Re: Otto Warmbier's Family Seeking 1B in Restituti... - Page 5

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@Baylor Fan wrote:
It breaks my heart to see the picture of that young man lying in a vegetative state with his mother sitting by his bedside. I can't believe anyone would think he deserved the treatment he recieved from NK over a stupid poster. Think how you would feel if this was your son.

Some people are truly heartless!

@Baylor Fan

You didn't reply to anyone in particular, but, just to be clear, I don't think he "deserved" what happened to him.

I do, however, think that when people visit other countries, they should use the common sense God gave them and always be on their best behavior. No stupid frat boy behavior. Laws, languages and cultures vary dramatically, and why anyone thought going into NK was a good idea, I'll never understand. Americans are warned against going there! You can't just sweet talk your way out of an arrest and laugh at them.

Americans used to be able to travel safely just about anywhere, but that was several decades ago. Now, when you travel anywhere, don't tempt fate. You take your life in your hands.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@aggravated wrote:
This is a horrible tragedy. Otto must have been familiar enough with the regime to realize that any transgression was going to be serious. He left the floor of the hotel that the group was warned strictly not to leave in the middle of the night, went to another floor in the hotel, and stole one of the posters of the "great president" "fearless leader" hanging there. While in this country we are programmed to think "what a cool stunt"; in North Korea it's a crime, a serious one. The group was stopped at the airport and Otto's luggage was searched and following that, he was arrested. Torture and eventual death because of it obviously is just sick - over a poster.

@aggravated

I can't even grasp thinking "what a cool stunt" this was!

Posters here are all focusing on the grainy video and not on the fact he had the stolen item in HIS luggage. His parents are suffering because of his recklessness and stupidity, but attempting to sue NK isn't going to help them in any way.

If it had been my kid, he never would have set foot in NK, regardless of who else he was travelling with.

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@haddon9 wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Cakers3 wrote:
I cannot believe some are blaming not only Otto but his parents.

There is absolutely no proof that he stole that banner. None. The video is unclear as to who is removing that banner.

A tour is a tour. Tours in NK happen without incident.

This isn't about a "white rich kid" who thought he was above the NK law. Shame on those who post such things.

@Cakers3

Yes, it IS about a kid who thought he was above the law. He not only was visible in videotape in various areas, but also admitted doing it. Actions have consequences. The parents suing confirms they don't think taking responsibility is something that applies to them, and their son paid for it.
@Tinkrbl44 . Wow, are you kidding? How do you know that he "stole " a poster"...because N Korea said so? ...and the video is dark and blurry. Again how do you know that it is Otto? He admitted his crime? Really?!!...he was tortured until he confessed!

I am amazed that you believe NK propaganda at face value.

I think his biggest crime is just going to a very hostile and dangerous place.

@haddon9

Were you there? You seem to be so very sure you know exactly what happened, and that everyone else is believing NK propaganda. How do you come up with this stuff?

I read the same U.S. network news reports that everyone did ... not NK "propaganda" news reports.

How are you so sure he was tortured? Everyone thinks it was decided based on that little piece of footage, but there are cameras everywhere in that country, and I'm sure he was filmed on many cameras, and matching his clothes to that of the thief's clothing probably wasn't all that hard.

BTW .... none of his friends on that trip denied his stealing that poster. Do you believe that NK somehow influenced them after they returned home?

I feel sorry for what happened to that family, but to even imply they were completely blameless is ridiculous. I don't buy it, and, yes, Americans should think twice before going to any hostile and dangerous place. IMO, that's just common sense.

@Tinkrbl44 . ...and what makes you so sure that what the north Koreans say is true? I certainly don't believe anything that they say. You are free to believe whatever you want.

Maybe I'm wrong...maybe he was not tortured until he confessed (have my doubts) but I certianly believe that yes he was tortured which made him eventually pass away. Still there is no proof that he wasn't framed.

I can agree with you that he should have never gone there.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Nothing hurts worse than the needless death of a promising young person. He shouldn't have gone to No. Korea to begin with. It was cluless young person's folly. Kids think nothing bad can happen to them and once there, for some odd reason he chose to takel a flag as a souvenir of his travels. Something that wouldn't have meant anything anywhere else on this entire planet. But he was not anywhere else, he was in No. Korea. No one will ever know what happened to cause his death but one thing is for sure. No Korea isn't going to tell the family anything, they aren't going to admit anything and they certainly are not going to pay them a billion dollars. The story is tweaked a bit, the truth is that they should be suing the travel agency in China that arranged their son's trip to No. Korea. He was in China to study and tragically decided to take that side trip to No. Korea, of all places. There was some question as to how much preparation that Chinese travel agency gave to Westerners who travelled to No. Korea.