The statement I use as the title of my blog today is first the title of a new book put out by Life and Human Rights Books, the publishing arm of the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights. It is not specifically a Christian book, but for its thoroughness of research of the plight of the child in North Korea, it is unmatched.

The title is given not to promote Kim's philosophical theory, but to show just how far away from this lofty ideal the Kims have come in their treatment of children in the DPRK.

The book, however excellent in reporting, is tragic in its content. I cannot imagine a place on earth where children's rights are more abused, unless it be so-called civilized nations that foster out-of-control abortion policies. Nothing is more despicable than the murder of an innocent child quietly resting in its mother's womb. But that too is another story.

One thing the book brings out is that school authorities and teachers of North Korea often benefit from children under the guise of helping the state economy. For example, children are forced to the mountains to gather a specified quota of acorns, pine nuts, herbs, supposedly to earn foreign currency. The quotas are high, though, and many do not reach them. These unfortunates must make up the difference using their own food, such as peas or corn, or even with cash.

Children in Korean schools, further, are asked to buy all their school materials, even those that have to do with maintenance or furnishings or education tools. But the outside world is told that North Koreans, products of socialism, have free education. As America heads down the socialist road, consider the amount of our taxes that goes to Washington spending on educational measures. This is for America's "free" education! And those who decide to go to better, and Christ-based, schools must pay tuition too... but again I digress!

In the winter is the worst of it. Young children must gather boughs and twigs from the mountains to heat their schools. Middle School students are to carry along axes and saws and cut down entire trees, help load them on trucks... Accidents are commonplace.

Then there is the requirement that certain students bring in raw materials such as metal pieces, rubber... children unable to cope with this request are kept from joining certain youth organizations, and subjected to other discrimination. Children thus motivated resort to any number of ways to hold their own, including outright stealing.

Families that cannot keep up with the constant series of demands are forced to leave education behind. Low attendance rates is a growing problem in this nation of many problems.