If you want to live, don’t visit North Korea

The death of Otto Warmbier as a result of his detention by North Korea’s dictatorial regime should cause American travelers to pause and think seriously about taking tours to countries on the State Department’s “no travel” list.

The media cries for the individuals and their families who are tortured, detained, or die as a result of poor care at the hands of dictators. Fact is, those Americans who travel to places like North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Iran as civilians don’t deserve our efforts to retrieve them when they know full well that the governments of these countries will not protect them or will use them for political purposes – or even torture and kill them.

If you are willing to take the high risks, then you shouldn’t cry for mercy and help when your world comes tumbling down around you. The State Department didn’t post those no travel directives just for something to do. Use your intelligence and stay out of harm’s way!

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 1:35 PM with the headline "If you want to live, don’t visit North Korea."