Last month’s viral Cincinnati beatdown exposed much of the rot that has not only eaten away at our once-great cities but corroded American society at large. We are witnessing attacks throughout the country, from the Austin Metcalf killing to the savage beating of a teen at a South Carolina football camp over petty perceived threats. As our own Mark Alexander correctly observed, “It’s not just a ‘Cincinnati problem.’”

One of the rots we are seeing wear away the fabric of our society is the normalization and acceptance of violence, which has not only brought on the trend of cheering it on, but also the routine of recording the act instead of reporting it. The Cincinnati police chief lamented that more than 100 people were present on the street corner at the time of the fight, and yet only one person called 911.

Another rot associated with this violence is the increase in attacks on elderly people who haven’t done a thing to deserve it. “I’m 62 years old. I was attacked,” said one of the witnesses from the bodycam footage released by the Cincinnati Police Department. “I got attacked by multiple people.” Answering the police officer’s questions, he continued, “I got side-punched. It wasn’t a fair fight at all.”

Violence against older adults in the U.S. has been on the rise, but most especially in blue cities — to the point where New York is working to pass legislation that would impose stricter penalties on those who assault senior citizens.

This video release came the same day that six individuals arrested in connection with the viral beating in Cincinnati were indicted by a grand jury. They have all been charged with assault, felonious assault, and aggravated rioting. This is a step in the right direction of holding those who commit violent acts accountable for their actions, regardless of the provocation, and we need to see more of it.

It’s evidence of another rot we are suffering under — that of outrage culture. Too many tribal identity groups get triggered at the tiniest of things, and since it is viewed as an attack on them, it ostensibly justifies their outrage, whether it be online or in person.

The rot of racism was also demonstrated in these attacks. No, not against blacks, but against whites. The woman who was brutally beaten has chosen to speak out about the ordeal, and she revealed what was said to her and others by the group of black attackers when she stepped in to help her friends: “You white [expletive]. White people shouldn’t be out here. You’re gonna go. Night night.”

We all know that if the roles were reversed in this situation, it would be heralded as the hate crime of the century. Instead, the Cincinnati police chief, who is an open proponent of DEI, seemed to take the side of the attackers. She also didn’t even bother to bring up the fact that the perpetrators had previous criminal records, including acts of violence.

The lax laws on crime are another rot taking place across the nation. The Cincinnati mayor, Aftab Pureval, is under fire for his handling — or mishandling, as the case may be — of public safety within the city. “We will pursue those responsible, and we will hold them accountable no matter who they are,” Pureval proclaimed after the attacks. The fact that one of the assailants, Jermaine Matthews, was free after posting bail seems to say the opposite. If anything, it incentivizes crime because they know they’ll be let back on the street.

Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman, JD Vance’s half-brother, pointed to the widespread mismanagement within the city as the root cause of the unsafe conditions, as well as relaxed policies for violent offenders.

All of these rots eating away at our society sound like the perfect storm. No society can stand if it continues to allow the normalization of violence, the degradation of human life, racism (regardless of ethnicity), the destruction of the Rule of Law, and the lack of personal responsibility for our actions, no matter the provocation.

Our country was founded on Christian principles, including the belief that all people have dignity and value because they are created in the image of God. Our laws are rooted in this. Therefore, we need to return to it before it’s too late.