Kim Jong Un, age 28, and the ruling Dictator of North Korea

RECAP: Sunday, March 3, 2013
For anyone who believes in the invention of the “slice of bread” and how the innovation of one tiny, minute idea could change the world of man you can view the unexpected and daunting visitation between Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-un as either the most genius of moves or the most dangerous. As you all know I’ve admitted to being an Optimist. I believe in any possibility of change for the better.  Whether some believe it to be naivety or foolishness is entirely up to them but I’d rather think that the glass is half full instead of half empty. Regardless I still have practicality.

After watching ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos this Sunday morning I am convinced that times are changing. There’s reason to get very worried and extremely upset. Dennis Rodman has been in his share of quarrels and wrong ends of the law more times than we can count. To see this union with a leader who is known to have prison camps and makes us all speculate, what the hell is really going on?!! Is this cause for concern? Should we do something about this? What is Dennis Rodman in the midst of now? Then we see the outcast, the off-the-wall, “dead-beat” misfit become the one, the only one on the behalf of the US to get inside the mind of a dangerous dictator and befriend him. What does that say America? What does that say Kool World? Yes, it looks like the worst thing that could ever happen. Yes, it could spell the end of everything but for some reason I see otherwise. Just hear me out.

Dennis Rodman, has the ability and capacity to reach a man of this magnitude and actually “talk” to him. What I have come to understand is that the only way to reach someone, to get them to “open up” is to connect heart to heart. So the man loves basketball. Great! Excellent, now he can connect on a much deeper level and get to the root of many underlying issues between North Korea and America. Don’t worry I’m not going to get all political since I’m not that astute in that line of conversation, but I will speak on what is possible. There could finally be some kind of peaceful resolve all because Dennis Rodman, a former black NBA basketball player connected on a common ground. Times are truly changing and I think it’s time that the middle man, in this case the guy who has definitely been down on his luck, fallen into the pit of despair, and is not taken seriously by people and coaches alike for one reason or another, receive more acknowledgement whether his efforts are confusing, insane, or encouraged and highly respected. We don’t know the full outcome of this situation or why Rodman decided to do this but it is done. Dennis may actually end up becoming the nation’s hero for going the extra mile and focusing on a more personal level for which we can achieve far more than what we can imagine.

From his childhood shortcomings and hardships he’s experienced whether by default or his own doing he didn’t approach the situation with a right or left viewing, but from a human-stand point. Something many of us have forgotten. We’re all human, even those who commit cruel and even heinous acts, and to get through to each other is just as simple as saying, “So what you do you like about basketball? So does Barack Obama”. I’m saying Dennis Rodman proposed a probable phone call between Barack Obama President of the United States and 28 year old Kim Jong-un with basketball at the top of the list. He tells Stephanopoulos that Kim wanted one thing: A call from President Barack Obama. Rodman said he saw some common ground between the two leaders. Both Love Basketball. What is more astounding is Rodman’s recount of Kim stating “If you can, Dennis – I don’t want [to] do war. I don’t want to do war. So let’s take him on his word and just see. We must try. Kim and I are respectably the same age so he’s part of my come-up, my generation. One thing I do feel is predominant within my peer group is that we want to be ourselves. We don’t want outside influences telling us how to live our lives and how we want to make a name for ourselves with our legacies. Many of us are spoiled, self-entitled, stubborn, and bratty but at the core of our beings we do believe in the right cause. We want to make changes for the better and that’s the good that lies in our spirits. If Kim truly doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue feuding with the US then we need to see what a phone call to the President will do. In my opinion it looks like he’s trying to find normalcy within the regime that was inherited to him from his father—a break from his power standing to feel more grounded and enjoy a pastime many of us enjoy here in the States and around the world.

If we can choose a man of mixed origins as the President of the United States then we can surely open our eyes to another black man delegating peace between two nations. For God’s sake the North Korean “Supreme Leader” wants and  vows –meaning it is his ultimate mission to destroy the United States don’t you think it’s time we used other tactics instead of going head to head combat decon mode or wait around like sitting ducks? If friendship is the underlying key between these two men then there’s much to learn from this interaction. War is not always the answer. Fighting is not always the solution. Peace always ends up being the right decision. Enough lives have been lost from what we all can account for these last 12+ years. For Rodman to be the one to do it is not what many of us intended but what other choices do we have? What other methods worked? Now is about the right time. Dennis Rodman’s personality is enough to cause uneasiness though, don’t get me wrong. How this correspondence will continue will have many sweating bullets and nervous as a train wreck because Rodman is known to be unpredictable, sporadic, easily incited, and difficult but we have to have faith there’s something special going on here. Something we can’t quite see or understand just yet, but perhaps just maybe the best thing that could ever happen for a peaceful alliance with an opposing country. We will continue to catch the news on this breaking story because he’s stated he will be going back.