Riots are shot to Cincinnati ego

by Ryan Ernst

The overriding feeling of generations of Cincinnati residents is that life there can be summed up in one of my fondest childhood memories.

It was Dec. 10, 1989. I was at home on the city's west side, watching a Bengals game against the Seattle Seahawks on television. The Bengals had been penalized by a string of bad calls, and fans began to throw snowballs and other objects at Seattle players on the field.

Seattle refused to snap the ball, so after conferring with the officials, former Bengals player and then head coach Sam Wyche grabbed the microphone from Riverfront Stadium on-field public address announcer Tom Kinder.

"If you see anybody throwing things on the field, find a security guard and we'll get them out of here," he screamed. "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"

The 54,744 people in attendance all cheered, and the game resumed without further incident.

Ever since I can remember, Cincinnatians have had an air about themselves. The city always is hailed as one of the most livable cities in America, and its residents act accordingly. I am no exception. My friends from other cities often are appalled by the brashness stemming from my Queen City roots.

I, like any other Cincinnatian, talk incessantly about the delicious taste of LaRosa's pizza, Skyline Chili and a breakfast food unique to Cincinnati called goetta. I reminisce about head-first Pete Rose slides, the Big Red Machine, the 1989 Super Bowl and the 1990 World Series. I like the cleanliness and architecture of the city. It's a conservative, not-too-big, not-too-small town.

People who live in Cincinnati feel that they aren't exposed to the problems facing the rest of the world. We feel like we're above them. We say things like, "Yeah, but this is Cincinnati," or "Things like that don't happen here."

But the riots in my hometown last week resulting from the police shooting of an unarmed black man have taken the blinders off the city's residents.

"Things like that" do happen in Cincinnati, and we as a city are being forced to deal with them.

For once in my life, I am not overly proud of my hometown. The actions of some police personnel, the crimes of law-breaking rioters, the lack of foresight by city officials and the media's downplaying of peaceful protests in favor of looting and violence embarrass me.

For once, the eyes of the world are on Ohio's "second city," and they are cast in a negative manner.

I went home for Easter weekend to find curfews and an overwhelming police presence aimed at quelling the destruction that took place earlier in the week. Eventually, the violence died down.

But things are not yet back to normal in Cincinnati, and I'm beginning to think that is a good thing. Radio call-in shows have become open discussions on race relations in the city. People are proposing solutions in city council meetings and church groups. Citizens citywide are mulling over the problem on buses and bar stools.

Race relations in Cincinnati have been a problem for a long time. Although it took the death of a young man and four others since November to bring this issue to the forefront, the discussion of these problems is a good thing that should not be swept under the rug simply because the riots have stopped.

If you are from Cincinnati, educate yourself about the issues. Talk to civic leaders and police; vote in local elections. If you aren't a Cincinnati native, make yourself aware of injustices that may be occurring in other neighborhoods. After all, a city is only as good as its citizens.

Ernst is a senior journalism major. Send comments to re340397.