The decision whether or not to print the Falling Man picture is an easy one for me. The answer would be, yes. I agree that the photo is a voyeuristic peek in to the last seconds of a the man’s life, but I think the picture tells a story that could not be told in words. It tells a story that needs to be told. A story of murder, horror, hopelessness and relief. Four words which define the progression of the events that day. By witnessing the seconds prior, we are not cheapening the mans death, but we are celebrating the mans ability to continue to control his own destiny.
The Falling Man is a reminder to the public of the horrors that took place that day. After we’ve had time to reflect on the moment, we are left to speculate and imagine the events that took place inside the towers. None of the footage shown today about 9/11 deals directly with the victims of the towers. It deals with the rescue crews, Flight 93 and their acts of heroism. Today’s coverage is a cleverly designed way of diverting attention away from the dread and hurt, to something which is good and encompassing of American ideals. Perhaps this is why the victims of Flight 93 are held in high regard. They didn’t sit idly by and wait to be killed. They took action. They stood up for themselves. They attempted to take back control of their lives. They were the perceived opposite of those in the towers. Or that’s what we’ve been lead to believe.
The Falling Man photo does not reaffirm the notion that those people in the towers were helpless victims. I believe the Falling Man exemplifies all of those heroic traits so revered in the Flight 93 passengers. In the attempt to regain control of his life (his destiny), a man, choking on deadly smoke fumes, engulfed by fire with no hope of escape, does not allow his murderers to take his life. He takes his own life. He takes control of the only thing that is truly his to control. By throwing himself out the building, the Falling Man is no longer a victim.
By not publishing the Falling Man photo, I would be throwing the control of his death away. Being forgotten and ignored by your countrymen is a fate worse than death. If the Falling Man’s fate was to take back control of his life (however brief), and spit in the face of his murderers, not publishing his story would be damning him to the heap of helplessness in which the world has placed all the tower victims that day. I would publish that picture, and I would salute the Falling Man as a true American hero.
In a complete turn around from the paragraphs above, I would not send out reporters to identify the Falling Man. In such horrific circumstances, I would have to assume that the taking of ones life is a very private matter, and although we’ve already peered in the last seconds of his life, it seems immoral to ask more of the man. He already experienced a horrific end, and by that, he does not owe us anything. This is especially true of his identity.
Great care must be taken when attempting to identify the Falling Man, because not everyone would share my heroic views. Suicide to some is not a heroic end. If the man’s family were to consider suicide an impossible or cowardly fate, it would be irresponsible of us to subject the family to the pain publishing his name would cause.
During times of mass mourning, people rely on the media to provide them with information which gives them perspective and direction. Subjecting the family of the Falling Man to more pain, seems wrong. And for what? Readership? A story? There are thing which need to be told to the community, but the identity of the Falling Man is not one of those important pieces of information which would provide perspective and direction.
Would you print this?
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