Ismay

[Matt Smith]

Whats the difference weather he had a wife or not? He was still a man with dreams. He looked into the future like everyone else. If he had went to help out women and children he most likely would have just gotten in the way and causing more panic.

Just my thoughts
Matt

 

[David F. Smith]

How about this for a possible scenario: Ismay finds Thomas Andrews and drags him back to the boat deck and loudly says in front of all the people who are already in the lifeboat:"Andrews! you must save yourself so you can go back and make sure this never happens again! I will stay here with the Officers and continue to evacuate the ship." History would have painted Ismay out as a true hero, much like Captain Smith.

my two cents. Dave Smith

 

[Steve Arnold]

I'm not comfortable with scenarios that seek to add to the death toll. Considering the actions committed by our current crop of corporate CEOs, surviving a disaster seems a very triffling offense.

Ismay's death would have simply meant one more empty seat to add to the hundreds of others that should have been filled with living souls.

 

[Colleen Collier]

Steve. The scenario would not have added to the death toll, as it would have just been a different name to who died that night.

Dave. May have made ALL the difference in the world as well, had Ismay been ASKED or TOLD by an officer to get in the lifeboat.
Just my two cents too.

 

[Andrew J. Evano]

My main problem with Ismay is that, though he held no rank in the ships leadership, he should have still taken some responsibility for his company's property. Had he entered with the intent to row, or to help in any way would lead me to think differently. However, he behaved most horridly.

 

[Matt Smith]

I'm sorry but I still strongly agree with Colleen. I'm sure that if I was in his shoes and in such a panic state I would have done the same.

Just MY two cents
Matt

 

[Paul Lee]

Have a look here:

https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/discus/messages/5667/80369.html

 

[Maria Fernandez]

In my opinion i think the Titanic disaster symbolizes how humans react to extreme situations. Some can cope. others panic. some are brave. some fear for thier life. At the end of the day i guess you can't HATE Ismay for getting in the lifeboat because he was human and some humans are cowards..but what i will say is that any man who claims or acts like he is such a great man, isn't if they cannot do everything in thier power to save people who need thier help.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

Nobody really HATES Ismay, but the problem was because he lived.

 

[Maria Fernandez]

oh believe me Jeremy some people i have met really hate ISMAY himself. which i don't think is fair.

 

[Donald J A Smith]

"some people I have met really hate ISMAY himself"
It is an opinion likely to sink the reputation of anyone expressing it, but has any other ET member entertained the idea that J Bruce Ismay might be innocent of all charges and deserving of a belated apology from the 'court of history'?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>It is an opinion likely to sink the reputation of anyone expressing it, but has any other ET member entertained the idea that J Bruce Ismay might be innocent of all charges and deserving of a belated apology from the 'court of history'?<<

Perhaps. I haven't really concerned myself with that. Does it matter? People in this forum take all kinds of controversial stands. Check out any and all of the threads on the Californian if you don't believe me. Regardless of where they stood, their reputations seemed to survive it. Why should any controversies over Ismay be any different?

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Don wrote: "It is an opinion likely to sink the reputation of anyone expressing it, but has any other ET member entertained the idea that J Bruce Ismay might be innocent of all charges and deserving of a belated apology from the 'court of history'?"

The board is not that censorious. From time to time, myself and others have voiced the opinion that all the controversial players in the drama ought to be understood. The way I see it, there really are no villains in the story, just humans who made mistakes.

Michael wrote in reply: "I haven't really concerned myself with that. Does it matter?"

It was quite a legitimate question, Michael, so of course it matters.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

>>The way I see it, there really are no villains in the story, just humans who made mistakes.<<

Does that mean Ismay made a mistake by getting into a lifeboat? Anyone in that kind of situation would have done the same, and I don't think history is being too fair to Ismay too.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Randy, perhaps I should have been a little bit more clear. What I was wondering about was whether or not the "verdict of history" thing really matters that much. It might, but that's just not the focus of any of my studies or research of any aspect of history. I'm profoundly interested in understanding it, but not sitting in judgement of various figures who are long past caring about anybody's judgement.