations.
The diversity/equity/inclusion industry, the Defund-the-Police madness, and the perpetual left-wing hunt for “white racism/white privilege/white rage”—from the prior Pentagon hierarchy to the lunatic fringe of Jasmine Crockett, Joy Reid, and Zohran Mamdani—have all legitimized double standards while lowering the bar of the once unacceptable.
When our careerist left-wing elites seek to divide us by race and make it essential, not incidental, to our identities, that tribalist message filters throughout communities.
The ensuing signal is that “payback” violence is okay—on the expectation that there are no consequences for interracial violence—as long as the victim is white and the assaulter is not.
Love your neighbor as your self. JESUS
Well, maybe it is time the white tribe stand up and defend itself…
Good summary, Victor. You often express our thoughts & feelings. Many comments are insightful too.
Good summary, Victor. You often express our very thoughts & feelings. Many comments are insightful too.
Zimmerman was White. The term hispanic is nebulous at best–it certainly isn’t a race as it can be someone of any race. It’s divisive and needs to be retired.
Seems impossible to post a comment here. Moderating the factual comments of the son of a fallen Border Patrol Agent…
But I’ll try again.
Zimmerman was White. The term hispanic is nebulous at best–it certainly isn’t a race as it can be someone of any race. It’s divisive and needs to be retired.
The Left lives its life like a Steely Dan album: PRETZEL LOGIC.
The racism of blacks against whites is not only ignored, it is encouraged. We have taken big steps backwards in race relations since the Obama Administration. The solution, of course, is to stop our obsessive focus on race, which primarily comes from the identity politics and policies of the progressive leftists. All crime should be punished. Criminals should be prosecuted and jailed without regard to race. That will lead to safer communities and maybe an honest conversation about why black Americans are so disproportionately represented in crime statistics. And here’s a hint: it has nothing to do with systemic racism in the justice systems.
“Identity Politics” is “Tribal Politics”. President Obama is the chief promoter of this ideology. With his divisive commentary, his schooling of black and brown people in racial victimhood and his utter silence in the face of racial animus, Barack Obama and his immediate coterie have marinated America in Tribal Politics going on multiple decades.
It is entirely correct to lay responsibility for divided America on Barack Obama. He is responsible for reversing decades of progress toward a race neutral society. Obama is a social saboteur.
Propaganda works. 100 years of white bad/black victim has come to fruition and all major US cities are now dangerous hell holes. The blacks have been told whites are evil in the same way muslims teach their kids that jews are evil. Same MO, same result.
Cincinnati, I genuinely love this city, it’s been my home for nearly 50 years. Few know that it was once called “the Paris of the West”. Not any more. After decades of Democrat rule it’s filthy, unsafe and corrupt. Pureval, the mayor, is a the bumbling, incompetent, ladder climbing DEI hire, who was conveniently on vacation “celebrating his 5 yr old”. The Police Chief, a surprise to no one who lives here, is an angry, overweight liberal female with an ax to grind, currently being sued for racial discrimination. Councilman Victoria Parks shamelessly uttered the words “they begged for that beat down” should have been instantly removed from office, but Pureval said nothing. Deflecting blame to CPD is typical of these people. The police are not the problem, the 13% are.
Great work Dr. Hanson. This behavior is is overlooked by the left wing intelligentsia because it does not fit their DEI narrative. Cities like Memphis, Atlanta, Baltimore, Oakland, etc. are experiencing devastating amounts of crime perpetrated by blacks that is not reported on by the mainstream media.
Residents of SF Bay Area and other one-party regions know all too well the Orwellian treatment of “news” like this incident. Refusal to identify perpetrators, no “mug” (SF has actual policy of NO mug for those arrested) frenzied downplaying or ignorance of crime long the norm. Tucker Carlson was the only media figure to tell about Seth Smith, 19, shot point-blank in the back of the head in Berkeley when he went out at 11 PM for a walk. The student newspaper at Cal-Berkeley reported this as “death by gunshot” local coverage was incomplete and when the killer was apprehended (co-locational data from cell put him at the scene) his “profile” of race (Black) age (60) and lengthy criminal record were not reported. The local web site Berkeleyside the only honest portrayal of the events. (The same as the forced resignation of a Berkeley City Councilman due to threats over his inadequate condemnations of Israel this was not considered newsworthy by anybody else. )
Victor you left out Bernard Goetz, the subway shooter from 1984. He did what he had to do and was celebrated for it by sane New Yorkers as a “vigilante hero”, a symbol of frustration with NYC’s high crime rate.
People were sick of intimidation, muggings, and assaults on the subway.
But these days, the Left looks for racial angles on self-defense actions so they can portray whites as oppressors, gin up black votes, and extort offerings of cash from corporations, or demand “reparations”.
The inevitable result of these unaccountable mob attacks will be more vigilantism.
Instead of Michael Ford, I think you meant Michael Brown.
Our cities are turning into Detroit. The producers (mostly white) are leaving for lower taxes and safer red states. The population left will be the underclass that cannot escape the new plantation.
A harsh truth that we don’t talk enough about is that is most all major U.S. cities you cannot go to many areas of the city day or night and feel secure and even more so if you are white. Returning from a recent trip to a Canadian city and the contrast is stark! Much less crime and a feeling of safety and security and the crime rates reflect it. It is predominantly like it not blacks that have created too many dangerous zones for all races. Memphis TN is a horrid example -visiting there the black cab drivers and shuttle drivers warn you about going out at night. And most businesses have security guards stationed in them – even restaurants.
Stay away from drunk mouthy people, no matter what they look like
The racism is black.
Thank you for this excellent article.
Should the statement : ‘ Michael Ford “Hands-up-Don’t Shoot” fabrication ’
actually read Michael Brown ?
To all the people saying Sydney Sweeney is not attractive, let me say that I find her very attractive.
But I an old, with poor eyesight and low standards 🙂
Well, ohio is a constitutional carry state
Peaceful people better start carrying
Maranatha, maranatha, maranatha NOW please LORD, we’re obviously ripe for picking.
Within the constraints of this ultra-liberal government based on ancient standards of morality and behavior, just how does one solve the problem where 15% of the population refuses to remain assimilated, hates everybody including themselves, relies too much on welfare and serial crimes to live and turns violent at the slightest provocation?
Hispanic is not a race. Zimmerman was White.
The notion of “self-esteem” has been pushed in education literally for decades. When I first heard discussions about this, one lady on talk radio pegged it. She said, “If the goal of education is ‘self-esteem’, they have already achieved it. Look on the street corner. All the drug pushers there have Great self-esteem!”
Twain’s comment is one possibility. Another is that a group of young white men decide that the great-grandfathers may have had reasons to suppress the behavior that results from low impulse control among black youth. A pendulum only swings one way for so long. No one is going to be haiku when it swings back. And it will.
SMOD hear our prayer.
That was (and continues to be) some really bad PR for a city already seeing the signs of “white flight”. Cincinnati will be left to the crooked commies and race hustlers, and blacks will be left with no one to prey upon but each other, like in so many other long-blue cities when all the job and wealth creators bailed.
My stars. VDH made a factual error and no one pointed it out except me and now. It was not “the Michael Ford “Hands-up-Don’t Shoot” incident. It was Michael Brown…A trivial point, of course, beside the thrust of Victor’s usual spot on commentary. Perhaps the good citizens of Cincinnati should get carry licenses to defend themselves when out at night?
Thank you for pointing out that the eugenics movement in America was the product of progressives. ahd full of the same kind of virtue signalling as today.
Mr. Philip Pelletier nails it perfectly.
Most “hispanics” ARE White. Brown is not a race.
The lunacy was not in calling Zimmerman White (which he is) but in calling him “hispanic”–something that was artificially invented to imply race where it doesn’t exist.
Cincinnati city member of council Victoria Parks goes on social media stating the victims were begging for a beat down.
Enough said.
Not sure the Ohio River can rise far enough for a complete deep cleaning.
As someone who lives in the Cincinnati area, I can tell you that one other thing was at play here as well. For the past several decades on the last weekend in July Cincinnati has held what used to be called the Cool Jazz Festival, which is now simply named some sort of generic Music Festival. This event brings in tens of thousands of people from out of town, the overwhelming majority of whom are black.
I would bet the farm that the police were under orders from the City Manager and Police Chief to not intervene or get involved with anything, other than perhaps if gun play were occurring, in order to minimize the chance of videos being recorded and put online of the police involved in physical confrontations with or arresting black people. I fully believe that is why this attack was able to go on for so long without any police showing up. Normally with an event of this size in town, especially where alcohol is being consumed, there would be a significant and visible police presence, like what happens during Oktoberfest in mid-September, which is also held in the downtown area.
I am convinced that the absence of the police was by design, not happenstance.
Cincinnati City council member:
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/07/city-council-member-under-fire-after-celebrating-cincinnati-mob-attack-on-white-victims-they-begged-for-that-beatdown/
Enough said.
Most “hi-spanics” ARE White. Brown is not a race.
The lunacy was not in calling Zimmerman White (which he is) but in calling him “hi-spanic”–something that was artificially invented to imply race where it doesn’t exist.
That kind of street thuggery is why we legally conceal carry here in the Missouri Ozarks.
I sent an email to: CityCouncil@cincinnati-oh.gov
Subject: Disturbing aspects to the beat-downs
Words of Victoria Parks: “They begged for that beat down! ”
https://victorhanson.com/the-cincinnati-cop-outs/
Regards,
Sam
Most “hi-spanics” ARE White. Brown is not a race.
Vigilantism will eventually rear it’s head in situations like this. Eventually there will be a like scenario as what we saw in Cincinnati, and some older white guy who can’t stand or defend against a gang “beat-down”, will use deadly force for fear of their lives and leave gang members (Black or White) lay dying is a pool of their own blood and guts. Civility on the streets may well return in that instance at the cost of youthful and unbridled lives.
Mr. Hanson
Great observations as usual. I have a forward-looking question. Do you think there are any series of events or circumstances that will cause the media outlets you referenced to start reporting on news stories with accuracy and stop suppressing important stories that cast leftists and Democrats in a poor light? Or is this something that just comes with the territory of being a democracy with free speech?
The double standard when it comes to racism and black on white crime is deafening, not to mention the degradation of race relations is alarming. While I am reticent to be “hyper-partisan”, one can only look at Democrat platforms and policies and see that they have done nothing but encourage racism, segregation, governmental dependence, and violence.
As to the American Eagle ad, it is apparent that this advertising campaign was very successful. After all, who want to see unattractive, overweight, trans models vs. attractive models of any race. The left is melting down because they can’t tolerate anything “white”; especially an attractive white woman in good genes….errr, I mean jeans 😉
The two basic traits that reside at the core of the items that Victor so eloquently states, are jealousy and envy. The black thugs have heard over and over in their lifetime that America is racist and they have been cheated out of the “privileged life of white people”. Thus they took their opportunity to take out their rage against “whitey”.
As for the Sweeney ad, the same holds true…less-than-attractive females have jealousy and envy of attractive women. Those are emotions that are as old as humankind. Rather than call it what it is, the excuse of eugenics and Nazism are endeared terms of the leftists.
Leftist culture continues towards the goal of jealousy and envy…sad to say, it is working for far too many people.
Two words: concealed carry.
VDH,
What gets overlooked is these beat downs by “black youths” and all the black on white violence in this country foster high self-esteem in there communities.
Self-esteem is a very complex issue, and we have the mental health professional community to blame for the focus people place on it.
It’s quite apparent by all except the most casual of observers that the politicians on the left have one goal in mind with these tactics, they want to encourage a race war in this country. It would seem those tactics are bearing fruit.
Stoking the fires of racial hatred seems to be the incessant strategy of the sick left! So sad, I worked with a few black guys years ago and we were buddies! Now the answer to every black problem is violence. Instead of emulating black gangsters they should aspire to be like Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Bob Woodson, Leo Terrell or Reggie Lewis.
These “wildings” are not the stuff of a modern civilization, obviously.
The City Councilwoman’s comment afterward points to the cause. Surely, if it is not dealt with swiftly and severely, it will continue and grow. One fellow out on $400 bail suggests justice will again not be served. Reportedly, the woman was from Russia and she left for home the following day. Odds are she and friends she has in Russia will never again visit the US. Probably, others of other nations will decide the US is too dangerous to vacation here. Decades ago some Americans earned some dubious fame by their arrogance when visiting other nations and became known as “ugly Americans”. Now with these behaviors, we are becoming a backward, pre-civilizational, ugly nation.
Mike,
Why does American Eagle need to run a second ad when there was nothing wrong with the first ad? The genes/jeans play on words has nothing to do white supremacy or white racism.
Unfortunately, the lifeblood of the post civil rights industry is racial grievance, whether real or not, as it keeps the gravy train of unconstitutional preferences and quotas flowing.
As always-Mr. Hanson delivers his message with such elegance & common sense thinking-says the things that shouldn’t even have to be said because they just make sense in a civilized society.
With that said, I do not understand his third point-no police presence. Bit of background:I was born & raised here in Cincinnati-have lived here my whole life-except when I left to serve this country. I came home, started a family with the finest man on the planet-together we have raised 5 solid citizens, 2 of which wear that Cincinnati Police uniform. It burns my biscuits to no end when I read comments from this past weekend & people say things like “the CPD sucks” or “the cops don’t do anything”. Thats your take away?!
Not the fact that “grown ups” are in the streets at 0300 acting like they don’t have the good sense God gave a billygoat? Should we really have to have people telling us not to stomp on each other’s heads or please, gentlemen, do not punch women in the face? If that’s the case,we have a very long road ahead of us my fellow Americans.
Ps-Cincy PD is currently recruiting for its next class-feel free to sign up & walk a mile in those boots.
Mike, your suggestion to have multi-color, multi-racial hot chicks is simply elegant, thank you.
I too am sick of the incessant push to divide us by the left and its media.
Excellent summary of this push to divide, sir…..
Dear Mr Hanson,
Thank you for reiterating the litany of racial hoaxes perpetrated on the American public, less the noose hoaxes (Bubba Watson et.al.), that always flop, and identify a race baiter looking for attention. These instances should be mandated as the chyrons to run on the phony legacy media before every racially tinged event. As we know from experience it’s buried and forgotten as soon as it doesn’t match the liberal approved narrative.
With regard to the jeans ad, it’s great to see a normal, playful ad after the years of freaks and deranged fantasies from the woke ad departments. Watching the lib’s hyperventilate is most of the fun.
Sincerely,
Eric Koehler
I believe we have reached THAT place of lawlessness spoken about in the last days of this age that we are in. People ARE seeking God more than ever because there appears to be no fix for the lack of moral character. Goodness and justice must start with the individual. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 “ if my people, who are called by my name,, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways;then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Anyone remember the outrage over teenage Brooke Shields proclaiming nothing came between her and her Calvin Klein jeans? Two really great ad’s. I am not impressed with either girl, but the ad creators deserve acclaim.
The right expressed its moral outrage of a teen discussing her lack of underwear. The woke, TDS mob affixed its Hitler sticker to Sweeney’s ad. Reminds me of someone with a hammer and sees everything as a nail. Today, everything is Hitler and Nazi’s.
If I had to choose, i would prefer to endure the moral outrage people. Those labeling everything as Hitler are significantly more evil.
Great essay, VDH! IMHO, she’s not all that attractive, either.
You want to see attractive(?), see Aisha Hasnie on Fox News(!). Stunning …
I do not think Sweeny is such an attractive young lady. Only seeing pictures of her in the American Eagle jeans I am not seeing the ‘sexy’ others see. Maybe it is the hazed look in her eyes but I have to wonder what drug she may be on.
Getting back to the racial component of the article; Professor Hanson is accurate but why do readers require a rehash of all the left racial abuses over the past decades, are we so forgetful that we need reminded in lengthy articles. Possibly I am too much a news/political junkie to ever forget the racists Al Sharptons of the world even though I no longer watch cable news.
Thank you for your erudite thinking. Beautifully written essay.
About the American Eagle jeans ad: To respond, the company should have another ad with multi-color, multi-racial hot chicks proclaiming the same lucky feature of their genes.
Yes. Mr Hanson. Spot on as always. This era of increased racial animosity comes from the leftists and can be attributed, as with most everything else dysfunctional, primarily to Mr Barry Obama and his “fundamental transformation of America” . Thank God for President Trump and his team
It is ironic that the left decries eugenics when they were the ones who invented it. It has become comedic how absurd these people are and why anyone listens to the is beyond me. The only think that makes any sense to me is that this is a biblical fight of good vs evil