Max and I were watching The News Hour on PBS the other day. The screen depicted the squaller and mess that's been created by Kim Jong Il and his minions. The story went on to speak about the human rights abuses and the torpedoing of the South Korean ship that killed 46 young people. Max asked, "Why are all those people living like that, dad?"
I didn't quite know how to answer. My wife is Korean. Therefore, Max and his sister are half Korean. He might as well have asked, "Why are my relatives living like that?"
I didn't want to present it to him in too simplistic a way, but I also didn't know how to tackle the issue head on. I explained that there was a bad man running the country, keeping everyone misinformed and afraid, and that people do weird things when they are afraid. "Hysterical sheep are more dangerous than wolves," I said.
I suddenly realized that he got the impression that the North Koreans were the only people capable of mass craziness. "People throughout the whole world can act poorly if the conditions are right," I said.
"Europe had two big wars," I continued. I told him that in the last decade some crazy things have gone on in Africa. I told him about post 9/11 America, when some Americans seemed ready to shred the constitution. We invaded a country that had nothing to do with the World Trade Center attacks. We even tortured people.
"Anybody can be bad, then," he said. "Is that it?"
"Not everyone, Max," I answered. And then I thought for a moment. "Just most of us."
Daddydoit
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