The response to the Jennifer Kim/Violinist tweet is totally out of proportion and inappropriate

[CreekDog]

We aren't talking about a major public figure who did something dumb.

We aren't talking about a public or private citizen who said something that was racist, sexist, homophobic, advocated for the harm of any person or animal.

We are just talking about someone who, by all accounts, is otherwise a regular, if significantly accomplished person, who after being in a train derailment, said something dumb and insensitive.

(here is her blog, I don't see any deep seated evil here, do you:
https://violinistjennifer.wordpress.com/blog-2/page/2/)

Now I don't know about you, but I am betting that you have said something dumb that was actually a harmless statement.

But I'm also betting that you've never had countless news stories written about it and thousands and thousands of people saying horrible things about you for it.

And I'd also bet that other people that share your name were not likewise harassed for it too (as other musicians named Jennifer Kim have reported experiencing).

This is over the top, it is out of proportion and it's just wrong. And the only way to stop this excess is to push back hard against it.

Because while what she said was insensitive, but not actually offensive, if you participate in a wildly out of proportion punishment by shaming, then you also are wrong for that action.

For background here's a story about it:

http://www.theviolinchannel.com/amtrak-philadelphia-crash-twitter-tweat-jennifer-kim-insensitive-social-media/

also, one DUer posted this:

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.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6669890

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Totally agree!

I feel bad for her.

[Coventina]

2. Anyone in the pile-on has no idea about Ms. Kim's position.

A professional musician in an orchestra can't just go down to the violin store and pick up a new violin.

Also, as has been pointed out, it was just after she survived an horrific accident, and I'm sure she was extremely rattled.
Having been in a pretty bad auto accident once, I can relate to what I imagine her state of mind was at the time.

Her violin is the most important thing, it would be the first possession she would grab in a fire. Her desire to secure it immediately after the accident is naturally what her brain would focus on.

People need to get a life and be thankful that they have never stood in Ms. Kim's shoes.

[ann---]

3. What did she say?

I couldn't find anything about the derailment on her blog - what did I miss?

[Coventina]

5. She sent out a tweet shortly after the accident sarcastically thanking AMTRACK for derailing the

train, and could she please have her violin back?

It was interpreted as a selfish disregard for the lives that were lost.
Which she probably didn't even know about at the time.

It was a dumb move on her part, but the public "outcry" against her is simply ridiculous.

[ann---]

7. Guess it would

have helped if the original poster had said that or supplied
a link to the story. I never heard of it before. And, I don't
have, nor will I ever have, a Twitter account.

[Coventina]

9. It was all over DU yesterday, so the OP must have assumed "everyone" knew about it.

ITA with you on Twitter.

Twitter is for Twits.

[zappaman]

4. Kick and Rec!

[stevenleser]

6. I agree and had a fight with several folks on Twitter about that very thing.

This kind of thing exposes a very ugly side of some people, namely that they love to pile on and bully people.

[haele]

8. In her position, I might have said/tweeted the same thing.

Just to decompress after going through a terrifying experience. It wasn't mean, it wasn't mocking to other victims, it was directly related to what she went through and was a way of making a personal inventory of the situation for her.

Whenever I've been in an accident or serious situation, I'm not a weeper, I'm not a "Thank God" type of person - I'll tend to make a sardonic observation to lower the intensity of my personal terrors and pain - and then I go on with what needs to be done. I'm not mean. I believe in trying to make situations better, or at least not make them worse.
If however, if not having "the proper timing" when being sardonic or sarcastic is such a bad thing and such a personality weakness that outweighs everything else about me - my strengths, my talents, and any of the good I've done throughout my life, than I'm a evil person and should be hounded out of existence.
Like Ms. Kim. Just stone her already. Indulge in that 10 minute hate, because such righteous indignation over a trivial comment purifies the haters so much.

Haele

[TheManInTheMac]

10. So why do people keep bringing it up?

[stevenleser]

11. Are you suggesting that if we stop talking about it on DU it will go away? Not hardly.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jennifer+kim&es_sm=93&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=MvpUVeOVCISNyASNs4HoAQ&ved=0CCUQsQQ&biw=1280&bih=963

[CreekDog]

13. Then why are you kicking the thread?

[TheManInTheMac]

17. I'm not the one complaining. I'm fine with the amount of attention she's getting.

She will get batted around til the Internet gets tired of her and moves on to the next shiny thing to come along.

[blm]

12. I agree - anyone who has been thru a severe disaster usually goes into some form of shock.

Nothing you say or do for the next 24 hours will come out perfectly. People shouldn't be quick to judge.

[catrose]

14. according to her site

She has a concert today, a piano trio. I hope it goes well. Heck, I hope she has a violin to play. If I were in Gaithersburg, I'd go.

A train wreck & Internet thrashing are not recommended concert preparations.

[Avalux]

15. She had just been through a very traumatic experience, and her violin is her best friend.

People need to understand that musicians can be very attached to their instruments, and I'm sure having it back would have comforted her and given her peace of mind. It's as if a part of her is missing.

I feel bad people were so insensitive.

[jtuck004]

18. The dead people had been through a slightly more trying experience, don't you think? And those dying

while the train settled, and after? She's a selfish clod.

The harassment was over the top, but so was her insensitive manner. I suspect she was a snotty ass clown before the whack on the head, but after all this I could care less.

[Avalux]

22. Who are you to judge her?

Comparing her experience to that of the dead is idiotic, and yes, offensive. Everyone on that train suffered, and none of us are in a position to say she should have acted one way or another in the midst of all that horror because WE WEREN'T THERE.

[jtuck004]

25. It's called having your fucking priorities in order, and not being a selfish little ass.

I don't appreciate it, and having dealt with hundreds of victims, I can tell you the majority are not so into themselves during a tragedy they say stupid shit like that.

Ymmv. Bye.

[LanternWaste]

16. There are always going to be a handful of idiots who pretend to know how

There are always going to be a handful of idiots who pretend to know how everyone else should respond to trauma and shock, and criticize those reactions should it not precisely meet the high standards or civility they themselves illustrate everyday on DU.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. There's One In This Very Thread

I don't grasp how anybody forgets that she was a victim of the crash too. It's not like they were transporting the violin and the crash inconvenienced her. She was on the train too!

[dembotoz]

19. agree

[leftyladyfrommo]

20. This doesn't surprise me at all.

Classical musicians have incredibly expensive instruments that hey guard with their lives. I'm sure she didn't mean to insult the other passengers. Probably any classical musician would have reacted the same.

[KamaAina]

21. There is a word for this sort of thing

poutrage.

[libdem4life]

23. Talented. Asian. Female.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. I hate to say it but... she is a woman

and women are fair objects of derision on line. That is partly what is going on here.

If she were a HE, you would not have seen it get even half as bad.

[bullwinkle428]

26. Sure, her wording could have been better, but the pile-on was way over the top.

[randome]

27. Absolutely agree. Armchair moralists who think they can walk in anyone's shoes.

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