Surely, someone would have rushed to cover her with a coat, searched for water, shouted for her to stop, drop, and roll, or grabbed a fire extinguisher. Most of us like to believe we would have acted to save her life. But a woman is now deceased. The disturbing scene of this tragic incident reflects the various issues plaguing our city and the dysfunction of our society on a larger scale.
Zapeta-Calil, an undocumented migrant from Guatemala, mercilessly set fire to a sleeping woman simply because he was able to do so. He does not fear consequences as there is little accountability for breaking the law in our city. Identified as a Guatemalan migrant who re-entered the country illegally after being deported, Zapeta-Calil snuck back in 2018, was deported again, and managed to return, allegedly staying in a taxpayer-funded shelter. The migrant crisis that was once described as unsustainable has now turned deadly.
Furthermore, there is a disturbing lack of empathy towards our fellow citizens and a concerning trend of prioritizing filming events on phones over intervening in emergencies. Numerous individuals recorded the horrifying incident on the subway, with one person providing commentary as if it were a spectacle. The callous attitude displayed towards the victim and the lack of immediate assistance is disheartening.
While witnessing these events unfold, thoughts turn to Daniel Penny, who bravely intervened in a similar situation to protect New Yorkers from harm in the past. Despite his courageous actions, Penny faced legal repercussions and a lengthy trial before being acquitted. This reluctance to assist others, even in extreme situations, raises questions about the state of our society.
Tragic incidents such as the subway immolation and other acts of violence that have occurred in the city are now quickly overshadowed by trivial distractions in the media and on social platforms. We seem to have become desensitized and disconnected from the suffering of others, viewing everything and everyone as disposable.
In these unsettling times, it is essential for us as a community to lift our eyes from the screens that numb us to reality.
In 2022, a deranged homeless man with a history of multiple arrests callously pushed Michelle Go in front of an oncoming train at the Times Square Station, resulting in her tragic death. The shocking incident was quickly overshadowed as the city hurriedly moved on. Tragically, a similar fate befell Christina Yuna Lee, 35, later that year when she was followed into her Chinatown apartment by Assamad Nash, a disturbed individual who brutally hacked her to death. Once again, the city’s collective attention shifted too swiftly.
Michelle Go’s life was brutally cut short when she was violently shoved in front of the speeding subway train by a criminal plagued by psychosis. Her untimely demise was a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the bustling city. Daniel Enriquez, a 48-year-old Goldman Sachs employee, met a similarly senseless fate in 2022. As his grieving sister aptly pointed out, his tragic death serves as a grim testament to the senselessness of such acts of violence. Enriquez was fatally shot by a deranged gunman while aboard the Q train en route to a leisurely brunch, further highlighting the unsettling underbelly of urban life.
The swift passage of time following these heinous crimes does a disservice to the victims and their grieving loved ones. It allows for a dangerous normalization of violence and fosters an atmosphere where accountability is often elusive. By glossing over such chilling incidents, we inadvertently grant permission for those in power to downplay the severity of the situation, leading to a dangerous complacency among the populace.
Contrary to attempts at gaslighting by certain factions, the reality of escalating crime rates, particularly in the city’s subway system, cannot be dismissed as mere perception. City Journal reports that the tragedy involving Michelle Go marks the 11th subway murder of the year, underscoring the gravity of the situation. The perpetrator, Simon Martial, who callously pushed Go to her death, embodies the unchecked chaos that threatens the safety and well-being of innocent individuals traversing the city’s streets and subways.
While these tragedies are undeniably distressing, they are by no means inevitable. Through a concerted effort to hold our elected officials accountable and demand concrete actions to address public safety concerns, we can begin to stem the tide of violence engulfing our communities. It is imperative that we elect leaders who prioritize the enforcement of laws and the protection of citizens, thereby extinguishing the flames of disorder that threaten to consume our society if left unchecked.
