Dennis Rodman Goes To North Korea

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman went to North Korea, and the media here in America ripped him to shreds afterwards for not taking North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, to task for his government's polices.  Meanwhile, Google executive Eric Schmidt makes a trip there on business, and nobody seems to care.  Rodman dared to show the North Korean leader respect as he would any country's leader.  That was his first mistake, I guess.

At issue is Rodman's comments about the Korean leader being a great man and his father and grandfather being great men as well.  Rodman mentioned that Kim Jong Un suggested that President Obama give him a call so they can talk.  The flamboyant basketball Hall Of Famer even pointed out that the common interest both leaders share in basketball would be a good place to start a conversation.  How dare he.

Before I voted third party again, Obama intrigued me when he dared to say he wouldn't rule out speaking with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  Just making that comment drew the ire of fellow candidate and Senator McCain.  How dare he suggest that he could just talk to the enemy.  Just talk, mind you.  Personally, I agreed with Obama on that issue.  We will only achieve real peace with enemies by talking to them.

I won't debate that Kim Jong Ill was brutal to the North Korean people according to everything we've been told.  People were forced to cry and wail for three days when he died, according to reports I've seen.  But the man leading the North Korean people is 28 years old and not the same person as his grandfather or father.  Maybe he would be open to change?  Maybe a conversation or two wouldn't hurt?

But, no, let's just attack Rodman for saying nice things about the North Korean leader while on a trip as an ambassador for the sport of basketball.  How dare he.  Doesn't he realize what countries are part of the Axis Of Evil?  I'm not suggesting that America and North Korea should be buddy buddy all of a sudden.  I just think there is no harm in at least talking and seeing if anything can be done now that North Korea has a new leader.