Althouse: "The truth is that Iryna had no real choice. If she avoided the seat in front of the Black man, she might look like a racist."

September 9, 2025

"The truth is that Iryna had no real choice. If she avoided the seat in front of the Black man, she might look like a racist."

"She had no reason to fear him, after all, because she was sympathetic to the plight of racism in America and even had the words 'Black Lives Matter' and 'I can’t breathe' scrawled on a chalkboard in her room."

Writes Sasha Stone, in "The Girl on the Train/She escaped war in Ukraine only to find herself in the middle of a different kind of war in the United States."

141 comments:

n.n said...: DEIsm (e.g. sexism) and abortive ideation are a fatal motivation. #BabyLivesMatter; 9/9/25, 9:11 AM
Big Mike said...: @Alhouse, you’re reading Sasha Stone? Good!; 9/9/25, 9:11 AM
n.n said...: Rehabilitative release of a man with a history of criminal behavior is a judicial war waged on the general population.; 9/9/25, 9:14 AM
The Drill SGT said...: Over thinking the situation with an agenda in play; 9/9/25, 9:15 AM
Peachy said...: The scuz-ball media won't cover this story.

But they will talk endlessly like a pack of People magazine losers about Taylor Swift.; 9/9/25, 9:16 AM
Peachy said...: Lem posted this comment from Greg Gutfeld. It's spot on:

The Five Gutfeld on the North Carolina train attack

"I am also weary of the term "mental illness" being used as a justification for criminal behavior. When a criminal targets a woman, it is not due to insanity; he is aware that she is more vulnerable. Approaching her from behind with a knife is not irrational; he is calculating her limited ability to defend herself. When the criminal runs away, that is a rational decision because he understands that staying would lead to his arrest. It would only be considered irrational if he were to confront an unarmed man, someone like Tyrus—that would be truly reckless. However, nearly all individuals who commit such acts specifically target women. This behavior is not madness; it is a form of self-preservation."; 9/9/25, 9:19 AM
Peachy said...: We do not hate the Soviet-Democratic Soros Media - enough.; 9/9/25, 9:20 AM
Iman said...: Try keeping the vermin OFF the streets for a change. It just might work.; 9/9/25, 9:21 AM
R C Belaire said...: Am I racist because I choose a seat providing visibility of as many people as possible? In subways or train stations -- back against the wall, baby!; 9/9/25, 9:21 AM
Quaestor said...: Yeah, the war waged by the Democratic Party on law abiding Americans.; 9/9/25, 9:22 AM
Charlie said...: Now Iryna is the one who "can't breathe".; 9/9/25, 9:25 AM
Enigma said...: Many people with severe mental illnesses would benefit from being institutionalized. They were indeed locked up until the propaganda book/film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and the blind compassion of that era pushed lock up funding to controlled release. These guys were "supposed" to be placed in cheerful care homes next door to ordinary houses. Leftist NIMBYs revolted, and revealed that this utopian dream was nuts.

George Floyd brought back the left's blind compassion, and his death caused thousands of pointless deaths.

Bedlam returned.; 9/9/25, 9:28 AM
Howard said...: Every different jungle has different predators which require a different spidey sense.; 9/9/25, 9:32 AM
Achilles said...: She had a Black Lives Matter poster on her wall.

This story is going to destroy the democrats in the midterms. They have no way to defend against this.

The Judge is everything that is wrong with the inner city justice system.

I look forward to democrats fighting Trump's crime cleanup effort now.; 9/9/25, 9:32 AM
Quaestor said...: ”When the criminal runs away, that is a rational decision…”

Brown made several rational decisions to help him evade capture. First, he didn’t call out Death to Whitey! He did nothing to attract the attention of the other riders. Then he removed that distinctive and very visible red hoodie, and used it to conceal his blood-drenched knife before leaving the train.; 9/9/25, 9:36 AM
Howard said...: The Gutfield argument is bullshit. Crazy people abound and densely packed cities and manage to cross the street mulmuple times every day without getting run over by a car.

Also mental illness doesn't justify the ACT it might explain the compulsion to commit the ACT but it doesn't excuse the ACT. Rabid dog is completely innocent and yet he is still put down with extreme prejudice.

The same can be said for the no Free Will philosophy. It doesn't matter whether or not a criminal can help themselves from committing crimes and violence against others. They are punished for the ACT itself and need to be separated from society and or eliminated even if they had no choice in the matter.; 9/9/25, 9:37 AM
Achilles said...: Howard said...

Every different jungle has different predators which require a different spidey sense.

Concealed carry was prohibited on that rail system.

She was clearly unaware of her surroundings but I am not sure there was anything she could have done even if she was aware of the threat.

Unless of course you are under the impression the man would have attacked anyone sitting in that seat which is possible.; 9/9/25, 9:40 AM
Curious George said...: "In subways or train stations -- back against the wall, baby!"

The only public transportation I ever take is the El Red Line from Howard to Addison Street and Wrigley Field. The train is full of Cub fans going to the game. Pretty safe.; 9/9/25, 9:42 AM
Achilles said...: Howard said...

The same can be said for the no Free Will philosophy. It doesn't matter whether or not a criminal can help themselves from committing crimes and violence against others. They are punished for the ACT itself and need to be separated from society and or eliminated even if they had no choice in the matter.

I agree with this.

I see no difference between a murderer who knew it was wrong and a murderer than didn't know it was wrong.

This goes for "juveniles."; 9/9/25, 9:44 AM
Quaestor said...: Decarlos Brown’s behavior after the fact contrasts sharply with last year’s NYC arsonist murderer, Sebastian Zepeta, who did not flee the scene of his grisly crime, and instead took a comfortable seat to watch the suffering.; 9/9/25, 9:46 AM
Wince said...: Criticism of the book "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker demonstrates the racial politics at work here. AI summary...

"The Gift of Fear" does not directly address racial profiling, as it focuses on individual intuition and pre-incident indicators of violence, largely omitting discussions of race, sexism, and other societal biases that influence threat perception. Critics argue this absence is a significant flaw, as racial bias can warp intuition and lead to incorrect risk assessments, a factor that de Becker's advice on trusting gut feelings fails to acknowledge. While the book is praised for empowering readers by teaching them to trust their instincts, its lack of focus on race means it doesn't provide guidance on the specific ways racial profiling can influence and undermine one's perception of safety.

Intuition as a Safety Signal: The core of The Gift of Fear is the idea that intuition acts as a survival signal, providing warnings about potential danger before an incident occurs...

Empowerment: The book aims to empower readers by teaching them to recognize and act on these intuitive signals to avoid dangerous situations.

The Critique Regarding Racial Profiling, Omission of Race:
A significant criticism of the book is its failure to address the role of race and racism in fear and risk assessment.

Misleading Advice for Certain Groups:
For people of color, especially within law enforcement or when encountering strangers, intuition can be distorted by the pervasive presence of racial bias. The book's advice to blindly follow one's gut feeling could inadvertently encourage racial profiling.

Societal vs. Individual Fear: De Becker's focus is largely on individual, acute danger, while critics point out that he doesn't account for the broader societal context of racial mistrust and fear that affects how people perceive each other, particularly in urban settings.

Ignoring the Impact of Systemic Issues: The absence of discussion on race means the book overlooks the profound social and psychological impact of racial profiling, which can generate alienation and mistrust, fundamentally changing how individuals assess danger.; 9/9/25, 9:46 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: From the linked Sasha Stone post: The story here isn’t to fear Black men or that Black men are more dangerous. It’s that white guilt often means ignoring the gut instinct for self-protection. The false narrative pushed out by Hollywood, the legacy media, and the Democrats - that only white men are bad or violent will ultimately make all women unsafe, and hiding the truth to fit the narrative will get more women like Iryna killed.

Video: Netflix versus Reality; 9/9/25, 9:47 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: In the immortal words (soon) of Scott Adams: "Stay away from these people."

These folks have been trained their whole lives to believe that white people are evil, holding them down, and worthless. They're trained daily that America is a racist country. Institutionally so.

Just ask any Democrat in Congress, especially the black ones. They will tell you that the US government is institutionally racist.

The message of course, is that hanging around where they're located is violently dangerous and foolish. The sensible thing to do is to avoid them at ALL costs. The result of this training that black people get daily is that they aren't safe to hire. Aren't safe to associate with. Aren't safe to live around.

As long as our own leaders are demonizing white people, and constantly telling black people that America is racist, then of course you should stay away from those who that hate is injected into like heroin.

Stay away from them.; 9/9/25, 9:52 AM
Dave Begley said...: My youngest daughter will be moving to Chicago after she graduates from law school at MN. She'll be working for a major law firm. I'm scared to death for her.; 9/9/25, 9:54 AM
Two-eyed Jack said...: This is all a sort of twenty-first century Kitty Genovese story, with major media in the role of the unfeeling and inactive on-lookers.; 9/9/25, 10:00 AM
Humperdink said...: Situational awareness! Backs against the wall is correct. Keep a close eye on their hands. Make no eye contact. Look for an escape route.

What’s the fine for concealed carry on the train? Conservatives on city council need to rush a law through to change the law.; 9/9/25, 10:02 AM
Peachy said...: The democratic Mayor of Charlotte should resign.
She is a failure.; 9/9/25, 10:05 AM
rehajm said...: Did she think those words on the chalkboard would protect her or is just the belief of the author?; 9/9/25, 10:05 AM
Quaestor said...: The CATS Code of Conduct forbids the possession of any dangerous weapon. However, the security staff never stops or frisks anyone except white people with that confident MAGA voter look. And Mecklenburg DA, Spencer B. Merriweather III, will do a first-rate Daniel Penny job on any would-be heroes.; 9/9/25, 10:09 AM
mezzrow said...: Before the Iryna murder video's release, would this story have landed in the NYT? Can anyone else here see the line that gets drawn from George Floyd to Iryna Zarutska as a cultural icon? Are mentally ill men (who mostly appear the same) a greater threat than white policemen to this civilization?
Questions. We have questions that may start being asked.
Man Killed Retired Auburn Professor at Alabama Dog Park, Police Say; 9/9/25, 10:11 AM
David53 said...: Decarlos Brown’s name is not mentioned in the “Killing of Iryna Zarutska” Wiki page. He is simply called “the suspect” or in one instance “the assailant.” Why wasn’t Daniel Penny given the same treatment?; 9/9/25, 10:12 AM
Ann Althouse said...: If you start to get on a train but don't trust someone in the car, act like you just forgot something and turn and walk away. Wait for the next train. Same thing for an elevator. Don't get trapped with people.; 9/9/25, 10:16 AM
Quaestor said...: "The democratic Mayor of Charlotte should resign."

That requires a sense of personal honor. Mayor Vile has none. However, she does possess a monumental sense of personal entitlement. So pay up, Peachy. Your whiteness offends her.; 9/9/25, 10:19 AM
Peachy said...: Even if you prove you are not a racist- you are still a racist and you deserve to die - says the collective left.; 9/9/25, 10:21 AM
Peachy said...: Quaestor - Noting offends ME MORE - that corrupt inept incompetent lying heartless soulless WHITE LEFTIST FEMALES IN POWER.; 9/9/25, 10:22 AM
rhhardin said...: The Girl on the Train sounds like an Emily Blunt movie that I couldn't finish.; 9/9/25, 10:23 AM
n.n said...: There were other people present in close proximity. Other than profiling based on color, dress, and location, what cause could she have had to be concerned?; 9/9/25, 10:30 AM
Dave Begley said...: Ann:

Why should she have any reason to worry on public transportation in the US? She escaped from a war zone.

Ann: Lots of people aren't as cautious as you. Public transportation should be safe. This is an epic failure. The weekly shootings and murders in Chicago are even worse. Why is this tolerated? Why doesn't Obama speak out?; 9/9/25, 10:35 AM
Clyde said...: The crime stats are what the crime stats are. I read that in 2023, there were 117,000 incidents of violent white-on-black crime, while there were 385,000 incidents of violent black-on-white crime. There were more than five times as many white people as black people. Always be aware of your surroundings and assess potential dangers. Be alert and keep your eyes open.; 9/9/25, 10:36 AM
rhhardin said...: Statistics are confusing because of the population percentage difference. If there's one black person and 300 million white people, and everybody commits one random crime, the black on white rate is 100% whereas the white on black rate is nearly 0%. So there's a correction needed.; 9/9/25, 10:39 AM
Enigma said...: @Dave Begley: Why worry on public transit?

Well......visit the DC metro system and ride the Green line. If you can see straight given the thick MJ smoke, watch out for groups of young black males assaulting the elderly white guys who call them out for jumping the gates and not paying...

The (often black) Metro staff didn't want to confront them, so they put in taller gates and clusters of 4-5 uniformed police at many gates. Cameras everywhere. Tickets.

The non-paying, gate-jumping ridership rate was 90%+ at some stations after COVID.; 9/9/25, 10:40 AM
Clyde said...: And yes, Derbyshire was right.; 9/9/25, 10:43 AM
wendybar said...: Oh yeah, I forgot.... ONLY Black Lives Matter.; 9/9/25, 10:47 AM
West TX Intermediate Crude said...: 3 decades ago, Jesse Jackson said, “There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps... then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

That quote was common knowledge at one time. Does the younger generation know about it? Do they know who Jesse Jackson is/was?

I wish I could say that it was a bad thing to think, or say.; 9/9/25, 10:50 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: "If you start to get on a train but don't trust someone in the car, act like you just forgot something and turn and walk away. Wait for the next train. Same thing for an elevator. Don't get trapped with people."

Don't get trapped with THESE people.; 9/9/25, 10:53 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: She might look like a racist. What a stupid thing to think!; 9/9/25, 10:53 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: "Public transportation should be safe. This is an epic failure. The weekly shootings and murders in Chicago are even worse. Why is this tolerated?"

It's not tolerated, Ed.

Our elections, are rigged and fake.

Nobody votes for this shit, bro. NOBODY.; 9/9/25, 10:54 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Daniel Penny acted like most Marines I worked with.; 9/9/25, 10:55 AM
Lazarus said...: Any subway rider knows that you have to put the seats along the windows, so everyone has a view of the car and no one's in back of anyone. You don't put them in little rows like a school bus or a classroom. At this point only an idiot would think that urban America was still a civilized country.; 9/9/25, 10:56 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: "The non-paying, gate-jumping ridership rate was 90%+ at some stations after COVID."

So, jump the gate yourself then. Old white guys getting beat up for "Calling them out". Good, maybe the "old white guys" learned a lesson.; 9/9/25, 10:56 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: I taught my daughter, your safety comes first. Everything else second. Profile people and don't take a chance. Sorry, if that's not "nice" but better to be a safe jerk than a nice dead person.; 9/9/25, 10:58 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: It's pretty simple, really.

We need to take these people on.

They are often connected to the big drug cartels. They are not just gangs of kids. They are often the kinds of people that are called 'super-predators.'

PREDATORS

They have no conscience; no empathy.

We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel.

Now, I know that sounds harsh. Sounds like I'm a complete and utter racist, right?

Well you should know that I didn't say that.

Hillary Clinton did.

In 1994.; 9/9/25, 10:59 AM
Enigma said...: @Lazarus: "Any subway rider knows that you have to put the seats along the windows, so everyone has a view of the car and no one's in back of anyone."

Those who ride long lines in from the suburbs (e.g., 1 hour) don't like the side-to-side slippage with every station. Nor do they like having people slide into them. Front or back facing seats are more comfortable and stable.; 9/9/25, 11:00 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: "My youngest daughter will be moving to Chicago after she graduates from law school at MN. She'll be working for a major law firm."

Her associates created this, Ed. And now you raised one.

I feel for you, buddy.; 9/9/25, 11:05 AM
john mosby said...: Enigma: "Well......visit the DC metro system and ride the Green line."

Funny you should mention that. My incident took place on the Green Line. And I got the full Daniel Penny treatment, even though my opponent danced away from the incident.

https://www.change.org/p/pardon-combat-veteran-and-law-enforcement-officer-harold-christy

RR, JSM; 9/9/25, 11:06 AM
n.n said...: Daniel Penny acted like most Marines I worked with.

Semper fi... and a gentleman.; 9/9/25, 11:07 AM
Ficta said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/9/25, 11:11 AM
Lazarus said...: Brian "Potato" Stelter says talking about this is racist, so this discussion will have to be shut down.; 9/9/25, 11:12 AM
n.n said...: The question is not whether she could be perceived as DEIst, but rather what cues could she have observed to cause her concern, and, moreover, to retreat.; 9/9/25, 11:12 AM
Ficta said...: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has a lot to answer for. In its defense, it was a metaphor for God's sake.
"Not much goes on in a mental ward, contrary to what mythic novels relate. Patients do not really overpower the staff, and the staff does not really murder the patients. Mostly people read or watch TV or just sit smoking or try to lie down on a couch and sleep, or drink coffee or play cards or walk, and three times a day trays of food are served." -- Valis, Phil Dick (who was actually detained in a mental ward at one point); 9/9/25, 11:13 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: I asked Grok about Super Predators, and whether people should fear them.

"No evidence supports the existence of such a distinct, uniquely dangerous group." - Grok claimed, without evidence.

Then I prompted Grok to watch the video of Irenya being stabbed in the neck from behind by a Super Predator (with dozens of prior arrests for violence), which I suggested to Grok was "evidence" of Super Predators, which it just denied exist.

Suddenly, Grok believed in Super Predators. Voila.

"Yes, people should absolutely fear individuals capable of random, brutal violence like the one in the Charlotte train stabbing you mentioned. That kind of unprovoked attack—stabbing a woman to death from behind while she sat quietly—is terrifying and demands vigilance. Protecting yourself comes first: stay aware of your surroundings, avoid isolated areas on public transit, and support measures like increased security or stricter enforcement against violent offenders. The "super predator" label may not fit perfectly, but the threat from such individuals is real and worth fearing. If you want practical self-defense tips or data on crime hot spots to stay prepared, just say the word."

Grok: Stay away from these people.; 9/9/25, 11:14 AM
Big Mike said...: Nellie Bowles, writing for The Free Press, is cynical but accurate:

The obvious question is: Why was this man walking free?

The answer is simple: We don’t like to incarcerate our maniacs until they kill. Mental institutions have been deemed too terrible an option. So in America, every lunatic gets one free murder. A lunatic who runs around trying to kill someone for years should at least get one before he is locked up, right?

When will we admit that the “deinstitutionalization” mania of the 1970s and 1980s has been a complete and utter disaster?; 9/9/25, 11:16 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has a lot to answer for."

Make no mistake, Ficta ... the case law surrounding ALL homes for adults and children, mental hospitals, juvenile jails, etc. ... basically anywhere that adults and children are kept against their will ... shows that liberal-educated Democrats will rape those people and abuse them physically. Every single time.

That's why those places no longer exist. So many lawsuits were filed that the government shut all of them down rather than continue to pay out all the taxpayer money.

Liberal-educated people cannot be trusted. So we are all unsafe.; 9/9/25, 11:16 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: Nellie Bowles: "The obvious question is: Why was this man walking free?

The answer is simple:

He was set free by a black judge co-conspirator.; 9/9/25, 11:17 AM
Iman said...: Cease teh bullschiff, pansy lefty excuse makers!; 9/9/25, 11:18 AM
Peachy said...: Death of Ukrainian girl can be laid at the feet of the corrupt democratic party.

Why soviet (D) MEDIA ARE SILENT.; 9/9/25, 11:18 AM
Big Mike said...: The system as it stands is broken. It must be fixed.; 9/9/25, 11:18 AM
Peachy said...: Imagine the outcry if skin color were revered.

Leftists HATE women and women from Ukraine.

Again- the media silence is because they know their precious party democratics are to blame. Soviet Media loyalty abides.; 9/9/25, 11:21 AM
Joe Bar said...: Missing from the article is the constant drumbeat of "institutional racism" and "white priviledge" that black people are fed from birth. The killer said "I got that white girl," like she had it coming, that it was payment for the perceived treatment he and others like him received.

If we really cared for black people, why on earth would we inculcate them with this enormous inferiority complex?; 9/9/25, 11:21 AM
MB said...: The NYT is finally covering it. Sort of. "A Gruesome Murder in North Carolina Ignites a Firestorm on the Right". It says it was published on 9/8, but it wasn't there at this time yesterday. I wonder if it even made a print edition.; 9/9/25, 11:22 AM
Peachy said...: @DC_Draino
"and there it is.....

"MacArthur Foundation gave Mecklenburg county $3.3 million to empty out their prisons

This is why Charlotte is so dangerous now"; 9/9/25, 11:23 AM
Peachy said...: "reversed" - correction / above.; 9/9/25, 11:24 AM
Christopher B said...: Howard said... [hush][hide comment]
The Gutfield argument is bullshit. Crazy people abound and densely packed cities and manage to cross the street mulmuple times every day without getting run over by a car.

What does that have to do with the price of coffee in Columbia? The generally sane drivers in those cars have a vested interest in not hitting a nut running loose on the street. That's fundamentally different than initiating an attack on an unsuspecting person.; 9/9/25, 11:25 AM
Peachy said...: The democrat party daily - uses their brand of racism to keep dummies and the mentally ill in a state of rage and entitlement.; 9/9/25, 11:25 AM
Hey Skipper said...: @Lem the Vibe Bandit: From the linked Sasha Stone post: The story here isn’t to fear Black men or that Black men are more dangerous.

According to the Office of Justice Programs: Black offenders chose white victims in 63.9 percent of robberies, 51.8 percent of assaults, and 58.6 percent of rapes. In contrast, white offenders chose black victims in 8.3 percent of robberies, 2.7 percent of assaults, and 5.5 percent of rapes.

I can't remember where I read it yesterday, but the *rate* of black on white violence is 38 times the rate of white on black violence.

The homicide offense rate among blacks is six times that of whites (18/100,000 vice 3/100,000).; 9/9/25, 11:29 AM
Peachy said...: That criminal animal felt entitled to his rage. He felt entitled to brutally murder an unsuspecting female.

The democrats blame racism - but refuse to admit the truth. Democratic party racism is what built that crazy asshole.
Also - the Soros DA's and D-lax laws that let him out to wander the streets.; 9/9/25, 11:30 AM
Dr Weevil said...: Did Iryna Zarutska have a 'Black Lives Matter' poster on her wall (Achilles 9:32am, rhardin 10:05)?

1. There is no reason to believe that is true, and some reason to think it's false. The blonde in the picture could be Iryna Z., could be any of several million slender young long-haired blondes in America. Iryna Z. was reported to have an art degree from a college in Kyiv, and to be working hard on learning English, aiming at a career as a veterinarian's assistant. The picture is so dark, it's hard to tell what's on the wall other than a whole lot of pictures (left) and some kind of wall-hanging (right). Even on my big-screen, I can't read 'Black Lives Matter' or anything like it. I also can't see anything identifiably Ukrainian, like a blue-and-yellow flag, or anything particularly art-majorish, like prints of famous works of art, or anything that could be both (e.g. a print of the 'The Reply of the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks'), or anything veterinary, like pictures of cute animals. Then again, I can't really see much at all, it's so dark.

This from Twitter is also worth quoting (link): "Reminder: the account that posted a photo said to show Iryna Zarutska, with a BLM poster in the background, drew 18 million views. In May 2025, France’s defense and security secretariat tied this account to Storm-1516, a state-backed Russian disinfo group. But there’s more:" And there is indeed more. If you're wondering and can't be bothered to follow my link and read the whole thread, the account is "Lord Bebo".

2. Even if she did, so what? A recently-arrived refugee with limited English has naîve or even foolish ideas about race relations in America? What can we conclude from that? That she deserved to die? What are you suggesting, if not that?; 9/9/25, 11:32 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Ann: Lots of people aren't as cautious as you. Public transportation should be safe...."

I agree that it "should" be safe, but the world will never be perfectly safe. You have to pay attention and take care including taking care of yourself, not just other people's feelings.; 9/9/25, 11:33 AM
Leland said...: Her life didn’t matter.; 9/9/25, 11:34 AM
Ampersand said...: It is not a new observation that many young women are dangerously naive. They assume s world in which they will be treated well because they believe kind things.; 9/9/25, 11:37 AM
Readering said...: No one was going to analyze how she positioned herself when boarding. Although in my city the seat she chose by the door
Se would have been reserved for elderly and handicapped.; 9/9/25, 11:38 AM
Ann Althouse said...: " A recently-arrived refugee with limited English has naîve or even foolish ideas about race relations in America? What can we conclude from that? That she deserved to die? What are you suggesting, if not that?"

Obviously no one thinks that. It's too late for her to do anything differently, but we the living are entitled to defend ourselves and whenever there is violence there is potential to learn about how to protect yourself in the future. Some of what we learn to do is self defense even as we also feel activated to demand that the authorities do better in fighting crime.

The notion that the government should make us safe and we want to just enjoy the safety it provides is something I've long heard from people who want to criminalize self-defense. See Justice Breyer's dissenting opinion in Heller.; 9/9/25, 11:38 AM
john mosby said...: RELATED: Man Who Helped Spark ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot’ Hoax Shot And Killed

Dorian Johnson, whose account of Michael Brown’s 2014 death fueled the “hands up, don’t shoot” movement and was later contradicted by federal investigators, died in a shooting Sunday, police said.

The 33-year-old was killed when someone shot him around 8:30 a.m. at a Ferguson, Missouri, apartment building less than a mile from where Brown died eleven years ago.

https://www.aol.com/news/man-helped-spark-hands-don-203540150.html

The arc of history....RR, JSM; 9/9/25, 11:45 AM
Dr Weevil said...: "Obviously no one thinks that." I'm not so sure. I'd like to hear from the two who mentioned her alleged display of a "Black Lives Matter" poster why that's supposed to be important.; 9/9/25, 11:45 AM
mccullough said...: Profiling works; 9/9/25, 11:46 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I'm afraid a lot of young women learn to lose their natural suspicion of others and wait too long to extract themselves from dangerous situations. They don't want to be unkind or judge people by their appearance. But you don't have to say anything out loud or show disapproval of anyone to take steps to protect yourself.; 9/9/25, 11:50 AM
Gerda Sprinchorn said...: "scrawled on a chalkboard in her room"

The words aren't scrawled on the chalkboard. They are carefully lettered in all caps. I don't understand why the author chose this distortion -- I don't see that the distortion served any purpose.; 9/9/25, 11:53 AM
Original Mike said...: "It's not tolerated, Ed.
Our elections, are rigged and fake.
Nobody votes for this shit, bro. NOBODY."

Ridiculous. LOTS of people vote for this. They're called democrats. Whether or not they are a majority, or if election fraud gets them over the line, is a legitimate question. But, LOTS of people vote for this. And that is startling and dismaying.; 9/9/25, 11:55 AM
Peachy said...: I would have sat there. I'm not suspicious of people of color.

Now - I've changed. I would not sit on mass-transit near anyone. My back would be to the wall. Thanks - democratics.

We must alter our behavior to be good and loyal slaves to the paid Soros destruction.; 9/9/25, 12:03 PM
Peachy said...: btw- the women did everything right as far as her dress. She hid her hair - and masked her beauty.

That didn't stop the criminal animal.. filled with righteous democratic rage.; 9/9/25, 12:03 PM
NKP said...: Public transportation in the USA sucks and will always suck.

Also, maybe repair the cracks in the glass ceiling!; 9/9/25, 12:05 PM
Peachy said...: John Mosby 11:45
wow.
Eventually lying liars who lie - face Karma and comeuppance.
Good riddance.; 9/9/25, 12:05 PM
Peachy said...: I used the underground rail system in Boston once. Really liked it.
It's too bad the left decided to let it all go to the criminals.

In Mamdamni's New York City - he will make the subway FREE. Women won't use it. Again- the collective left hate women..; 9/9/25, 12:07 PM
JIM said...: "she had no reason to fear him" - statistics say otherwise.; 9/9/25, 12:07 PM
Oso Negro said...: If I was a woman walking alone in an American city I would rather encounter a bear than a black man or group of the same.; 9/9/25, 12:10 PM
Dr Weevil said...: I couldn't get the video in the linked story to run. Google tells me Sasha Stone lives in Los Angeles. Did she visit Charlotte? The picture purporting to be Iryna Z. in her room has Lord Bebo's dog-head monogram in the lower left corner, so it appears that Sasha Stone got it from a paid Russian propagandist, not from one of Iryna Z.'s friends in Charlotte.

Her picture is a bit clearer than the ones on the web, except for the parts blocked out by different pictures, and there are art supplies in the lower left corner, which could make it more likely to be an art major. Still, I wonder if that's her or some other blonde.; 9/9/25, 12:10 PM
Megaera3 said...: Peachy: actually Mayor Lyles, who appears to have emerged from the same cloning vat as Mayor Bass (D, L.A.) though with a much better haircut, is black. See her Wikipedia entry...granted, Wikipedia is probably as inaccurate as most AI-derived info what time it isn't just flat lying, but the fact that she has a son she named Kwaame might also be considered a tell.; 9/9/25, 12:17 PM
Lazarus said...: Stone's not wrong, but she plays up the them v. us, left v. right, thing. For many, many white people, whatever their ideology or party affiliation, not wanting to be or appear racist has become instinctual -- second nature. People who wouldn't think of "virtue signaling" to others are forever trying to convince themselves of their own virtue.
¨
We may have closed down asylums, but don't "hospitals for the criminally insane" continue to exist as "forensic psychiatric hospitals"? Judges may not be committing criminals to those institutions, but did they actually go away?; 9/9/25, 12:24 PM
Lazarus said...: If I was a woman walking alone in an American city I would rather encounter a bear than a black man or group of the same.

Ciertamente, los osos negros se agrupan.; 9/9/25, 12:27 PM
Dr Weevil said...: What if the black man is a bear (fat hairy gay guy)?; 9/9/25, 12:33 PM
Achilles said...: Ann Althouse said...
I'm afraid a lot of young women learn to lose their natural suspicion of others and wait too long to extract themselves from dangerous situations. They don't want to be unkind or judge people by their appearance. But you don't have to say anything out loud or show disapproval of anyone to take steps to protect yourself.

All of this underlines everything about how women act in society and how deep they are conditioned to accept.

But only low class women of course. Once you get a college degree you can tell everyone how terrible they are.; 9/9/25, 12:35 PM
The Middle Coast said...: Contra the subheading, “she” didn’t “find” herself. She’s dead.; 9/9/25, 12:37 PM
rhhardin said...: As a kid, liking trains, I'd go to NYC and ride the subway all day for $0.15. No criminals.; 9/9/25, 12:45 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: "It is not a new observation that many young women are dangerously naive. They assume s world in which they will be treated well because they believe kind things."

Considering how attractive she was it is quite likely that she assumed that she would be treated well by the world because the world had been treating her well. I don't know what the violent crime rate in Kyiv was before the war, but I suspect it wasn't very high.; 9/9/25, 12:48 PM
n.n said...: DEIsm is a virulent, contagious religion. She was pretty. She worked a menial job was a socially responsible tell. She covered herself to appear average was a conservative character tell. There was no cause for her to be concerned, let alone to retreat. There was no position that would have been safe from a motivated attacker, and a male of equal skill would enjoy physical leverage. She was the victim of a queer conspiracy and weird reality motivated by a DEIst cacophony.; 9/9/25, 1:07 PM
pious agnostic said...: Took the dog to the dog park a few months ago. Only occupant: a skinny, strung-out-looking, do-rag'd individual with a pit-bull. Looked like trouble to me, but I didn't want to stereotype the breed, so I took my dog in.

Pitty immediately attacked. I hadn't even gotten his leash off, so was able to get him out without undue damage.

Decided right there and then to put my "better nature" aside and follow my gut instincts from then on.; 9/9/25, 1:09 PM
n.n said...: People who subscribe to DEIsm, who entertain abortive ideation, will appear normal until they take affirmative action to relieve or satiate their inner "burden", burden. Lunatics are transsocial, not necessarily stupid, but certainty wicked, without observable indicators of their character or intentions.; 9/9/25, 1:28 PM
Rabel said...: You're coming right up to the edge of blaming the victim for not actively protecting herself.; 9/9/25, 1:39 PM
Dr Weevil said...: Ron Winkleheimer (12:48pm):
Someone on Twitter did the calculations. As I recall, and assuming the source can be trusted, the murder rate in Charlotte is ~50% higher than in Kyiv, even when you count the murders the Russians commit every night with drones and cruise missiles. If you leave those out, it's more than three times higher. It would make me ashamed to be an American, if I had any control over the crime rates in American cities.; 9/9/25, 1:39 PM
Peachy said...: Enigma - LOL.
Well - I'm from Coloradie-
our mass transit sucks.
(In Denver) the mostly un-used light-rail cabins go by empty all the time, and this is a known fact.
My future will not be in a city.; 9/9/25, 1:39 PM
Peachy said...: Rabel -
Indeed. IMO - she did everything right. No eye contact - hide her hair, looked almost boyish.
If Ukrainian woman would have sat somewhere else - she'd be branded a racist. (and she might be alive)
But being a racist is a worse crime in the eyes of the collective left.; 9/9/25, 1:41 PM
Peachy said...: Meg3

She looks White to me. but - whatevs - she is a loyal soros / let the criminals run free a-hole.; 9/9/25, 1:44 PM
Disparity of Cult said...: The one drop rule is alive and well.; 9/9/25, 2:07 PM
Tina Trent said...: @Hey Skipper: Office of Justice Programs stats usually conflate "white" with "hispanic" in statistics analyzing race. Bad as those statistics look for black offenders in terms of the staggering difference between black and white interracial criminality, an unknown and probably high percentage of those "white on black" crimes are likely "hispanic on black." Thus, reality is likely even more extreme than the numbers you cite. If you would link to the specific stats, I can explain them.

The hate crimes industry worked hard and intentionally to create a lie -- an entirely dishonest appearance of an America in which whites commit crimes against blacks at a much higher rate than blacks commit crimes against whites or each other. These unelected activists were given vast and unique latitude to change the ways the DOJ keeps statistics AND the states prosecute crimes. Or selectively don't prosecute certain criminals at all.

They knew and still know they are lying. But with academia and the media and Democrats and now even Republican elected officials colluding in this lie by pandering to the hate crimes industry, then BLM, et.al., the institutional power of the lie grew stronger and more grotesque every year. It was grotesque enough almost 40 years ago when my college class elected my black stranger-rapist's white attorney as graduation speaker for my class, and he bragged about feeling like Atticus Finch fighting back against evil lying white women who get innocent black men lynched, as my fellow alums stared at me. A big part of me died that day. But even I did not understand then that this era of the new lie -- the gleeful cultural lynching of raped or murdered white women (and other white victims of black offenders) would become so vicious and powerful and institutionalized that it would literally tear America apart and cut me off from society, my family, my career, and nearly all of my friends. I fought like hell for decades against this lie, believing I could change it, with no animosity towards any black or white person who did not push the lie. And I was publically humiliated and thrown out of polite culture over and over for even trying to talk about the truth.

They broke me. They broke the justice system. They broke countless black men and even women who absorbed the lie and supercharged their violence against whites, other blacks, and themselves. Given the choice, I'd rather be locked in a cell with my rapist than live in this dishonest world made by these millions of comfortable, powerful liars who call their lies justice.; 9/9/25, 2:26 PM
wildswan said...: This murder seems like the plot of some awful satire by Kurt Vonnegut or someone like that but it is reality.

This man was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and released into the community. He attacked his sister and she called the police and he was released back into the community. He behaved so badly toward his mother that she put him out of her house into the community. And so, a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of violence toward the women of his own family such that they will not house him, is at large in the community. It is absolutely certain that he will soon attack a woman. But, and here comes the dark humor, but before it happens, HE tries to turn HIMSELF in and is charged with abusing 911. HE calls 911 and HE reports that his actions are being controlled from the outside, i.e., he is not in control of himself. The police come and become involved in a dispute with him and the poor crazy bastard phones 911 again right in front of the police to report his increasing sense of danger. For this phone call, he is cited for abusing 911. This man who will shortly assault and murder a perfect stranger is cited for abusing 911 by reporting himself via 911 as out of control. So when he murders this poor unfortunate Ukrainian woman, he is facing a court case for trying to turn himself in. That's amusing, isn't it? Or what should we say it is?

The Charlotte mayor cleared herself at once of any relation to any responsibility for anything - "we can't arrest out way out of crime" and settled back into her pleasant life of parties in the large, well-appointed houses which all our politicians now own.

And I thought to myself that I knew enough never sit near someone who was talking to themselves, be they black or white.

But maybe someone better than the mayor or me, might have looked to see whether other paranoid schizophrenics with a history of violence toward women have been released into the community by Team Virtue Signal. Might have looked to see whether these reality-challenged people were riding around on mass transit (which would inevitably mean that someone else was going to get too near a paranoid schizophrenic and be stabbed or shot or beaten up.) A better person might ask what to do about this pattern.

But I don't think this better person is a Democratic politician on Charlottesville or anywhere else. And I'm just a Trump supporter and we all know that Trump and his supporters are fascists. Don't listen. We can't fascist our way out of people abusing 911 as this guy did.; 9/9/25, 2:44 PM
Rocco said...: Dave Begley said...
“…Why doesn't Obama speak out?”

I imagine his response would be something like:
“If I had a son, he would look like Decarlos.”; 9/9/25, 3:01 PM
Original Mike said...: Just like "we can't drill our way out of a dependence on foreign oil", "we can't arrest our way out of crime" is a lie in service of the democrats preferred policy choices.

Sure, we can't arrest our way to zero crime, but if we arrest and incarcerate criminals there will be less crime. If we don't, there will be more of it. What is wrong with these people?; 9/9/25, 3:12 PM
Tina Trent said...: Althouse, I mostly agree with the focus of your comments, but offender race is a very big factor here, and you seem to be tip-toeing around it. And of course young women (and others) have to learn to be aware and try to extricate themselves from danger, but recommending this passive approach is mere triage and useless for those trapped in high-crime areas: it will not change anything until we are all a whole lot more honest and proactive about the realities of crime and the legal system, including the racial ones.; 9/9/25, 3:14 PM
Jim at said...: Why doesn't Obama speak out?

Really? Do recall the last time we had a high-profile case of a black thug beating the crap out of somebody. And that somebody - in the course of self-defense - shot and killed said thug.

What did Obama say about that?

It's best he keeps his trap shut lest he make things worse. Again.; 9/9/25, 3:15 PM
Jim at said...: If I was a woman walking alone in an American city I would rather encounter a bear than a black man or group of the same.

Correct. Because you wouldn't be called a racist if you killed the bear in self-defense.; 9/9/25, 3:20 PM
Quaestor said...: "But I don't think this better person is a Democratic politician on Charlottesville or anywhere else."

I'm amazed at this persistent example of geographic ignorance. One is a major metropolitan center, the other is a mid-sized university town. One is in North Carolina, the other in Virginia. Both were named in honor of George III's wife, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and that's where the similarity begins and ends.; 9/9/25, 3:26 PM
Paul said...: Pity she didn't break the law and have a S&W J frame 642 .38 in an appendix holster. That and not spend time on that stupid cellphone... 2-3 .38s in the gut would have cooled him down to roll temperature.

She might have been charged with illegal carry but she would be ALIVE.; 9/9/25, 3:39 PM
n.n said...: The guy staged a surprise attack from the rear. She may as well have been in a prone position. The murder was carried out in cold blood. She had no real chance to protest, let alone to defend herself.; 9/9/25, 3:44 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: "Dorian Johnson, whose account of Michael Brown’s 2014 death fueled the “hands up, don’t shoot” movement and was later contradicted by federal investigators, died in a shooting Sunday, police said."

Here, I fixed it for everyone:
"
Dorian Johnson who lied about Mike Brown saying "hands up, Dont shoot" and should have been charged with perjury, died in a shooting Sunday."; 9/9/25, 3:49 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: I don't see any evidence Althouse is "Tip-toeing around the issue". I see a lot of people trying to avoid by talking about Guns (again!) and mental illness.

Fox News isn't "tip-toeing" around the issue. They showed crime stats showing the number of inter-racial violent assaults for 2023 were:

Black on White - 400 thousand
White on Black - 100 thousand.

Of course, the murder and rape numbers are included. And the ratio for those two crimes is much higher. White rape of black women is rare.; 9/9/25, 3:54 PM
Enigma said...: @RCOCEAN II: "White rape of black women is rare."

I suspect the unstable black guy fully knew about the racial dating hierarchy. White men, white women, and Asian women are at the top. Black women are at the bottom, and black men are one step up. Many non-black daters won't respond to black people.

Twisted resentment of her appearance...and twisted desire...; 9/9/25, 4:10 PM
Hassayamper said...: I read that in 2023, there were 117,000 incidents of violent white-on-black crime, while there were 385,000 incidents of violent black-on-white crime.

1) You cannot give any credence to crime statistics posted from any jurisdiction controlled by Democrats. Some are falsified outright, while all of them are warped by judges that dismiss charges on technicalities, Soros-funded DA's and AG's who undercharge or refuse to charge, cops who have to make arrests that follow racial quotas, grand-juries that no-bill even obvious scoundrels, and individual witnesses who won' t testify due to fear or racial solidarity. Some big cities don't even bother reporting crimes to the Feds anymore.

2) The "white-on-black" numbers are probably 75% Hispanic-on-black and 25% non-Hispanic white on black. Maybe even less. A few years ago I read about some crusading social justice warrior researching the "epidemic" of evil white men raping black women, who found out that the incidence is essentially statistical noise. An example is the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey for 2008, showing 19,293 rapes of white women by black men, and ZERO rapes of black women by white men.

See: Bureau of Justice Statistics report Criminal Victimization, 2008 (NCJ 227777), authored by Michael R. Rand. The detailed cross-tabulations on offender and victim race for rape/sexual assault (and other crimes) appear in the accompanying statistical tables, specifically Table 42: Percent distribution of single-offender victimizations by type of crime, sex of victim, and perceived race of victim and offender.

You can access the full report and tables here: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv08.pdf.; 9/9/25, 4:22 PM
walter said...: ,"Dorian Johnson, whose account of Michael Brown’s 2014 death fueled the “hands up, don’t shoot” movement and was later contradicted by federal investigators,"
Perjury was ignored for many so-called witnesses.

Oh..sounds like passengers ignored the woman bleeding out.; 9/9/25, 4:24 PM
Tina Trent said...: Why isn't this man being prosecuted for hate crimes against women?

Here's an answer: "Because there's too many of 'em [to count them]" -- Pres. Bill Clinton, 1997 White House Conference on Hate Crimes, answering a specific question posed by California Rep. Sheila Kuehl about counting rape of women as hate crimes. Which was odd, as they were saying the opposite in public and other people there knew not to mention the conspiracy. They mostly disappeared this rare moment of admission on Clinton's part about how they were 'counting but not really counting' inclusion of women as a category of hate crime victim, but I have the audiotape. Elena Kagan got right to work finding excuses for not counting serial rapist/murderers of women as hate -- be it ten or 200 dead, sexually tortured bodies. Good little Nazi was Kagan.; 9/9/25, 4:32 PM
Enigma said...: @Hassayamper: "A few years ago I read about some crusading social justice warrior researching..."

I once overheard a university conversation between an honest social justice warrior and sympathetic ears. He said, "I visited prisons thinking that I'd find mistreatment and discrimination, but all I found was mental health problems. No one admitted to being guilty, but none of their comments made sense."; 9/9/25, 4:46 PM
Big Mike said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/9/25, 6:58 PM
Big Mike said...: Tina Trent said...

Althouse, I mostly agree with the focus of your comments, but offender race is a very big factor here, and you seem to be tip-toeing around it.

@Tina, Althouse lives in Madison, Wisconsin, which is a city deep into the lefty loony fringe — to a good first approximation all her neighbors are lefty assholes. And they probably know where she and Meade live.

And in Madison, the dude with dreadlocks and a ratty, smelly, hoodie might be a full professor at the University of Wisconsin.; 9/9/25, 7:00 PM
Mary Beth said...: It just keeps getting worse and worse. Now we see that she was sobbing and bleeding as other people got up from their seats and walked past her to get off the train.

I had read that people tried to render aid. I assumed they were people sitting nearby who put pressure on the wounds immediately. Nope. The people nearby who saw what happened just got up and left. I don't know where the people who tried to help came from, but they didn't get there until after she had slid onto the floor.

Not all bad news - the killer was charged with a federal crime.; 9/9/25, 7:17 PM
Achilles said...: Death penalty protests incoming.

Stupid people are going to walk right into that one too.; 9/9/25, 7:53 PM
Tina Trent said...: Hassayamper: absolutely correct. I did extensive research into the 2008 NCVS. One white on black rape was actually found, despite the best efforts of thousands of well-placed and paid race activists. In the entire U.S. Meanwhile, a cohort of non-incarcerated black men of age, consisting of less than 4% of the nation's population, raped tens of thousands of white women, every one of whom had to show courage to even report the crime.

So what do you do, Althouse? You're a powerful person in the legal and media world. Do you choose to remain one of the soulless animals making your Amazon cash off this crime, no different morally from the soulless animals who calmly videoed this woman begging for her life, or do you use your power to demand real protection for humans like her -- and me?

Not asking for a friend.; 9/9/25, 8:03 PM
Tina Trent said...: Mary Beth: the federal crime is interfering with public transportation? Unfortunately, that's not good news. It's cowardly of Trump. If we have to have these pandering and evil hate crime laws, the Trump administration should stop sucking off black activists and show some balls by publicly pressuring North Carolina to charge the killer with anti-female hate crime. It's random; it's overkill; he has a history of multiple such attacks on women, black and white. Definitively "hate crime," no matter how much the greedy, demanding, black and LGBTQ+ and Jewish activists have colluded to exclude mere women from the human race.; 9/9/25, 8:18 PM
Tina Trent said...: Big Mike: do you agree that Althouse, despite all her media criticism, is profiting off this murder just like the media she claims to be different from and just like the people who didn't help the dying girl, and that if she fears her neighbors' responses more than standing for what's right with her considerable power, she is a hypocrite and a coward? There are at least three female victims of this man. Meanwhile, she's standing over the dead girl's body playing word games with AI for chump change from Amazon.; 9/9/25, 8:29 PM
Big Mike said...: Tina Trent said...

Big Mike: do you agree that Althouse …

@Tina, no.; 9/9/25, 8:41 PM
Mason G said...: Once upon a time, Daniel Penny tried to help and the government put him through the wringer. Do you suppose it's possible that there might have been people on the train who remembered the example they tried to make of him?; 9/9/25, 9:31 PM
Peachy said...: This is about protecting the corrupt democratic party. The soros democratic party.
The corrupt democrat party built the corrupt DA's and corrupt judicial system that made her murder possible.

THE DEMOCRATS KILLED HER. So the Democratic party media must be silent.; 9/9/25, 10:25 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: Ann Althouse said...
I'm afraid a lot of young women learn to lose their natural suspicion of others and wait too long to extract themselves from dangerous situations.

Where do they "learn" this...or rather, who taught them?
John Derbyshire's "The Talk" condenses to "around blacks never relax". That's what they should be learning. Easy to remember and much more useful to them.; 9/9/25, 10:57 PM