musician sparks backlash for requesting her violin from crashed Amtrak train

[Liberal_in_LA]

Musician sparks outrage after sending ill-judged tweet demanding her violin back from derailed Amtrak train where at least seven died
Train 188 traveling from Washington DC to New York City Tuesday night derailed in Philadelphia
Washington National Opera violinist Jennifer Kim was among the 238 passengers
Kim tweeted at @AmtrakNEC and @Amtrak: 'thanks a lot for derailing my train. Can I please get my violin back from the 2nd car of the train?'
Message has been condemned by other Twitter users as insensitive and in poor taste
Kim has since deleted tweet along with her Twitter account
Wreck killed at least seven and injured 140, six of them critically


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3079851/Musician-sparks-outrage-sending-ill-judged-tweet-demanding-violin-derailed-Amtrak-train-six-died.html#ixzz3a35oOLC6

[DrDan]

1. Yep - poor taste indeed

[MADem]

2. What an idiot. For a musician, she is TONE DEAF. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Internet shaming of the week

[morningfog]

27. Agreed. Wish it weren't that way.

[arcane1]

29. +Infinity.

I won't participate.

[yardwork]

103. And I understand her anger and frustration.

The problem with tweets is that people fire them off without thinking, as if they were saying something to a friend. They don't realize that the whole world might read them and judge them.

I won't participate in judging her. There is plenty of anger and grief to go around.

[Oneironaut]

197. Not surprising - more garbage from the Daily Mail.

The comment was obviously sarcastic, but anything to get the lynch mob of bored social justice warriors going.

[Renew Deal]

4. I am not defending her at all but...

High quality violins can cost over $10,000. Sometimes just the bow is that much.

[gopiscrap]

30. I can understand that...My first girl friend was a

very! good violinist and her violin in 1986 was 18K with a 7k bow...but that said, those are just possessions...that shit can wait!

[markpkessinger]

72. $18K is on the VERY low end for a professional grade instrument . . .

. . . it is likely this instrument was worth considerably more. But when it's your livelihood, it is not "just a possession." Cut the girl some slack!

[gopiscrap]

75. altogether is was 18K for the violin 7k for bow

and 2k for other stuff related to the violin..that's 27K in 1986 dollars which would probably be about 67K now I understand the need for an instrument, specially if it is your livelihood. She should have just waited a few days and then also sue Amtrak for the cost of the instrument and loss of revnue from not working.

[markpkessinger]

77. It would have been on the low end even then . . .

. . . I was with my former partner, also a freelance violinist, at the same time. His instrument was well over $70K.

[treestar]

118. holy cow, how can they be that much?

It would be scary to carry it around!

[markpkessinger]

156. When one performs at a professional level in Classical music . . .

. . . the competitive environment demands it. Most professionals play instruments that were built 300-400 years ago. Stringed instruments built by Stradivarius are the gold standard, of course (and they can run into seven figures!), but there are numerous other 17th and 18th C. makers are also popular. Their price derives from the fact that they are irreplaceable and that there is a limited supply in the world. The reason they are so highly prized is that they produce a sound that new violins simply cannot produce. As the wood of these instruments ages, and as the instruments are continuously played decade after decade, the sound gets ever richer and more brilliant.

[treestar]

236. Amazing they play better that old

I learn something new every day.

[markpkessinger]

237. Even more interesting is the fact that they MUST continue be played at least occasionally. . .

. . . or else the sound will begin to degrade!

[Liberal_in_LA]

174. someone I know brought a bass bow for her kid for 5K and he was a teen

[winter is coming]

214. It's not than unusual for a professional to have more than one instrument.

I have a friend who plays double bass. His best instrument never goes on tour with him, and he leaves it locked in a secure area of the concert hall a lot of the time, to minimize the risk of losing it to a car wreck.

If this was Kim's best instrument, I wouldn't be surprised if it's insured for well over $100K, but the money is likely less important to her than getting the instrument back.

[Stinky The Clown]

52. I thought the same thing, but the tone and wording of that shows her to be a self absorbed asshole.

Yes, professional level violins can be extremely valuable. For a professional musician, they are also one's livelihood. I get all that.

Her tweet shows her to be a twit.

[Mariana]

198. "Thanks a lot for derailing my train"

As if Amtrak did it on purpose, just to fuck her over.

[CreekDog]

209. well then that settles it

no need for any more information or knowledge

just release the hounds.

markpkessinger (6,100 posts)
189. An ex of mine -- also a classical violinist -- knows Jennifer Kim . . .

. . . and here is what he had to say on Facebook:

Jennifer used to be a member of the American Symphony Orchestra, until she moved down to DC. She is such a sweet, gentle person - and a wonderful violinist and colleague. The only things callous on her are the fingertips of her left hand! Our violins are not only our voice, they are irreplaceable works of art as well. If my 315 year baby was on that train, I'm sure I would have reacted similarly. Jennifer certainly doesn't need social media shaming for her reaction.

[Stinky The Clown]

227. As if that changes the tone of what she wrote.

Nice try.

She is a self absorbed asshole.

And a twit.

I am married to a musician for whom her antique instrument is more beloved than can be imagined. I get the emotion. Really I do. I understand the word "irreplaceable."

None the less, her tweet is that of a twit.

And a self absorbed asshole.

edit to add: Maybe I should change/delete my reply here. I see you're very invested in this thread and the poor self absorbed asshole.

[markpkessinger]

60. It isn't just that it's expensive . . .

. . . it is that it is a tool she needs in order to work. So I DO defend her!

[catrose]

93. Much more than that for the violin

Yeah, she needs her violin. If she's a professional musician, it's her life, more than her professional life. I hope it's insured. I hope she can borrow or rent something until she gets this one back or a replacement. No violin=no work=no money

There are many worse people out there for the Internet to shame.

[bvar22]

228. Some violins are family heirlooms,

...and can be hundreds of years old.
I understand this musician.

[LittleBlue]

5. Fake outrage

She's just asking for her violin back. Those things are expensive, and could represent her life savings. How do we know her violin isn't how she makes a living?

[TeeYiYi]

10. Her self-importance is galling...

Seven people died.

If it was really only about her violin, she would have contacted Amtrak's corporate offices and inquired about how to retrieve it. Instead, she posted a snarky shaming tweet.

She deserves the backlash she's getting.

TYY

[CreekDog]

51. she didn't say get my violin then help those in need

[Gormy Cuss]

101. No, but the tweet is snarky and comes across as immature and self-centered.

As a musician I'm sure her violin is worth a lot to her and it may even be a very expensive instrument, but it's a bit early to be complaining that AMTRAK hasn't returned it to her.

[CreekDog]

187. I disagree that it is the topic of her complaint

Her complaint is clearly that the train derailed, and by all accounts, it's legitimate.

To have tens of thousands judge the harmless tweet of someone who was on board that train is so far out of proportion to what she wrote, that even this thread about it is excessive.

[LanternWaste]

54. I see it less as self-importance and more as a reaction predicated on shock

I see it less as self-importance and more as a reaction predicated on shock. If my time-line isn't too far off, she posted about the violin within ten minutes after the accident meaning she may have indeed been in shock and may not have access to information regarding other passengers.

I can only recall the car accident I was in some years ago and as I stumbled out of the car, the police later told me I was simply repeating "I can't find my briefcase... I need my briefcase" over and over again, despite the fact that the car that broad-sided me contained two passengers who were in critical condition. I simply cannot explain or remember my immediate reaction.

Now I wonder what would have happened had I access to facebook or did a tweet during that period. It may just as well have been additional irrelevant nonsense from me, illustrating me as cold and self-important.

[Gormy Cuss]

102. Good point. n/t

[catrose]

110. Probably so

And she's supposed to be on stage in 30 minutes, and all she can think about is, "I'm late. Where's my violin?"

Twitter might have been the easiest way to contact Amtrak in her shell-shocked state...unfortunately.

[Oilwellian]

203. Well, you see Lantern Waste...

You have insight and empathy...something sadly lacking by many, and this thread is an example of that sad fact.

[markpkessinger]

62. Yes, seven people died . . .

. . . and she still needs to eat.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

85. I think that's the problem. No doubt she needs the violin

and that it was probably quite expensive (though probably insured). However, the method of making the request seemed insensitive and self-absorbed. All she had to do was contact Amtrak directly and ask when they would be making passengers' belongings available. That snotty tweet complaining that they crashed "her" train (and when can she get her violin back) was a bit much. I don't care much for the epidemic of internet shaming, which is also stupid, but this person shouldn't have been surprised at a bit of blowback. People just don't seem to get it that tweets and Facebook posts and all that other stuff are public and out there for everybody to see.

[Goblinmonger]

157. Even if it is insured

it isn't like you just go to the 7-11 and get a new violin of that caliber. And it's not just finding a store that carries violins of that caliber. It is about finding one that fits you and produces the tone that highlights the way you play. My daughter was a really good violinist in high school and decided to to be a music major for all the right reasons. It took her playing probably a dozen violins before she settled on the late 18th century French violin she still plays. It was about 10K. That is for a high school musician. If she would have become a violin performance major, she would have at least had to put 4 times that into an instrument.

And violinists and musicians get pretty damn attached to their instruments. My daughter would be crushed if hers was ever destroyed.

And she tagged Amtrak in the tweets, so she was very much trying to get them the information so she could find out about getting it. It wasn't about just venting on Twitter.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

160. That's quite true - you don't go to Wal-Mart for a violin.

And she might have still been rattled from the accident. Still, a non-public email to Amtrak might have been a better way of handling the situation, or at least she could have left off the "Thanks for crashing my train" remark. But I definitely agree that people are busting too hard on her.

[RiffRandell]

199. Exactly. nt

[SMC22307]

193. I'm with you on this one.

After escaping the crash and seeing the wreckage she didn't stop to think there may be injuries and fatalities? The Nepalese were digging through rubble with their bare hands to find earthquake survivors, yet this woman decides to take to Twitter to complain about "my train"? Incredibly selfish.

I don't believe she should be threatened in any way, but when you put out an obnoxious tweet like that, you gotta expect reaction... good and bad.

[Logical]

17. Wow, i assume you would of done the same thing. Some people have..

No tact. Personality flaw.

[LittleBlue]

21. That would have stung if you hadn't said

"would of"

Fix your writing before popping off on the internet.

[cwydro]

24. I see that all the time here.

Gah!

[Logical]

37. LOL....feel important now? Well.....

[LanternWaste]

41. Best way to rationalize one's mistake is by pretending the reaction is worse than the mistake itself

Best way to rationalize one's mistake is by pretending the reaction is worse than the mistake itself. Good job!

[Logical]

117. LOL, hey it is repeating subject line guy. nt

[LittleBlue]

79. Since you really made no point other than to say I had a personality flaw

I felt a serious reply inappropriate. An attack on your poor writing sufficed.

[NuclearDem]

45. PROTIP: That is not "would of."

The word is "would've", a contraction of "would have." This would've been the first would of this sentence.

[Kelvin Mace]

36. Publicly demanding that people retrieve a personal possession

when they are still trying to deal with the dead is pretty classless and self-absorbed.

[jberryhill]

46. Fuck her source of income

Let her go on public assistance for a while.

[LittleBlue]

73. Exactly. Spot on, jberry

Maybe she was just angry to be in a train wreck and wanted her instrument back before they tossed it out or damaged it. She's a violinist in an orchestra, after all. Maybe her annoyance came moments after the wreck and she's mad at Amtrack for crashing her train to crash.

But nope, she's just a coldhearted woman. They won't consider her circumstances. The outrage brigade knows her all too well

[Xyzse]

6. I understand about getting a violin back. They are expensive, but saying that, her timing sucks.

I know it might also mean her job and everything else related to that, but, this is poor timing, and going through twitter really sucks.

Granted, I know that twitter complaints are pretty much where companies look to fix things, so I don't really know how I feel about this.

[haele]

7. Very poor taste, but her violin is her livelihood. And look at the timestamp...

She was probably in a bit of shock still herself. She might not have known about the fatalities when she tweeted.

I can understand the anger at the tweet, but having been a classical musician, I can understand why she may have tweeted it - especially if they weren't going to let her back to get her very expensive violin and figure out how much damage might have been done to it - and if she'd have to replace it with an equally very expensive instrument.

Haele

[CTyankee]

31. we should stop shaming people. We don't live in their lives. She may struggle as an

artist. And violins are expensive. It's not like it's a frivolous thing.

[Kelvin Mace]

39. Well, it would REALLY help if people

would not make such public asses of themselves.

Once upon a time she would have said something like this to a friend or relation and they would have pointed out that her priorities were in need of calibration. Instead, today, people decide that their every thought must be shared with the general public.

[CTyankee]

100. yeah, I know...sad but I think if this were her livelihood she would naturally be concerned.

Think about it. What would YOU do if your violin (which is your livelihood) were gone, what would you do?

[Kelvin Mace]

175. Nothing wrong with being concerned

about the main tool of her profession, especially one that costs tens of thousands of dollars. The problem was her venue of expression, the choice of words, and the timing. A private email would have been a better choice.

[CreekDog]

222. Yeah, the nerve of a person not thinking soundly 15 minutes after a train derailment

hear hear! you tell them.

you can stand outside the next trail derailment and warn people not to make asses of themselves!



(and, no, her "friends" who weren't on the train probably wouldn't have lectured her about her words moments after she got off a derailed train, no not really)

[Kelvin Mace]

223. Again, she had all sorts of ways to ask about her violin

She could have emailed, phoned or written an old fashioned letter, instead she chose the most public way possible.

Someone makes a public ass of themselves and people claim they are a victim. No, the dead and maimed people on the train are victims.

BTW, if Donald Trump had posted this about the loss of his precious laptop, which was critical to his livelihood, you would be defending him as well, right?

[CreekDog]

225. If you are so insistent on being helpful, why weren't you there at the wreckage

helping people by telling them not to Tweet foolish things?

[Kelvin Mace]

226. Same reason I am not advising GOP candidates not to say damned foolish things

1) They wouldn't listen to me

2) Too many fools, not enough time.

I have asked this question several times to people claiming this woman's actions were reasonable, but no one will answer it.

If Donald Trump had posted to Twitter:

"Thanks a lot for derailing my train. Can I please get my laptop back from the 2nd car of train?”

(His laptop being a critical piece of equipment to his business livelihood, without which he would would lose his income)

Would you, or anyone else be defending him?

What if it were Ted Nugent posting about his very rare and expensive guitar?

[Logical]

44. You know who else here has lost their living? Guess and I will let you know if you are right! nt

[jberryhill]

53. Not you

Apparently, your trade requires no tools, or if it does you have them.

So, good to know you're not out of work due to this event.

[RiffRandell]

49. Yeah, well maybe she should have insured it.

What a thoughtless jerk, imo.

[CTyankee]

106. maybe she did and she just wanted her original violin back. It might have a "feel"

for her that she needs and wants. What is wrong with that?

[RiffRandell]

182. Because people fucking died.

Last edited Fri May 15, 2015, 09:16 PM - Edit history (1)

So she can shove her "feel" up her ass sideways.

My son played the viola the last 3 years as it was required.

He wouldn't, but if he said what she said I would be disgusted, as you should be.

True colors shining right fucking through.

[CTyankee]

200. That's a pretty violent suggestion.

She didn't start an unnecessary war, she didn't cause anyone to get injured or die.
Yet you seem to know her "true" colors? What are you suggesting?

[ProfessorGAC]

224. You Do Realize She Was On That Train

She was in a train accident too. Yes, she survived. But, still a victim of a train crash.

You might want to take a chill pill

[markpkessinger]

64. Why is it in poor taste if it is her livelihood?

The woman still needs to eat, FFS.

[CTyankee]

107. Of course! Do we want artists dying for their art? Really?

[markpkessinger]

148. What are you talking about?

And what on earth makes you think I was suggesting such a thing?

Look, this was sent 15 minutes after she crawled out of the wreckage, when she herself was likely unaware of the extent of injuries or that people had been killed. She asked, "Can I please get my violin back?" -- a violin that is her livelihood. Given all of that, I find the judgment being heaped upon this woman, and the idea that people can presume to know what kind of person she is, based on a single tweet sent under extraordinarily stressful circumstances to be simply appalling!

[CTyankee]

194. sorry for my lame attempt at sarcasm...dying for one's art is a melodramatic

expression, like with the opera Tosca...

of course, I was not seriously suggesting that. And I very much agree with you that she should be treated with more compassion. And you are right, we can't presume to know what kind of person she is.

[KansDem]

142. Her bio...

Jennifer Kim is a versatile violinist who performs throughout the United States and the world. She is a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra/Washington National Opera Orchestra and a substitute for National Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic. In addition to her orchestral career, she has performed chamber music at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Music Center at Strathmore. She has performed with New World Symphony (Miami, FL), Pacific Music Festival Orchestra (Japan), Verbier Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), and participated in masterclasses at Mozarteum (Austria) and Great Mountains Music Festival (Korea). Also active as a studio musician, she has recorded on sound tracks of major motion pictures Noah, Doubt, Julie/Julia, True Grit, Tower Heist, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Her Broadway show credits include concertmaster appearances at The Little Night Music and First National Tour of The Book of Mormon. She has also collaborated with artists such as Sting, Michael Buble, Peter Gabriel, and DJ Spooky.

An avid educator, she teaches at George Mason University School of Music and National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute and contributes as a sectional coach for American Youth Philharmonic, for which she is an alumna. Recognizing the importance of arts education, she also performs actively in Washington DC area public schools as a founding member of King Street Quartet, in addition to having taught at New York City Public School 1 as a Morse Fellow from the Juilliard School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Columbia University and a Master of Music degree in violin performance at the Juilliard School. Her teachers include Ricardo Cyncynates, Naoko Tanaka, Lisa Kim and Hyo Kang. She is an exclusive Andrea Rosin artist and performs on a 1907 Vincenzo Postiglione violin. Outside of the violin, her passion for fine wine has led to Level 3 Certification from Wine & Spirit Education Trust from London, England.

https://violinistjennifer.wordpress.com/about/

[haele]

186. The poor taste wasn't about asking to go back for her violin, IMO.

It was in the "Thanks Amtrak for derailing my train" comment...
And honestly, that would be something I would say after I was helped out of a tipped-over rail car covered with bruises and cuts and brushed myself off. Before I knew of any fatalities.
A comment like that would not at all be a surprise coming from a strong person so soon after a disaster - and totally in bad taste.

Haele

[markpkessinger]

190. Not according to most of the criticism she has received here . . .

. . . which has accused her of suggesting her violin was more important than her violin -- which she emphatically did NOT say!

[Sheldon Cooper]

8. I heard that she sent that tweet only 15 minutes after the crash.

Which I'm sure was well before the news of any fatalities. Still, bad timing and tone deaf, indeed.

[octoberlib]

9. She should have contacted them privately by phone or email, not Twitter.

[riqster]

57. This.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. I'm sure she's not a horrible person. But.....

Bonehead move on her part, and the problem is when your bonehead move is front and center on the Internet, good luck not having it broadcast to the entire world.

Welcome to the 21st Century.

[Ilsa]

12. Tweeting this? How would that help her get

Her property back? She needs to talk to the company and her insurance company.

[nadinbrzezinski]

71. She tagged AMTRAK with it

and that qualifies as actually contacting the company

[Goblinmonger]

13. When is the appropriate time to want her violin back?

How long does she have to wait? Leaving it out in the elements could ruin a violin. My daughter has a violin worth over $10K and she's not even a music major in college. If she is a professional musicians, this violin could be worth a whole lot of money.

[Logical]

18. How about her not being fucking stupid and contacting someone who....

Can actually get it and not fucking twitter? Wow, talk about clueless!

[Goblinmonger]

22. how about she tagged 2 Amtrak Twitter accounts?

Speaking of clueless, doing that does work on Twitter. Or should she have called and clogged up the phone lines so could bitch about that?

[Logical]

42. Are you as concerned about the injured people who can't work now? I doubt it. nt

[jberryhill]

63. So, why are you working?

I see.

Because she was in a crash that rendered people unable to work, then she should likewise be unable to work.

Logical.

[Logical]

120. No, she should not whine about losing a tool when people died and are injured. Get it yet? nt

[Trajan]

181. Yeah, so you should come to DU and whine about her whining on Twitter

Hmmm .. Crazy little world we got here .... So much energy expended in so many useless ways ...

[Goblinmonger]

159. Holy Strawman, Batman

Yeah. I am concerned about injured people who can't work. My wife is an attorney that represents people like that all the time. What's your fucking point?

[WestSideStory]

183. The next time you just walk out of a train crash

You get to comment on what an appropriate reaction of someone in a state of shock is.

[Quackers]

33. If the violen was so precious to her and expensive, maybe she should have used a private carrier.

She could even have it insured. I'd be willing to bet that the cheapest hospital bill from one of the victims will cost more than that violen is worth.

People before Possessions!

[markpkessinger]

70. She's a professional musician, FFS

I know many freelance classical musicians, for whom their instrument is their single biggest investment (often surpassing rent or even a mortgage). But it's not like they're so wealthy they can afford private carriers. What planet do you live on?

[Quackers]

119. People died FFS!

What planet do you live on where a violen is worth more than a human life?

[markpkessinger]

133. And do you think she knew that 15 minutes after she had crawled out of the wreckage? n/t

[Quackers]

146. Most people wouldn't be ignorant enough to tweet that 15 minutes after the train they're on crashes.

Look, she fucked up. Plain and simple. If you feel the need to defend her honor, then have at it. If she was sincere, why didn't she apologize?

[markpkessinger]

150. I'm not willing to call anything anyone does in the immediate aftermath of an accident "fucked up" .

. . . Have you ever been through something like that? People can and do say all sorts of things they wouldn't say otherwise. And as for her later apology, I think that speaks to the fact that she is NOT the self-centered narcissist people have made her out to be.

[Quackers]

161. Yes, I have been through something similar.

I'll reference her own tweet as to her thought process at the time. She took a picture of emergency personnel climbing onto and into train cars that were laying on their sides in a twisted mess. She then posted the photo on Twitter, tagged Amtrak, and sent a snarky message about her violen. As I said before, what she did was ignorant and the backlash in justified.

[markpkessinger]

134. I never said a violin was worth more than a human life, and neither did she n/t

[catrose]

113. Professional musicians carry their instruments with them eom

[Goblinmonger]

163. Just because she is a profession musician doesn't mean she's fucking Madonna.

Jesus.

I'm sure she has it insured. Do you understand how hard it is to find a violin of that caliber that fits you and produces the tones you want? And she tweeted this 15 minutes after the wreck. And all she did was just ask Amtrak of she could get her violin. What a fucking bitch.

[MoonRiver]

212. The way that tweet read was that it was ALL ABOUT HER.

I'm sure she was looking on horrific devastation, probably suspecting many people were dead and injured, yet she choose to send a self centered, snarky tweet about her beloved POSSESSION. How classy, NOT.

[Goblinmonger]

213. That's all on you.

She starts the tweet by tagging two Amtrak accounts. Which would mean that it is aimed at them.

OK, there is a little snark about crashing her train. She is 15 minutes out from the accident; I think we can forgive her that.

Then she asks for her violin back. Even says "please." Any self-centeredness and snark are on how you are reading it.

[MoonRiver]

217. Her tweet is what it is.

The problem with social media is that you cannot untweet something before it is all over the WWW. Personally, I don't think what she did amounts to much, but it definitely was VERY self-centered. Oh, and my perception seems to be shared by many others.

[CreekDog]

221. oh wow, well that's a crime that your condemnation is certainly needed to prevent

[Oneironaut]

196. It doesn't matter because outragggge!!!

Be angry and send death threats! It's the Internet way!

[justhanginon]

14. How does her asking "can I get my violin back" be turned turn into

"demanding her violin back"? It changes the whole tenor of her tweet. I am so sick of people changing words around to get the worst possible spin on almost everything in the news or on GD twitter so as to make it the most outrageous and attention getting.
Probably not the best idea for a tweet under the circumstances but in some ways understandable.

[LittleBlue]

19. It's the Daily Mail

Best photography of any news site, but unfortunately they are known for manufacturing news.

[arcane1]

35. The Pillory is back, and it's gone digital.

And people line up eagerly to throw rotten fruit at anyone.

[Logical]

20. I am glad we have a way for fucking morons to expose their stupidity! nt

[Logical]

38. I will realize that people are rude and stupid, and now people will know this about her. nt

[philosslayer]

43. And do you feel better now?

That you've puffed out your chest and decided you know everything you need to know about this young woman? All consumed with your pompous self-righteousness? YEAHH!!!! Someone made a small mistake on twitter!!! BUUUURN the witch!!! She shall be shamed until she conforms!!!!

She wants her violin back. Big deal. Get a life.

[pintobean]

55. Why yes, we do.

[Inkfreak]

151. Anytime time will do...they're fucking nuts. (nt)

[alcibiades_mystery]

178. In the future, everyone will be internet shamed for 15 hours

[Aerows]

16. She could have worded that a hell of a lot better.

No one wants to derail a train on purpose, and seven people died.

A simple "Those killed and injured are a tragedy; I'm glad all that I need is my violin back" would have completely changed the tone.

[philosslayer]

68. Really?

Are you THAT worked up about this? She wants her damn violin back. So what? How are you harmed by her mentioning it? This fake outrage and internet shaming / bullying of those who don't conform 100% to what people expect makes me want to gag. I can see the pearl-clutching brigade is in full outrage mode.

[Aerows]

78. I'm the one worked up?

Read what you just wrote, then compare it to my relatively mild comment.

[philosslayer]

82. Maybe because i HATE internet bullying

Which is what this whole thread is about.

[Aerows]

84. Uh, okay

If you consider your response the epitome of social graces and my statement that she could have worded it better tantamount to bullying ... okay.

There's some irony here.

[philosslayer]

86. Here's the deal...

When someone just went through a potentially life altering event, narrowly escaping death... I give them a little slack on maybe a mild lack of social grace. Its real easy to judge others from that easy chair with the nice cold drink on a sunny day.

[kcr]

153. Seriously. The people worked up over the outrage seem to be the ones

who are really blowing their stack. OMG, there's an epidemic of shaming! On the internet!? What will we do!!?!11

[jen63]

152. There IS another Brigade

that is in mourning this evening. The Brigade of Midshipman at USNA. My son lost a classmate on that train and the tweet does come across to me as crass and ill timed. If you don't want shamed, don't send ignorant tweets, especially if you may still be in a state of shock. I don't normally get out raged, but today is different.

BTW he was Midshipman 3/C Justin Zemser on his way home to NY for a few days before he had to return to the Academy for Commissioning Week. He was 20 years old.

[haele]

210. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm retired USN myself.

Let the outrage and the victim shaming go. You have more of a reason to be angry than most of the others, but I would recommend you still should make the effort not to continue direct it at another victim after the initial shock. While there may be levels of injury, there is no discernible level of victimhood in life; while the impact of injury has a magnitude that might be considered, no victim has more of a right to respect in their personal injury than another.

I've lost a few friends, family and shipmates over the years to accidents and other situations that were unfair, and been personally involved in some serious incidents in my time. Honestly, I would have tweeted the same thing she would have at the time. I suspect that Ms. Kim has a personality much like mine.

Peace to you and your son. But remember, Ms. Kim's reaction had to do with what happened to her, and had nothing to do with what happened to your son's shipmate. If at the time she had known the magnitude of what was going on, she probably would have tweeted or done something else.

Haele

[jen63]

211. Thank you for your concern.

I didn't shame any one. Merely responded to this OP on a message board. I'm just calling attention to someone's real, live, human "baby," who was taken forever in the train crash. (As the violin was compared to in another OP I saw later.)

Trying for a little perspective. (And not claiming Justin's death was any more important than the other six. Just the one I am closest to, but you knew that)

[hunter]

25. I can't read anything into this... not at all.

I hope she gets her violin back. That would be nice.

People respond to events like this in unpredictable ways.

I suspect the nastiest people responding to this tweet would be among the nastiest people to have on the scene of a fatal accident.

My wife and my sister both do emergency medicine as part of their work. They've seen everything. Traveling with either of them and encountering an accident on the road, or some medical crisis in a public place, is both astonishing and terrifying. Our kids have stories...

Fight or flight is the natural instinct of most people, it takes intense training to face a catastrophes like this in an effective and appropriate manner, especially as a victim, no matter how slightly injured.

[uppityperson]

50. Yup, I can't get mad about this at all. I hope she gets it back and it is ok.

[Liberal_in_LA]

176. Some are supporting her tweet. I hope she has insurance on the violin

[Paladin]

204. I'm with you folks. Here's hoping she gets her violin back.

Those of you jumping all over this lady for statements made in extreme circumstances: ease off a little.

[CreekDog]

220. yes in fact one of the most vocal in the thread

[NaturalHigh]

26. She probably didn't mean to come off as a narcissistic ass...

but she did nonetheless.

[CTyankee]

34. I don't think so at all. If she is a musical artist whose livelihood depends on her violin

she has good reason to get it back. I don't think it diminishes the suffering and death of others at all. It's not like she was asking to have something frivolous back. A violinist must practice every day to stay on top of her art. We don't know her back story so let's not judge right out of the gate...

[Logical]

47. I guarantee she can find another violin to practice. I bet the people in the hospital.....

would LOVE to just have a piece of work equipment missing. Really dumb comparison.

[markpkessinger]

80. You think professional grade instruments are just out there for anyone who wants to borrow one?

Seriously, think again.

[mindem]

87. That comment is so stupid it hurts.

[CreekDog]

88. Oh please, you act like she asked for her violin to be retrieved while people die

[Goblinmonger]

165. Oh, well, you GUARANTEE it. So that makes it a real thing.

Why do you have it so bad for this woman?

[Ex Lurker]

28. It's her livelihood. If you needed something to coninue your employement, you'd want it back too

This is like the Two Minutes of Hate in Orwell's 1984. Tomorrow the internet will beat down someone else.

[KansDem]

145. See no. 142

Her bio

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Lemme see

15 minutes after the accident

Likely she had no clue there were fatalities

She makes a living with an expensive violin...

Nope, this is not tone deaf, that is partly what is colloquially known as state of shock, not to be confused with the medical term. I have been an EMT at more than one major accident, and one of our priorities was actually reuniting people with property as soon as possible. since it is also part of that care. But perhaps that was because I did it SOMEWHERE ELSE...

In fact, after reading the comments, I am certainly glad I did do it SOMEWHERE ELSE.

[Unvanguard]

40. Seems like a valid request to me.

Not the highest priority. But a valid request.

Glad all those people got their self-righteousness out at someone else's expense, though.

[jberryhill]

56. She's a violinist for the Washington National Opera

Fuck, they sell violins at K-Mart for, what, 50 bucks?

She doesn't have anything important to do with that thing anyway.

-----
Jennifer Kim, a native of McLean, VA, is a versatile violinist who performs throughout the United States and the world. She is a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra/Washington National Opera Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra and Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral career, she has performed chamber music at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Music Center at Strathmore. She has performed with New World Symphony (Miami, FL), Pacific Music Festival Orchestra (Japan), Verbier Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), and participated in masterclasses at Mozarteum (Austria) and Great Mountains Music Festival (Korea). Also active as a studio musician, she has recorded on sound tracks of major motion pictures Doubt, Julie/Julia, True Grit, Tower Heist, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. An avid educator, she has taught at the 92nd Street Y as a violin faculty member from 2005-2010 and New York City Public School 1 as a Morse Fellow from the Juilliard School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Columbia University and a Master of Music degree in violin performance at the Juilliard School. She holds a Suzuki Violin certification from School for Strings, New York City. Her teachers include Ricardo Cyncynates, Naoko Tanaka, Lisa Kim and Hyo Kang.
-------

Such fuss over a stupid fiddle.

[markpkessinger]

58. Criticize her all you want . . .

. . . but if she is a professional, this is something she needs to work. A former partner of mine was a free-lance violinist, and being without his violin for even a few days would have been a major economic hit to him.

[hifiguy]

67. After reading this entire thread, I agree with you.

She's a professional musician and it is doubtless a valuable instrument. It's her livelihood. And I am sure she was a little zoned after going through a train derailment a short while before. People need to back off of her.

[pintobean]

59. Umm... She was just involved in a horrific 100 mph train wreck.

I'm not about to judge her.

[CreekDog]

61. Her message seems polite, she even says "thanks".

[markpkessinger]

65. Quite so . . .

. . . she politely asked for a return of not just a personal possession, but of an extremely expensive tool she needs for her livelihood.

[DinahMoeHum]

66. (sigh!) Yet another reason why I don't do Twitter. . .

. . .really, who needs this shit?

[Iggo]

69. Yeah, whatever.

No big deal. She wants her shit back.

[Kalidurga]

74. First person to respond was a RWer

It doesn't mean their opinion is invalid, but it sure makes you stop to think for a minute.

1. Many people have talked about how tone-deaf this musician is, but the time stamp shows she probably didn't know of the fatalities. So I can't be outraged over on that account.

2. She is a musician and while not all musicians and artist (in fact very few) are obsessive and compulsive among other things like having aspergers. Since I am not a doctor I don't know if she has it or the exact percentages, I am sure they are more at risk of developing OCD traits. It could be literally one of just a few things she thinks about.

3. She probably has it insured. I don't think this is about the money at all. I think she might actually love that violin. I have hard copies of some poetry I have done, the paper it's printed on is just a couple of pennies and I have them stored electronically in a couple of places, yet I would be very sad if I lost my hard copies.

4. It's her profession and what she loves to do. Love and money drive a lot of people to do ill advised things.

[Skittles]

91. people need to think before they tweet

do all thoughts and demands need to be made public? No doubt she will be thinking twice now.

[markpkessinger]

97. Agreed, but lots of folks might not think things through 15 minutes after being in an accident n/t

[CreekDog]

219. and if they don't think, what should the penalty for that be?

should it be the shaming of her and others that have the same name as her, as has been done by thousands and thousands of people?

this is so excessive that each further allegation against this person is worse than what she did.

the pile on is excessive, out of proportion, and therefore, those who participate in it are more wrong than their target.

[Skittles]

229. EXACTLY why I don't tweet

[CreekDog]

231. EXACTLY why I shouldn't tweet

just can't help myself sometimes.

[Skittles]

235. *HEH*

Last edited Thu May 14, 2015, 10:09 PM - Edit history (1)

check out this Facebook idiocy

http://ionmesquite.com/index.php/newsx-2/3616-viral-misinformation1

[olddots]

76. How can people not make public asses put of themselves ?

we are all under a microscope now if we choose to express ourselves in an open circuit world .

[unblock]

81. she's deprived of her emotional outlet and people complain about her not being properly emotional?

i rather suspect that she wants nothing more than to play some appropriately somber, grieving, morose music on her violin.

but whatever, let's just get outraged that she didn't say the most thoughtfully tasteful statement shortly after just escaping a disaster with her life.

[Nye Bevan]

83. Maybe better to wait for the bodies to be buried (or at least pulled from the wreckage)

before publicly whining snarkily about getting back her personal property. Just a thought.

[CreekDog]

89. Everyone here has a right to complain about this girl's tweet

as long as they have been in a train derailment with fatalities too.

everyone who doesn't meet that criteria should just zip it instead of complaining about her.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

90. If a part of you was still on that train after you got off ,you would want it back just as soon as

it occurred to you , it's not there. It is one thing to be a musician ,it is something entirely different when one is completely devoted to music . That missing part of her in her realization of it being not there was devastating as all hell. Indeed, why would anyone expect
the average person to understand what devastating in all that it means is to one who is very very gifted.

Everything she has to gift us with comes through her instrument which is a part of her.

[Skittles]

112. sure she needs her violin

but there are better ways to go about it than acting like that would be Amtrak's main concern after a horrific accident

[Goblinmonger]

167. Where did she do that?

That's reading a WHOLE LOT into that tweet.

[Skittles]

192. uh huh

[markpkessinger]

92. This tweet was sent 15 minutes after a traumatic accident . . .

. . . it is unlikely this woman even knew of the deaths or of the extent of injuries at this point. The willingness to judge this woman based upon a single tweet sent while she herself was likely still quite traumatized by it is simply disgusting.

[catrose]

94. And she was probably going somewhere to

rehearse/teach/perform on that violin. And if you don't play, you don't get paid. Even if it's insured, you don't get the money or a new instrument instantly.

[markpkessinger]

95. Exactly! n/t

[hifiguy]

96. Why is this so damned hard for people here to understand?

She is a professional musician.

[Beaverhausen]

108. And probably desperately wanted to go find her violin on the train and they wouldn't let her get it

If I had my guitar, or some other valuable item that would be very hard to replace, I'd want to go get it, too.

[catrose]

114. Right

They probably made everyone get off without possessions.

[catrose]

115. Truly!

[MadrasT]

130. +1

[MoonRiver]

98. So the rescuers are supposed to stop looking for and helping victims,

to search for this little sociopath's violin???

[CreekDog]

218. No, that's not what she said

If you embellish what she said to make her look worse, then that is not a good reflection on you.

[RedCappedBandit]

99. She's one of the victims FFS

She can react to this trauma however she wants and I'm not going to judge her.

I can feel sorrow for the loss of life and injury and still hope she gets her violin back and every other victim has their wrongs righted.. all at once!

[darkangel218]

105. You are correct.

While doing my clinical rotation in ED we had a patient screaming his lungs out because we cut his clothes off ( he had a fractured femur ). To him at the time, the clothes were a priority.
My guess is many of these victims are still in emotional shock. I don't understand why anyone would go off on her.

[catrose]

169. Wonder if that was a friend of mine

who said he knew he was going to survive when he got mad that his precious leather jacket had been cut off--totally ruined! Not worried at all about the bits of himself all over the highway.

I was doing case work for a fire, and whatever my question--"Tell me what happened…how were you affected…what have you lost"--this lady answered about her cats. "My cats were so scared, they ran out the window. They're so scared, they're still hiding. I'd just been to Price Chopper and bought the giant bag of Iams Cat Food, and they tell me I have to throw it all out." She wouldn't stay at the hotel we found for her because it wouldn't accept pets.

My agency didn't deal with pets, but some of us did stealth pet work: We chipped in and bought a big bag of Iams food and left it at the office for her.

I wish people would go back to hating on bankers and politicians rather than traumatized musicians.

[darkangel218]

170. Most patients, if awake and alerted , worry about various things after an accident

They worry about their loved ones, or loved items. They rarely worry about themselves or their outcome.
It's just how human brain prioritizes in a crisis/trauma situation.

[catrose]

172. Makes sense, somehow eom

[Beaverhausen]

104. here is her bio. She uses that instrument to make a living

https://violinistjennifer.wordpress.com/about/

Her violin is probably worth a lot closer to $100K. I really hope it is insured.

Jennifer Kim is a versatile violinist who performs throughout the United States and the world. She is a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra/Washington National Opera Orchestra and a substitute for National Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic. In addition to her orchestral career, she has performed chamber music at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Music Center at Strathmore. She has performed with New World Symphony (Miami, FL), Pacific Music Festival Orchestra (Japan), Verbier Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), and participated in masterclasses at Mozarteum (Austria) and Great Mountains Music Festival (Korea). Also active as a studio musician, she has recorded on sound tracks of major motion pictures Noah, Doubt, Julie/Julia, True Grit, Tower Heist, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Her Broadway show credits include concertmaster appearances at The Little Night Music and First National Tour of The Book of Mormon. She has also collaborated with artists such as Sting, Michael Buble, Peter Gabriel, and DJ Spooky.

An avid educator, she teaches at George Mason University School of Music and National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute and contributes as a sectional coach for American Youth Philharmonic, for which she is an alumna. Recognizing the importance of arts education, she also performs actively in Washington DC area public schools as a founding member of King Street Quartet, in addition to having taught at New York City Public School 1 as a Morse Fellow from the Juilliard School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Columbia University and a Master of Music degree in violin performance at the Juilliard School. Her teachers include Ricardo Cyncynates, Naoko Tanaka, Lisa Kim and Hyo Kang. She is an exclusive Andrea Rosin artist and performs on a 1907 Vincenzo Postiglione violin. Outside of the violin, her passion for fine wine has led to Level 3 Certification from Wine & Spirit Education Trust from London, England.

[darkangel218]

109. Rec to bring awerness that trauma victims are not just physically traumatized

But emotionally as well. Wanting an object (which means so much to her) back, is not unusual.
Those criticizing her need to take a step back and try to understand her situation.

[catrose]

116. ^THIS^ eom

[Logical]

122. Oh FFS. nt

[darkangel218]

123. Ffs what? care to explain why you disagree?

[Trajan]

111. I have no problem with the request

Professional violins cost a lot of money ...

She should inquire about it ...

[Logical]

121. via twitter? lol, ok. nt

[Trajan]

125. No where did I mention Twitter

[darkangel218]

126. Besides "lol" and "ffs", why do you disagree with this victim request?

I'm curious.

[Logical]

128. Because people were dead and 100s will miss their job and pay tomorrow and this idiot....

goes to fucking twitter to whine about a violin.

A quick apology was in order, but have not seen it yet.

[darkangel218]

131. She was a victim too. People dont think clearly when shit hits the fan.

Apparently she "twitted" the question only minutes after the accident.
Can't you not understand what shock does to people??

[Logical]

136. Then where is her apology? Her website says nothing! And she deleted her twitter account. nt

[darkangel218]

138. She deleted the twit AND the account.

She shouldn't have done any of that, and she doesn't need to apologize.
It seems you are ignoring all my explanation about trauma and emotional shock.

[Logical]

155. Normal people do apologize. It is telling she has not. We disagree on this. nt

[darkangel218]

158. You call a stranger "not normal" because they long for a precious item while in shock??

After they just dodged death??

I feel for you.

[Logical]

162. I feel for the injured people and the ones that died. I would never whine about my missing stuff....

if I walked away unhurt. And if in a moment I made a really selfish post I would say I was sorry.

[darkangel218]

166. She didnt stop search ane rescue. She didnt hurt or harm anyone.

She was worried about something she cared about. If she had kids, I bet she would have asked for them. If she had pets with her, she would have asked about them.
People don't even think about themselves when accidents happen. They think about their loved ones.
She loved her violin.

[Logical]

168. OK, that is really silly. Almost think you are messing with me. nt

[darkangel218]

171. No one is "messing" with you.

Have a nice life.

[CreekDog]

216. you said worse than she did actually, and you never apologized

quite the opposite actually.

take a look:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025189230

[haele]

234. Delete a twitter account full of people telling you you're a peice of shit?

I'd do it in a heartbeat.
BTW, she doesn't need to apologise for anything she tweeted to AMTRAK right as she was trying to get her bearings. She didn't harm anyone who wasn't looking to be outraged. She wasn't making fun of anyone. She was just unloading on AMTRAK in a stressful situation.
While the victims on TV don't do that sort of thing, victims in real life do that all the time. Two parts of the "centering" process - survivors tend to both swear and focus on something important to them to get moving.

Heck, I'd probably tweet something similar in that situation, if I was used to using Twitter or Facebook to communicate with friends, co-workers, or students. I'm a bit on the sardonic side. Does that make me a bad person too?

Haele

[Omaha Steve]

124. They are still looking for bodies/survivors

They believe there may be one trapped alive under a car.

[Beaverhausen]

129. She probably didn't know that at the time

[malaise]

127. I'm taking bets

Kim is either first born or last born - one more entitled self loving moron.
Not now Kim - you are not that important - no matter how much you love or need that violin

[MoonRiver]

137. This

[malaise]

141. I should have added or only child

I know them - memememememmememememmemememmememememememememe24/7

[MoonRiver]

144. Yes, that too!

My husband is one. I am a first born.

[philosslayer]

149. Glad to know you can instantly judge someone who just had a near death experience

And can judge someone based on one rather mild tweet. "entitled self loving moron". Wow, The INSIGHT you have!!! Isn't it great being able to sling mud at a total stranger from the anonymous confines of the Democraticunderground!!! Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Have a beer!!

[darkangel218]

154. Wow malaise.. seriously??

[malaise]

177. Thanks a lot for derailing my train

After that comment - all bets are off. I stick with my comment.

[darkangel218]

135. You are wrong. She is one of the victims.

I've seen people in CRITICAL condition worrying about their pets, rather than their outcome. She inquired about something which was precious to her. We have no right to judge.

[darkangel218]

140. No it wasnt off.

She was in shock. She wanted something she cared about so much back.

Live and let live. We should be happy she is alive and not another deceased victim.

[Inkfreak]

147. I wish people would stop reacting to tweets like they signified anything important.

[BlueJazz]

164. I give people the benefit of a doubt. Sometimes internet words don't transmit true feelings.

[Liberal_in_LA]

173. I hear ya.

[tridim]

179. Chill out Internet. She screwed up, as we all have. Let's not ruin her life for it. nt

[darkangel218]

180. She didnt "screw up".

It was a normal reaction, considering the circumstances.

[Paladin]

205. +1.

[WestSideStory]

184. Who the fuck does this right wing piece of shit think he is?

How fucking DARE he denigrate a woman in a state of shock after a major train accident?

[PoliticAverse]

185. So this was today's Internet 2-minute hate? n/t

[markpkessinger]

189. An ex of mine -- also a classical violinist -- knows Jennifer Kim . . .

. . . and here is what he had to say on Facebook:

Jennifer used to be a member of the American Symphony Orchestra, until she moved down to DC. She is such a sweet, gentle person - and a wonderful violinist and colleague. The only things callous on her are the fingertips of her left hand! Our violins are not only our voice, they are irreplaceable works of art as well. If my 315 year baby was on that train, I'm sure I would have reacted similarly. Jennifer certainly doesn't need social media shaming for her reaction.

[U4ikLefty]

191. Are people just looking to be pissed off?

She's also a victim and deserves a little empathy.

[Oneironaut]

195. Who cares? Is this another Internet outrage thing?

Some of these are so bizarre and funny. Like these people even care - they just want to whine about crap and pick on other people - the Internet allows for both.

I hope she gets her violin back, and that the Internet inquisition squad gets a personality.

[rjsquirrel]

201. Poor kid

People are so f@&king self-righteous. She was in the wreck, unlike her critics, so maybe cut her some damn slack? A good violin is worth tens of thousands.

Maybe she has a gig and needs it to pay her medical bills?

F$&k those haters. Twitter is for hate speech.

Give her back her violin!

[stevenleser]

202. I'm sure most folks who lost an $18K+ essential piece of equipment for them to earn a living would

be upset.

[Paladin]

206. Looking at Ms. Kim's impressive CV, up-thread, I'm betting it's a lot more than $18K. (nt)

[SwankyXomb]

232. Actual pricing for instruments like this are hard to find online

but based on a quick search, $30K is closer to the value.

[Paladin]

233. You can drop $30K to $35K on a modern-made violin without any effort. (nt)

[haele]

207. Lots of people trying to script a victim's reaction right after a horrific experiance.

Okay, I'll admit to thinking that tweeting a comment "Thanks a lot for derailing my train" to AMTRAK after she got herself upright after crawling or being helped out of the wreckage out to the universe could be considered a little bit in poor taste.

But hey, it's also something I'd say in the very same situation , because I'm not a weeper or Gawd-Thanker when I've been traumatized.

If I was on twitter, I'd probably tweet it, just to let my peeps know I was okay and ready to get back to business.
I'm a 55 year old sardonic, pragmatic bitch (and have been called versions of that in my face since I was 16 and was the only person who could be a first responder in a serious motorcycle accident). I know I make plenty of worse comments that are in bad taste. It's called "dry (or black) humor", and it's how a lot of people cope.

Asking if she could go back into the breakage for her violin right after is also a no-brainer. If she was helped out and couldn't get to her violin before being pulled out, for a professional musician (especially a delicate stringed instrument), it's like leaving a part of your soul behind. That violin is like a lover, and isn't easily replaced.

Ultimately, what people don't seem to accept is that she didn't know anyone was dead when she tweeted a fairly insignificant remark instead of doing what they think they would have done in her position. Everyone who isn't involved in a horrific accident seems to channel their inner Superman, and they always seem to be amazed when someone on the scene doesn't seem to be able to do what "they would have done" in her position - especially since most people will never be in her position.
They would have joined all the first responders and pulled the pitiful innocents out of the wreckage. They would have pulled blankets, chairs, and other comfort items (probably out of their asses) for the afflicted with no thought of their own valuables that might have been left behind.
They would never have been distracted, disoriented, helpless, and/or scared, and said (or tweeted) some pithy comment that seemed selfish in public - because they would have had all the poise and instincts of a trained first responder or someone who has been through calamity previously.

It's over-reaction to a natural reaction, and frankly (and impolitely), I'm more pissed at of all the Wednesday-morning Supermen and Superwomen who seem to think that Jennifer Kim is a horrible, awful person because she didn't act the way they think they would have in her situation.

She didn't hurt anyone, she didn't laugh at anyone's injuries. And she has nothing to apologize to me for, because, as I said above -
I would have tweeted something similar in her position.
And I'm not ashamed to say that.

Haele

[CreekDog]

215. +1

[backscatter712]

230. Wow, there's a whole lot of self-righteous schoolmarms in this thread.

Sorry, I'm not joining the Internet lynch mob today.

I'd be freaking out if I was in a train wreck too.