Best Photos of 2012 And Why: Denial is a Memorial in State College

With all the tragedy photos filling the newswires lately, including those from Newtown and storm-ravaged New York and New Jersey, one’s first reaction is to empathize with the public display of grief. In this case, however, the Penn State abuse scandal deeply compromises that reaction. In an instant, we recognize this photo isn’t about depth of grief as much as depth of irony — and how some people just can’t let go.

via: AP Photos of the Year via Mercury News

(photo: Gene J. Puskar, File/AP caption: In this Jan. 22, 2012 file photo, a woman pays her respects at a statue of Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium on the Penn State University campus after learning of his death in State College, Pa.)