Tank Man

This is a man during the Tienanmen Square protest, standing in front of a line of tanks, protesting the direction the government was heading after General Secretary Hu Yaobang was deposed after losing a power struggle.  Martial law was imposed in Beijing, where the protests took place and between hundreds and thousands of students died.

One must think what this man must have been thinking, as he had undoubtedly seen others being shot at by soldiers.  Is he thinking of the China that he wants to live in?  Is he thinking of his fellow students who have been hurt by soldiers?  Is he caught up in the rush of the protest?  Whatever, the case, his enormous courage is admirable.  Its facing mortality, and putting it in the hands of a complete stranger and relying on him to have respect for human life.  This is truly putting your body on the line for a cause, and this is a picture that represents the complex issue of Chinese politics and protest as well as the simple idea of courage.