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No, no jokes this time guys. I gotta play this one straight. I went to the Demilitarized Neutral Zone (hereby referred to as the DMZ) a couple of weeks ago. I just really had a hard time putting the whole experience into words. When I pull up the pictures on my computer and I get ready to write the words just never came until now. None of the pictures are graphic or anything, but they just leave me asking "Why?"

Looking back, before I had went, I really didn't know what to expect. As a Sociologist you get your fair share of watching and observing Realistic, Gritty and Violent exhibits of human cruelty and exploitation against other human beings. So I felt like I was ready...



I remember that we couldn't get directly to the DMZ but we could go the observatories and see the gate which seals off the main bridge (The Bridge of Freedom) which spans across the Han River and extends from North Korea to South Korea.

While approaching the gate you feel a sort of presence. Not very strong but you automatically feel very small in relation to your significance. I know that's not an easy thing to hear , but it's not an easy thing to say. I felt like an ant in terms of the progression and the hardships that I have endured in my life. Everywhere you look there are ribbons that have either a message written in Korean or English that expressed a thoughtful sentiment or a prayer for unification.





After taking this all in we traveled to the main observatory that hosted a film that discussed the division of the country and the current state of North Korea. And to put it bluntly, these North Koreans really need help. Their farming methods are not adequate to satiate the demand that is produced from its growing population. There are little to no irrigation systems for farming crops or producing a good yield. Hence the massive hunger crises that continue to affect them.



After the film I got up and walked silently around the theater peering out of the its glass windows. Then I saw something that will be burned in my mind forever, and I would like to share it with you. Look at the following pictures and say to yourself 'What do I see?':





- To the left I saw production, prosperity, advancement and growth.

- And to the right I saw emptiness, solitude, desolation, nothing...

Unfortunately that is EXACTLY what I see when I bring up a mental recollection of North Korea and South Korea. Or until they decide to change. That's not to say that they are not trying but I see South Korea continuously lending a helping hand however I see North Korea pushing it away. Now I can understand South Koreans disposition to love them no matter how much North Korea pushes the envelope. When they see other North Koreans they do not see them as an enemy. Instead they see them as brothers that have simply gone astray.



On the car ride back home I could see the Han River on my right. The entirety of its borders are protected by hundreds of individual watch towers that are equidistantly placed and manned by South Korean military. Not to mention their are several fences that are layered on the beaches to ensure any trespasser would have to face a formidable gauntlet. I just had vivid images of my trips to Jaurez, Mexico and witnessing the maquiladoras coming to mind. I didn't feel cold, mad or upset. I was just blank and I simply wanted to know "Why?"