James Kim, hero or idiot?

[pokerfan]

I feel terrible for his family but driving into the Oregon mountains during a snow storm in the middle of the night following a road that no one has been using is just suicide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_kim

[Kutjara]

1. Perhaps he was just human.

People make mistakes. Sometimes the mistakes cost them their lives. If making a mistake is the definition of idiocy, I doubt there's a non-idiot on the planet.

[LeftyMom]

2. Well, being from San Francisco, he may have had no no real experience with rural areas or snow.

The weather's pretty much the same there all year round and there's no place that isn't within a quick walk of help.

[EFerrari]

5. You definitely get out of touch with the idea that cold can kill you.

:(

[LeftyMom]

9. Unless you spend a lot of time at the 'stick.

Holy shit it gets cold when the wind is blowing. My dad has seats on the bay side, and even in the summer I make sure to bring a heavy coat.

[EFerrari]

10. But there's cold and there's cold.

I'm probably going to get a cold from walking my dear Monster Piranha puppy this weekend. This storm was pretty brutal for our beach 'hood.

But the cold the Kims lucked into was lethal. Oh geeze. They looked like such a great family, too.

:(

[yewberry]

3. Wow.

I think that's pretty deeply unkind.

Maybe calling him an idiot could wait until a week has passed since his death?

[KitchenWitch]

7. Thank you

I was thinking the same thing.

[EFerrari]

4. Then I'm a suicidal idiot because I've made plenty of mistakes.

[petronius]

6. Neither? Kim and his wife made a series of mistakes that led them

into serious danger. However, these mistakes could have been made by many of us, so I wouldn't call him an idiot. Once trapped, he made a determined effort to extricate them, and showed more strength and will than I think a lot of people would. That doesn't make him a hero, but he was a strong, intelligent man who lost his life trying to do what was best for his family...

[Omphaloskepsis]

8. pokerfan, dick or asshole?

I live two hours away from where this occurred.. This is such a easy thing to have happen. 600 people die per year under similar circumstances. I got stuck with my mom on Highway 58 on the pass. Luckily internet twits never heard our story.

[pokerfan]

15. Re: pokerfan, dick or asshole?

While idiot may have been a poor choice of words, would a hero have placed his loved ones at such risk in the first place?

[KitchenWitch]

17. I am guessing he was driving on unfamiliar roads

Have you never taken a wrong turn in your life?

I only hope you never take one that ends up in tragedy.

[Skittles]

11. the man died trying to save his family

let it go

[Robeson]

13. Agreed.

[Robeson]

12. Well, why don't you walk a mile in his shoes, in sub-zero temperatures....

...with no food for a week, while worrying about the lives of your wife and daughters, then come back and ask us that question. And as for the road, I'm sure he wouldn't have taken it, if he knew it was going to be "suicide"..:thumbsdown:

[KitchenWitch]

14. ...

Great post!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

18. IBTL ! Good response !

And I don't think it should matter. People always want to judge other people without standing in their shoes. Who made you a judge ?

[Whoa_Nelly]

19. The road the Kim family took was SUPPOSED to be locked/gated

but some jerk of a vandal broke the lock and opened the gate. The Kim family took what they thought was the correct road, and got lost in a maze of logging roads. It was snowing heavily, they were low on gas, he stayed with the family for several days, burning the tires, eating baby food, eating some jelly the had, and finally went out to find help for his wife, his 4-year old and 7-month old babies.,

There is a search on to locate the vandal.

Was Kim and idiot? No. Was he a hero? He was trying to save his family. That's love.

Sad, sad story.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. Locking

This has become inflammatory.

Respectfully submitted,
CaliforniaPeggy
DU Moderator