N. Koreans Sentence Ling and Lee to 12 Years in Labor Camp

I am sitting in Phoenix Airport trying not to start balling. CNN just reported that Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been sentenced to 12 years in a North Korean labor camp for the "hostile act" of crossing over the Chinese border into North Korea. Was I being too optimistic thinking that this would all end well? Did my glass half-full side delude me into thinking that the superhero trio of Al Gore, Hillary Clinton and some kick ass special envoy like Richard Holbrook would swoop in and use super diplomacy to get them freed?

What would you do if your child or someone you loved was sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp thousands of miles away? How could you bear to open your eyes, breath in air or process thoughts knowing that you’ve exercised every conceivable option to then be handed the worst possible news? I am still hopeful something can be done. My prayers go out to both of their families.

Free Laura Ling and Euna Lee!

A couple of nights ago while channel surfing I caught an episode of Larry King Live featuring Lisa Ling and her family pleading with the North Korean government to free her sister, Laura Ling and another reporter, Euna Lee, that have been jailed for illegal entry. Lisa Ling was incredibly poised as she talked about how the two journalists have been jailed for more than three months and how they have had to keep the nightmare under wraps so as not to incite the North Koreans.

What was beyond heartbreaking was seeing Lisa and Laura Ling’s parents pleading for the safe return of their daughter. I was balling thinking how impotent they must feel and how horrific it must be to know that their daughter is behind bars and might now be a pawn in what must feel like a battle of wills between two countries. With the recent nuclear missile tests, our former president naming them as part of the Axis of Evil and our current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent hard line speech about the regime, the fact that the Ling’s were able to keep it together on national television is unfathomable. Imaging me in their position escalated my tears to sobs.

This morning I read a news report that Al Gore may be going to North Korea to try to negotiate for the release of the two reporters. At the time of Laura Ling’s arrest, she was working on a story for Current TV, a network that he co-founded and that he now sits as Chairman of the board of Content. Let the GOP say what they want about Al Gore. In my book, he is a true humanitarian and has done amazing things since he left office.

Let’s hope that between the State Department, Al Gore, President Obama and Hillary Clinton, these journalists are released soon. After all, these two women are not merely journalists, Laura and Euna are also daughters, mothers, wives and sisters just waiting to be released into the arms of their families.