musician sparks backlash for requesting her violin from crashed Amtrak train

[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