The first rule when you're lost in the wilderness is to stay put and wait for rescue. He chose to set out in street clothes through mountains during winter. That may be brave, but it is also stupid. I don't think doing stupid things should qualify a person for the title "hero" that the media is using.
Because of his foolish choice, his wife is a widow and his kids will grow up without a father. What is did was foolish, not heroic.
2006-12-07 04:00:13 · 13 answers · asked by Cardinal Rule 3 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
I have to disagree with shotsie. He had the smarts to burn the tires off the car. Why not just keep getting fallen wood to keep the fire going? A car tire will burn for about an hour. This is plenty of time to dry out the wood and keep the fire blazing. He didn't have to leave his family. I t was a bad choice on his part. Doing what you can to save your family is heroic, walking away from shelter into a snow storm is not.
2006-12-07 04:08:11 · answer #1 · answered by norman j 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The family was not found sooner for him trudging out into the wilderness. Personally growing up in these conditions I have heard often of people thinking the best thing you can do is try to find help. Honestly if you don't know where you are, and you are not an experiance survivalist...don't try it. I don't believe he is a hero...but I do think that he is an example to not leave the site. Stay with your vehicle. At least the vehicle was on some type of driving surface...and people would think first to look there (why they found the family first and not him).
It is a tragedy no less and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
2006-12-07 12:12:01 · answer #2 · answered by ÐIESEŁ ÐUB 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the person who posted this question is being more than a little unfair in passing judgement on James Kim.
I would agree that maybe he should have sat tight at his car if he was alone. But his wife and two daughters were with him. I know that if I were in that same situation, I would do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to save my children.
The Kims had stayed put in their car for days. They had to know that not one single person on the face of the earth had any idea where they were, and so they had no reason to expect that any search effort that had a chance of being successful had been initiated. They had to feel desperate, especially about the survival of the children. There is no way of knowing what was going through James' mind by the time he decided to walk out of there to try to get help for his family, except that he had to be absolutely desperately frightened by that time.
I just wish one of the news stories would say why the Kims decided to take the road they took after they missed the turn-off for the highway they intended to take to the coast. Why didn't they just turn around and go back? The weather was getting bad and it seems so strange that they would take a chance on a road that was so obviously not being traveled on and where they couldn't expect to find any assistance. Why did they decide to turn onto that road?
Such a sad story, but I'm glad the children survived.
2006-12-07 13:30:35 · answer #3 · answered by Karin C 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think they call him a hero becuase he risked his life to increase the chance of his family being found. That's all. He probably knew that he may not make it but wanted to get the odds slightly more in his family's favor.
Also hind sight is 20/20; we know NOW that they got found and he died, but if he had ventured out and had successfully waved down a truck or found anyone to help them, you wouldn't say that what he did was stupid. We simply do what we, at the time, think is the best thing for our loved ones. We can't be 100% certain until after the fact. He simply did what he thought was best for his family while risking his own life. If you're a parent you know how hard it is to stay put when your kids are in extreme and life threatening distress.
2006-12-07 12:11:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are so shallow in America now that we call foolishness heroism, which of course demeans the feats of true heros. Its all a symptom of a society of wimpiness. The word hero is far overused. For instance, people called George Bush Sr a hero for crash landing his aircraft in the ocean in World War II and getting rescued. he didn't do anything heroic except save himself after he screwed up
2006-12-07 12:25:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
we can ask ourselves how we would handle this type of situation. after being in the car for 5 or 6 days and using their wits about them for surviving that long he made the decision to go out to try to find help. i believe the helicopter found his footprints that found his wife and 2 children alive on day 9. the tradedy could've been a whole lot worse.
2006-12-07 17:38:10 · answer #6 · answered by Ruth R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because he was trying to save his f*cking family! What's your problem, you weren't there. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I admire a man that does what he can to help his family. Unlike some of these f*cking ghetto punks out having baby after baby and don't take care of them on a daily basis.
2006-12-07 14:44:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If I had been lost as that guy, there would have been a hugh fire to put out. I would just take the fine, but I would still be live.
2006-12-07 12:03:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
He is still a hero! He lost his life trying to save his family. He did the best he could.
2006-12-07 12:03:22 · answer #9 · answered by Shotsie 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I concur. Absolutely right. If anything it was his fault his family was placed in danger. And even then after EIGHT whole days, he didnt do anything useful to draw attention. He's an idiot and his family is to suffer for him being so retarted. He isnt a hero either way, because his actions had no impact on his family being rescued.
2006-12-07 12:05:03 · answer #10 · answered by curiousgeorge411 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋