Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten

The two female journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were captured in North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor, were released yesterday. Former President Bill Clinton went to the country to negotiate with Kim Jong Il for their release. Go Bill! When I saw this picture of Clinton, Kim, and Kim's administration all arranged like a class photo, I realized something. I'm sure I'm over simplifying, but I think Kim, and dare I say, his country, really wants to be recognized and respected. I admit that I don't know anything about North Korea, their policies and recent history, but I think that these two women were unfortunately captured and so harshly sentenced mainly to prove a point.

I'm glad that Clinton went or was sent to discuss releasing the journalists. It was a good choice, Clinton being a well-loved, well-respected former U.S. President. Clinton has the right amount of power and prestige to assuage the wounded pride of a country that might not have felt that the U.S. was giving it it's just due. I'm just commenting without having read any articles, which I know is a dangerous thing. I don't know what, if anything, we promised them in return, but I do know that it wouldn't have been successful, no matter what, if say, Al Sharpton (or even just some lower level person who was actually part of the Obama administration) was sent over there to do the same job. It's funny, how we get older, maybe even run countries, but all of us still need reassurance that we are good enough. All of us just want the teacher to like us.

Now, I don't know why, but I haven't yet conjured up the same feelings of empathy and sorrow for the three hikers who were captured on the Iran/Iraq border. I have to wonder what the heck they were doing there. Aren't there enough beautiful places to hike that aren't between a war-torn country and a country we aren't on very good terms with? Was this just a case of American arrogance at its worst? At least two of them are based in the Middle East, so they know the area. Even if they got lost, I have to wonder why they were in that particular location in the first place - even those of us who aren't lucky enough to travel to other countries for work know that to be on the Iraq/Iran border as an American would be a dangerous proposition. At least, that is what would be going through my head. Of course, I suppose you could say the same thing about the two journalists who were just released. Whatever. If I ever had to travel to another country for work, I would have just one thing to say: "Just give me Paris."