Less Haste, More Peace

Talks on the Korean Peninsula are a good starting point.

- Joanne Black

The older I become, the more I pay attention to events that have lasted longer than I have. The reign of Queen Elizabeth II is one, and the Korean War is another. I hadn’t realised the two countries on the Korean Peninsula were technically still at war until I was once asked the question during a game of Trivial Pursuit. Thus the great episodes of modern history are rendered to questions in a board game.

It seems hard to believe that only last year, I was reassuring my anxious daughter that North Korea did not have a hope of landing missiles on US soil; now people are arguing over who deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for ending the Korean War. That debate seems a little like a girl on her first date planning her wedding dress. Not so fast, methinks.

Nevertheless, the rapprochement between the leaders of North and South Korea is a step to celebrate. Talking is always better than not talking, except to teenagers: you might as well save your breath until they are older.