Letters to the Editor
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He died because of ignorance`
Anybody who has spent a lot of time in rural areas knows that many roads are impassable in the winter, and that it is a very bad idea to leave the major highways if you don't know the area intimately. He's not the first person to die because he didn't know the area, and he won't be the last. It's tragic, and I hope that others will learn a lesson - stay on the major highways unless you know exactly where you are and where you are going, and what to expect in between. And, while you're at it, take emergency supplies, including water, food, and blankets, whenever you drive into a snow area. And if you get stranded, stay with the vehicle.
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Making the World Safe for Californians
Daily, sometimes even hourly, I am appalled at the attitude of my fellow Californians who refuse to acknowledge that the world is a dangerous place.
In the midwest, if you didn't carry a can of chili, a power bar and some chains in your car, you were a fool. If the weather caught you unprepared and you died, it was your own darn fault. Fellow midwesterners would laugh at your idiocy.
These California Disneylandites get rescued from mountains, plucked from the oceans for some idiotic sailing "adventure" and are found on the side of the highway in the desert confused that their new hybrid did not actually get 50 miles to the gallon.
I don't understand the believe that lawyers, money and technology will shield them from their own humanity. They seem to believe that they are powerful Californians, immune.
As someone asked me the other day, "Do people in the rest of the country have to turn their thermostats down to conserve?" I answered, "In fact, in some parts of the country, it's even colder and people don't have thermostats and they don't have central heat, Imagine that!" This person looked at me very confused.
Californians, please stay in California, for your own safety.
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Laying the Blame
It is a sad fact that people get lost and die in the Oregon wilderness every year. It is ALSO a fact that hundreds, even thousands of Oregon natives put their own lives at risk trying to find the lost. I have no doubt that Mr. Kim's grief is driving his castigation of everyone involved in the search when he SHOULD be thanking the many men and women who spent long cold hours looking for and eventually rescueing his grandchildren and daughter-in-law.
The cold hard truth is that the Kim family created their own tragedy. Ignorance of the terrain and poor decisions are what caused James Kim's death. For those of you who've never seen a BLM road, I can tell you that no person excercising good judgement would ever turn down one in harsh weather and a family in tow. Heck, I stay away from them on beautiful Summer days unless accompanied by someone who had been down the road before and knows where they are going. Even the "safe" highway passes through the mountains are slow and winding with steep dropoffs and narrow lanes, not to be travelled lightly in foul weather.
I speak with certainty that my fellow Oregonians feel great sympathy for the Kim family. We watched the news of the search and hoped they would be found alive and well Eexperience told us that probably wouldn't be the case. When the news came in that Mr. Kim was found dead we all shook our heads, saddend, but not surprised. It happens EVERY YEAR . . . and it is NOT the fault of government or rescuers. Ignorance and bad decisions are the cause time and again.
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Kati Kim
I am really hoping Kati will go public with more details on what led to the decisions she and her husband made. They seem like smart people, yet their decisions seem to lack common sense. I think a lot of us feel the whole story remains achingly untold without Kati's perspective.
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James Kim - lack of knowlege
editor: Having participated in searches for'victims'here in Colo, almost all 'victims' in fact, willingly contributed to their situation by lack of planning,knowlege,awareness and by not playing 'worst case' in minute by minute decisions.Their being a city slicker, out of their fishbowl and being used to relying on others for their safety and well-being, usually stacks the deck.
Additionally it's hard to stomach the ungraciousness of others who attack the search personel, especially the multitudes of participating volunteers.
Also, every one I know who belongs off the four lane, carries a gazetteer in the vehicle which shows all roads--interstates to cow paths-- which are available in many check-out lines.
We don't need any more bedwetter laws like the Pelosi solutions. We've got enough government edicts to ignore as it is now. That's the way it is out here.
Ken Dingman
POB 66 Deer Trail, Colo 80105
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"They seem like smart people, yet their decisions seem to lack common sense."
My guess is they were exhausted from driving and as they grew more and more tired, their decision-making abilities broke down. The first mistake was the biggest: setting out on a long drive at 8 pm rather than simply getting a motel room. It's a mistake that a lot of us make and come through in one piece. But the Kims were also driving through a wilderness area so that mistake became a fatal one.
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Dear No name given...
I know Californians are so annoying, but isn't clever how we've concentrated the population of know-nothing idiots in California where the weather is good and there are no natural hazards so they can't hurt themselves.
And by the way, No name given, way to stand behind your rant and show the courage of your convictions.
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History Lessons
Many of the writers suggest that the Kim family's dependence on technology, combined with a 21st century ignorance of the vagaries of nature, caused the tragedy. I agree they made mistakes. But we should recognize that 19th century travelers, like the Donner party and the Mormon handcart immigrants, were well-acquainted with the dangers of bad weather and rough routes and they also found themselves in perilous and fatal situations.
California just saw the anniversary of the January 1857 earthquake. Another such quake in the same location, now well-populated, will surely cause terrible loss of life and property. But, for the most part, we are as unprepared as the Kim family on their ill-fated sojourn into Oregon mountains. We should all heed the lesson.