The image worth a thousand words....

When I was searching for an image to use, I tried to think back on images I had seen that had an instant impact. This picture from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests was the first to come to mind.

Taken by Associated Press photographer Jeff Widener, the photo embodies how protesters around the world feel - one lone voice against the "machine" of the government. This picture, and the video that was captured during the turbulent May and June days, brought home the desperation of the people and the crushing power of the Chinese Government in ways that Americans couldn't begin to understand.

I can remember watching CNN and other news broadcasts hoping that the Chinese Government would acquiesce and give in to the massive demonstrations for democracy, all the time knowing that the eventual outcome would result in the loss of hundreds of lives.

Time Magazine dubbed the lone protester the "Unknown Rebel" and named him one of The Most Important People of the 20th Century. "Almost certainly he was seen in his moment of self-transcendence by more people than ever laid eyes on Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and James Joyce combined." His identity was never confirmed and the Chinese Government will not report on his whereabouts to this day.