'The day American heroism died'

By Jane Han

Back in the early 90s, many of us spent lazy Saturday afternoons watching ``Rescue 911,’’ an American reality-based show that reenacted emergency situations based on true 911 calls. The series, which aired for several years on MBC, showed just how quick and common it was for your next door neighbor, corner grocery store owner and even a perfect stranger can turn into a sudden hero in the U.S.

It was just one of many cultural references that depicted how Americans are generally good Samaritans by nature. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see one in real life last week.

Victim of a disturbing death in New York City, Han Ki-suk was stuck on the deep and dark Manhattan subway tracks after a deranged man pushed him down following a verbal argument.

The 58-year-old Korean-American, as heavily reported and even photographed, trembled in fear in his final, haunting moments of life as the train raced towards him. No one came to the rescue.

A week after the tragic incident, Han’s funeral is over and the suspect of the case, 30-year-old Naeem Davis, has been charged with second-degree murder. But controversy continues to brew over Han’s death, which got widespread attention worldwide.

It’s not about the freelance photographer who took the infamous photos of Han just seconds before the train struck him. That’s a whole other issue that deserves its own story.

The bigger, more serious and far-reaching question for many is, is American heroism dead?

Can we no longer expect just a little more from Americans in the face of a tragedy? The latest news is winding down, but debate in the blogsphere is well-alive.

``What happened to America? Is chivalry dead in this country?’’ wrote one user, Brian Arrington, on the popular Huffington Post news site. ``Is this the new normal? If it is, it’s a very sad reality I do not want to accept.’’

Another user wrote, ``A terribly senseless death. The fact that no one needed to risk their own life to save him…a sad commentary on our society.’’

On a different new discussion forum, there was also no arguing over lamenting about the deadly incident.

``This is an outrage. What has happened to humanity and a sense of life? Shame on the people for watching and not trying to save the man,’’ wrote a user by the name Worried American.

People generally expressed disappointment and anger over the fact that not a single person moved to lend a hand. But for some, it is what it is.

``It’s amazing how many people imagine that they’d be flawless, brave and a life-saving super hero in this situation. I hate to break it to you, but not many of us have it in us to be a hero. It doesn’t mean we’re murderers. It just means we’re human,’’ wrote user MWR.

While many are quick to make a judgment from last week’s incident, experts say one event shouldn’t be blown out of proportion to identify an entire society.

``Sure, it would’ve been great if someone jumped on the tracks to save the man. Would that have made all of us feel better about the world we live in? Probably, but our mind and body don’t always work the way we want it to,’’ says LeAnn Niland, a psychologist and sociotherapist.

She said it’s the bystander effect, a situation where a person is more likely to help when alone than if he was part of a group, which came into play on the subway platform.

``Not one of the 18 bystanders that day was an exception to the psychological phenomenon,’’ said Niland, adding, ``People should imagine themselves as one of the 18 who stood in the horrifying moment. Really, imagine, then it may not be so easy to criticize.’’