An Open Letter To Chairman Kim

Jun 17, 2018

By Marilyn M. Barnewall

Dear Chairman Kim:

Your recent meeting with President of the United States Donald J. Trump brought tears of joy to my eyes.  I’m 81 years old and my brother served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict.  He came home safely but so many did not.  Your offer to return their remains along with information about our Missing in Action soldiers is greatly appreciated by all Americans.

So much of the reporting about the meeting between you and my President focuses on your differences.  I find hope for the future in the likenesses between your country and mine.

You have recently come to power and have inherited past problems not of your own making.  Donald Trump faces this same burden.  It requires strength of character to take the actions necessary to implement meaningful change.  I know Donald Trump has the character required to implement the changes America needs.  I don’t know you and cannot say the same thing, but your Singapore appearance was impressive.  I will pray that you continue to seek a new and prosperous future for North Korea.

I observed last week that you terminated the services of formerly trusted advisors who could not support the steps you are taking… steps required to make needed change for your nation’s growth and opportunity.

President Trump has faced and continues to face these same challenges.  Both of you find opposition and will continue to find it because change is viewed as a threat to people’s existing power bases.  Insecure people that surround both of you fear a loss of power.  It requires courage to move forward.  

Fearful but formerly-trusted advisors who oppose plans for progress have played their part in the past.  You appear to be replacing them with those who seek a future of positive change and growth.  It takes time in our Republic form of government… but we will use the ballot box to do the same.  The media and our politicians refer to America as a democracy.  We are a republic.

You are a young man and President Trump is twice your age… and that is good.  It brings together the expectations of youth and the wisdom of age.

Prior to your leadership in North Korea, your nation promised the world it  would take certain actions to formally end the Korean Conflict and make other changes regarding nuclear weapons and abuses of human rights.

North Korea did not fulfill those commitments.  As a result, many people around the world do not trust what you now say about these same issues.   That is a burden you carry because the people of the world doubt you.  I choose to believe you.  However, like a former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, once said:  “Trust but verify.”  It is not your fault that lies were told in the past, but please understand that lies have consequences.  Unfortunately, you are the one being forced to bear the consequences of those old lies.  If you are truthful, you will prevail.

If your meeting in Singapore and the things to which you and President Trump committed are going to succeed, you must both show by example the advantages of living up to promises made.  If the two of you are to lead the world into a new and better way so that many nations with totally different types of government can thrive, it will require a strong commitment to positive progress.

You will hear many mixed messages from those who claim to be our allies.  You will hear negatives about your efforts from our media in America and from establishment politicians who fear a loss of power.  Please don’t believe them.

President Trump is an honest man.  He says what he means and means what he says.  He is not a game player.  All of us who support what Singapore represents know that both of you must be honest and truthful with one another.  Because of our political and governmental differences and because of pressures other nations will bring to bear on both of you, it will be tempting to waiver.  Success, however, depends on both of you dealing with one another on the basis of truth and understanding.

Most Americans support President Trump.  That is an obvious truth because if we did not he would not be our elected President today.  We were free to choose many others but we chose him.  We chose him to correct past problems.  Our media seems to have a hard time understanding that, but it is true.

Because of my advanced age, I have lived through World War Two, Korea, the Cold War with the former Soviet Union, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  For the past 30 years, I have watched elected officials ignore our Constitution and make changes to the America I have always known – an America built on honor, commitment to truth, and the civil rights of American citizens – and my country has changed.  It took time for American voters to realize the damage being done to us and when we realized what was happening, we elected Donald Trump to be our President.

President Trump commented after meeting you in Singapore that you love your country.  That is hard to believe for those of us who read newspapers and watch television news.  I have said many times, the American media serves its own purpose and not that of accurately informing the people.  We have heard terrible stories of what happens to people in North Korea and saw evidence of it in one young man who died a few days after you returned him to his American home.  He had been imprisoned in North Korea.  That makes it difficult to understand what is meant when we are told that you love your country.  But we trust President Trump.  I understand very well love of country and believe it took courage for you to go to Singapore to seek resolution of past problems and to make plans for a bright future.  We will try to understand.

Please know that the information you will receive about the wonderful success of the meeting between you and President Trump from America’s media does not reflect the opinion of the majority of the American people.  Our news outlets reflect the attitudes of people who live in big cities who think their personal opinions rather than facts are newsworthy.  Most Americans pay little or no attention to them.  The result of our Presidential election in November 2016 is evidence of who Americans believe and trust.

In 1991, I spent two weeks in Singapore training bankers on how to make special loans to independent business owners.  Singapore bankers (and South Korean and Malaysian bankers) have used that information to prosper their business communities.  United Overseas Bank in Singapore (UOB) was a client of mine and I enjoyed the time I spent in Beijing before going to Singapore.  I loved the time I spent in your part of the world.  It is beautiful!

The purpose of my letter is to ask you to believe and trust President Trump and to ignore the words of our media, the media of the European Union nations, and elected officials worldwide who make stupid statements reflective of stupid, fearful minds.  They want things to stay the same.  They are relics of the past.  What Singapore represents is an opportunity for a positive future.

Another purpose of my letter is to ask you to believe and trust the majority of the people of America who elected President Trump.  We believe in his honesty and truthfulness and in his ability to rid our nation of those whose abusive power wanes daily.  They are frightened – and they should be.  They are losing their power because their effort to diminish our sovereignty as a nation is failing.

You impressed many Americans by your actions in Singapore.  We want to believe and support what you and President Trump have begun.

Please continue walking the road of righting old wrongs.  Most Americans are very hopeful for your successful steps thus far and wish you well in bravely taking future steps.  I hope you want the same thing for those of us who approve of this great beginning and will support our President in achieving the objectives established during this historic first meeting.

Should you choose to respond to my letter, my email address is listed below.

Sincerely,

Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall

E-Mail Marilyn Barnewall: marilynmacg@juno.com

© 2018 Marilyn M. Barnewall – All Rights Reserved

Author Email: marilynmacg@juno.com

Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall began her career in 1956 as a journalist with the Wyoming Eagle in Cheyenne. During her 20 years (plus) as a banker and bank consultant, she wrote extensively for The American Banker, Bank Marketing Magazine, Trust Marketing Magazine, was U.S. Consulting Editor for Private Banker International (London/Dublin), and other major banking industry publications. She has written seven non-fiction books about banking and taught private banking at Colorado University for the American Bankers Association. She has authored seven banking books, one dog book, and two works of fiction (about banking, of course). She has served on numerous Boards in her community. Barnewall is the former editor of The National Peace Officer Magazine and as a journalist has written guest editorials for the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Newsweek, among others. On the Internet, she has written for NewsWithViews.com, World Net Daily, Christian Business Daily, Business Reform, and others. She has been quoted in Time, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and other national and international publications. She can be found in Who's Who in America, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in Finance and Business, and Who's Who in the World. E-Mail: marilynmacg@juno.com Website: http://marilynwrites.blogspot.com