By Jillian LeBlanc
On Dec. 4, 2012, a 58-year-old man was pushed onto the subway tracks in Midtown Manhattan. Ki-Suck Han fell off the subway platform seconds before the Q train arrived. Han was hit head on, and dragged by the quick-moving train, bringing him to a painful death. R. Umar Abbasi, a New York Post freelance photographer, was at the scene as the situation unfolded, and captured Han’s final seconds. One of Abbasi’s chilling photos later adorned the cover of the New York Post alongside an unforgettable headline. With the oncoming train mere feet away, Han holding onto the platform for dear life, and a title that read, “Pushed onto the subway track, this man is about to die DOOMED,” The New York Post took a newsworthy story and sensationalized it. The New York Post effectively diminished the worth of one man’s life.
Tragedies such as this can happen to anyone, since people are unpredictable. Han wasn’t doing anything wrong, yet he was a victim to an unstable pedestrian. This story is newsworthy because we all need to be aware of our surroundings. Situations like this could happen to anyone, anywhere, if people are not careful. When we become comfortable with an area, we stop seeing the dangers it possess, and act carelessly. It’s important to let this story be told because it reminds people to be cautious, because sometimes bad things happen. By telling this story, hopefully any future subway incidences will be avoided.
