The recent death of American college student Otto Warmbier just days after his release by the brutal North Korean regime set my mind on a barrage of thoughts related to his senseless death. In a world full of evil, North Korea is on a par with the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Tojo. I find it appalling that American political leadership for decades hasn’t had the nerve, strength or a certain hormone to effectively deal with this outlaw regime; and to use the term outlaw in reference to North Korea is being disrespectful to outlaws.
In 1950, Straughn High School senior Athan Eiland, my uncle, missed his high school graduation when his National Guard unit was mobilized because of the Korean War and the depraved Kim family in power then in Korea. When my uncle died in 2007, 11 U.S. presidents from Truman to the second George Bush had dealt with North Korea, claiming to have kept the peace and made the world safer; and during that time, the Kim family grew bolder and more defiant, not only toward the U.S., but also toward all decent nations.
Despots and evil doers have come and gone since 1950, but North Korea and the Kim family have survived and propagated their evil works. While the average North Korean is beaten, imprisoned, tortured, starved, and even killed, the Kim family and the ruling class live in luxury and ally themselves with terrorist nations such as Iran. One U.S. president, strutting like a bantam rooster in a military jacket on the deck of a U.S. Naval ship, proclaimed, “mission accomplished” about another conflict that remains to this day unresolved.  North Korea continued to carry on its evil deeds. Another U.S. president with the backbone of an earthworm had the U.S. “leading from behind.” North Korea continued to perfect and flaunt its sick crimes against humanity for all to see.
Otto Warmbier should have known better than to go to North Korea. He is partly to blame for his fate, but no person in 2017 should die at the hands of a rogue nation led by a tyrant determined to destroy his own people and imprison and torture people on frivolous charges such as stealing a propaganda poster. As this assault on all things humane and decent by the North Korean regime continues, American political leaders are more concerned about their next election and/or making ridiculous charges that our own president colluded with the Russians. Where are the protests by Americans of all political persuasions who claim to be so dedicated to human rights? Do you ever hear of protests by Americans against North Korea? Probably not as many Americans would rather bring down their own president than dare risk a war with North Korea.
A war with North Korea may be inevitable. As the regime marches toward nuclear empowerment and allies itself with other bastard regimes such as Iran, it’s only a matter of time before the current “great leader” as he forces his people to call him, gets his nuclear might. I recently heard on a newscast that military experts predicted that in only a matter of months North Korea could have a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to Los Angeles in about 45 minutes. Let’s not forget that Alaska and Hawaii are already at risk due to their closer proximity to North Korea. Yet, our leaders and many Americans go about their daily ritual of bashing our own president and trying to find ways to resist that same legally-elected president. It’s frightening to think that only when North Korea has the ability to strike Washington, D.C., that our leaders may decide to take notice and focus on America’s real threats. Some will say we have missile defenses that can prevent a North Korean missile from hitting the U.S. mainland. Only one nuclear warhead needs to strike to create catastrophe and chaos.
I wonder how many people live between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and where North Korea’s calling card might land.
C.M. Bane
Andalusia