Best Rose visits (2017-12-27)

These photos would have been impossible in April 2015 when Eunhee Park joined FSI (then TNKR).

We have met her many times--I can't recall ever having a meeting where we didn't feel more inspired after meeting her. Every meeting has laughs and jokes. But she is also an extremely thoughtful lady, so eventually, the topic gets serious.

She is a lady who wants to learn and enjoy her life.

Eunhee is one of our ambassadors, she has even raised money for the organization and hopes for the day we will have a strong organization. She joined us the year before we became an official organization and has been part of us growing.

Here's my Korea Times in 2016 as she was going through her metamorphosis. She was the first refugee in FSI to go from anonymous, nameless and faceless to a public figure. We were even on TV together earlier this year.

Eunhee and FSI co-founder Eunkoo Lee analyzing a profound quote that I had presented to them. We all laugh and joke, but with Eunhee the topic will eventually get serious.

Eunhee loves TNKR and vice-versa.

Yes, we were in a restaurant. Yes, she is hanging on, with her feet off the ground.

I loaned her my coat because she didn't bring a large coat with her. If you see a tiny lady wearing a coat several sizes too large, it may be Eunhee.

With Eunhee on "On My Way to Meet You" 이만갑 AKA 이제 만나러 갑니다 on 채널A

https://www.facebook.com/CaseyLartigue/videos/vb.100004020120914/1146250718852255/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab

Eunhee added this photo of herself.

#FreedomSpeakersInternational, #CaseyLartigueJr, #TNKR, #lovetnkr, #Eunkoo Lee, #Eunhee Park, #OnMyWaytoMeetYou, #이만갑, #이제만나러갑니다

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

2021 update: Donations are being matched. https://give.lovetnkr.com/Year-end-Matching-Donation-Challenge

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

To be a good volunteer, use your brain (Korea Times, December 5, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29. Ms. Jeong was the MC of an event about American political philosophy hosted by the Association for Economic Evolution. During my speech about American libertarianism since 1940, I discussed my volunteer work for North Korean refugees. After the speech, Jeong approached me, asking how she could help. I gave her the same tough love I give to potential volunteers by asking: “Who are you?” After all, if you are Bill Gates, then open your wallet. If you speak four languages, then help with translation work. So I first stress to potential volunteers: Use your brain. Tell us about your skills and interests so together we can figure out your initial role. Jeong was good-natured about it, rather than c...

Last weekend: Suicide, Kim Young Ha, NK

Credit: Joanne Cho Event 1: Friday night I went to a talk given by Fulbright junior researcher Joanne Cho. She did a great job putting together statistics about some of the most commonly cited reasons that so many Koreans commit suicide. Probably the most provocative tidbit: Cho watched 86 dramas from the spring of 2012 to now, she says that 63 had "scenes depicting or discussing suicide" in a favorable light (as a way to solve problems, that troubled people can be forgiven for their sins and are even seen as sympathetic). Another interesting tidbit: While it is often cited that Korea is number one in the world in suicide (among countries reporting reliable statistics), what I had not realized or had forgotten is that Korean men are number 8 in the world compared to men in other countries with reliable statistics, Korean women are #1 in the world when compared to women in other countries. My questions for the speaker: 1) What was a finding in your research th...

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