On Traveling to North Korea.

[jberryhill]

100. American hostages have been used in all sorts of places

But missionaries in particular understand what they are getting into when they go there, and, again, the US position on those kinds of things should be "sucks to be them" because that is exactly what they chose - of their own free will as citizens of a free country - to go there and do.

The US government should not be in the business of telling free people where they can go and where they can't go. If a free person decides of their free will they'd like to go somewhere risky and do something stupid, then that's up to them.

Do YOU need the US government telling you where you can go? I don't.

So, I'm asking, there are certainly places where one can go to get shot at, your head cut off, taken hostage by the government or lack thereof, and so on.

I had people tell me that visiting Kenya was outrageously risky because of Al-Shabab activity there. Ditto Colombia and Mexico (kidnappings), Egypt (terrorist kidnappings), and plenty of other places. You educate yourself, spin the wheel, and takes your chances.

But, okay, I'm saying "why not just make a list" since there are all kinds of dicey places where people can do stupid things. If you insult the king in Thailand, they'll lock you up too. I just don't see why it's the business of the US government to start telling people where on this planet they may go or not go.

So, if we're going to get serious, then let's make out the whole list.

Aside from which, are you saying it would be legal, under the First Amendment, for the US government to tell missionaries where they can and can't go?