I wish President Moon Jae-in great success.

This is a real shame for the USA. Serving as a peacemaker is one of the world's greatest tasks. Perhaps in the future President Trump will have found his way back to the peace table as a partner with South Korea. 

May 24, 2018
By John Fritze and Gregory Korte

Washington — President Trump (click here) canceled a scheduled nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, citing the "tremendous anger and open hostility" he said Kim displayed in recent statements.

In a letter to Kim, Trump described the decision to end negotiations over the June 12 meeting in Singapore as a "truly sad moment in history." The two countries were working for weeks toward a first-ever summit of a North Korean leader and a U.S. president.

"This is a tremendous setback for North Korea, and indeed a setback for the world," Trump said at the White House hours after the letter was released. "If and when Kim Jong Un chooses to engage in constructive dialogue and actions, I am waiting."

Trump said he spoke to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and allies in the region on Thursday and repeatedly indicated U.S. military forces were ready should North Korea engage in any "foolish or reckless acts." The prospect of a summit had significantly eased tensions between North Korea and the U.S. that had escalated last year....

This is progress. The closing and destruction of the North's single nuclear testing sight is significant. 

May 24, 2018

North Korea (click here) said it had fully demolished its only known nuclear test site on Thursday, with a series of planned detonations that put the facility beyond further use.

“The Nuclear Weapons Institute of the DPRK held a ceremony for completely dismantling the northern nuclear test ground on May 24… to ensure transparency of the discontinuance of nuclear test,” the institute said in an English language statement carried on the state-run KCNA news agency. DPRK is the abbreviated version of the country’s official name.

“Dismantling the nuclear test ground was done in such a way as to make all the tunnels of the test ground collapse by explosion and completely close the tunnel entrances, and at the same time, explode some guard facilities and observation posts on the site,” the statement added....

I will repeat, the final nuclear test at the sight was believed to be a hydrogen explosion. That particular explosion was enormous and provided for skepticism as the integrity of the test sight. Closing it was a wise thing to do.

Look, North Korea is a communist state. It has China and Russia to help protect it's people. That is not a minor statement. Both, China and Russia are permanent nuclear countries within the United Nations Security Council; there is no need for North Korea to experiment with such weapons of even stockpile them. Those funds are better spent on the citizens of North Korea.

It is just plain silly for North Korea to isolate itself with threats of nuclear weapons when resuming good relations with the South could bring about a better quality of life for the people of the North.

President Moon Jae-in is absolutely correct to continue to seek better relations with Kim Jong Un. Nothing has to change. North Korea should reflect on the fact South Korea has no nuclear weapon capacity. It trusts its allies to be prepared to defend it should adverse events present themselves.

It is time for Kim Jong Un to stop proliferating nuclear weapons, remove them from the peninsula and begin the process of building trust and economic relationships with South Korea. The people of both countries will be happier. It's that what leadership of any country should want?

There is simply no reason for North Korea to have nuclear weapons and should consider what life would be like for both sides of the DMZ if the weapons were decommissioned and sold to Russia or China. No one needs this, least of all the people of South Korea.

"Please, take a knee and save lives."

I take a knee every time I enter a Catholic church. Everyone knows "taking a knee" is an act of humility and now the NFL has demonized it.

Spiritually, "taking a knee" is an act of humility and/or adoration; an act of service and dedication; an act of love and in the case of the military, it is an act of fellowship. I don't know how many times I heard commanders described by the men on the front lines as someone "...who will take a knee next to me..."

Taking a knee is an outstanding way of bringing a country's attention to racism, bigotry, discrimination and last but hardly the least the DAILY fear African American men face when confronted by police.

I find the President's rhetoric dangerous. Then to think the NFL is penalizing the First Amendment Freedom of Speech (which includes freedom of expression) is nothing but a corporate exaggeration of their place in the American landscape. Any citizen should not give up their innate civil rights.

The NFL is out of line. It is interfering in our democracy and enforcing artificial standards for profits. The NFL fixes games and now wants to remove more freedoms of players that live and work in the USA. When is the NFL going to be seen for it's corrupt structure and shut down?

"Lie-gate" is generated by well contemplated actions to preserve the President's politics.

The "Gang of Eight" meeting will be contaminated by the Trump operatives allowed to tamper with the documents before the official meeting.

The country's intelligence is being tampered with by the White House through lack of proper protocol when the "Gang of Eight" does their work. There is nothing trustworthy about any of these meetings.

Proper Protocol is important. When Trump travels to Europe he demands all kinds of proper, formal, flamboyant and expensive protocols. The President of the USA is important enough to perform to the highest standards when asked. But, when it comes to proper protocol domestically for highly classified documents, proper protocol is trashed to benefit the ratings at FOX News and any potential leverage for corrupt politics.

This is interference with the country's intelligence the people should never allow.

The manipulation of the documents regarding an ongoing investigation is the beginning of the end of the USA Constitution. It will become precedent that will continue to degrade the high standard of protecting the country's intelligence. Trump has already provided classified documents to Russia the day after he fired Comey. That was the prequel to the insult to the protocol of the "Gang of Eight" standards.

This insult will grow. First Russia, now Trump operatives that will carry false statements into the media and ultimately future lies with a great deal of risk leveraged to the outcomes of the country.

Trump takes a truth and turns it into a lie and then sells it to his political base, including FOX News. When propaganda replaces national security the USA no longer has a democracy protected to every degree, but, a burgeoning dictatorship that will ultimately come to harm citizens and potentially cause their death.

The insult to the strong protocols of the "Gang of Eight" today, is illegal and immoral and a sincere danger to the people of the USA.