World Hum’s Most Read: Aug. 23-29

What We Loved This Week: Las Vegas, Maui and the Street Art of Sao Paulo

R.I.P. ‘Staycation’

‘The Internet is About the Best Thing to Happen to Geography Nerds Since the Sextant’

A Tourist With a Shovel and a Hoe

When she arrived in Kenya to volunteer with the Maasai, Daniela Petrova looked down her nose at tourists there to have a good time. But was her own motivation much different?

How Should I Spend My Time in Spain?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

Paul Theroux: Invisible Man on a Ghost Train

Jim Benning asks the author of “Ghost Train to the Eastern Star” about his new book, aging and the challenge of disappearing in the age of the BlackBerry

Eat Ceviche in Lima

Grab a Cusqueña and get comfortable. As Nicholas Gill explains, a trip to a Peruvian cevichería can be an all-day immersion in good conversation and raw seafood.

Unsentimental Journeys: Wrestling With Paul Theroux

Bronwen Dickey considers “Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: 28,000 Miles in Search of the Great Railway Bazaar”

My Travels, My Feet

After taking one too many headless torso shots of herself, solo traveler Sophia Dembling started snapping photos of her feet around the world, from the Grand Canyon to Red Square

Seven Reasons to Have a Foreign Fling

Sure, having an overseas romance is fun. But Terry Ward points out seven other benefits to cross-border love, mon petit chou.

Fire Destroys Seoul’s Namdaemun Gate

This destruction of art work is an international crime against the citizens of the world. Whether it be a scupture in Europe or a painting by a Master the entire world suffers this loss.  The punishment must fit the crime and in this case, a clear message must be sent to other would be arsonist..
This type of behaviour and sin to the world and the world to come, must never be tolerated.  A pubic execution as was done to Wallace in England when Scotland was defeated by England in the 14th century is the only punishment suitable… a gory end to deter others. and to go down in history .. it is grusome penalty but one that is fitting the crime to humanity. and for those who live on this earth for the next 610 years.

Oh c’mon Alan, an execution? Yes, it’s a terrible loss for us all, but what kind of person calls for someone’s death over what in essence boils down to property loss?

Art is far more important than the puny, weak, and effeminate motivations that would lead you, sir, to call this, Property Loss.  Not only death, but desecration of the body would highly be in order.  The man should not be offered a burial.

I beg your pardon? “Art” is more important than life? No, it is not.

Art is here to serve life, not the other way around. If you truly believe that someone should die for this loss, then in my opinion you have lost touch with your humanity.

You guys are hardly any different to the guy who lit that fire. He committed his act out of vengeance. And now you are the ones calling for a serious crime out of vengeance.

I believe you either intentionally misrepresent or have not understood my point.

I did not say Art is more important than Life.

I said the life of THIS CRIMINAL has been VOLUNTARILY ABDICATED BY the selfsame criminal by intentionally destroying a treasure of Art, History, Culture, and National Identity. 

Just like it is Just to execute a murderer, it is just to reestablish the balance of Justice by removing this criminal from society, and very publically at that.

He has committed an act which is liken to that of Treason—for he has betrayed his People and his Society and its History before the face of the entire world, and shamed it—and at that point, a Society has the just cause to remove that member of its body politick.

He has committed an act which is liken to that of murder—because the thing destroyed is like the very living image of his Nation, and just like life, that thing destroyed cannot be brought back.

Your calling this “Property Loss” is offensive and belittling.  It is a materialist view of the world which obviously shapes your position, and does not allow you to see the deep, abiding, and fundamental spiritual and civic motivations behind the extreme punishment due to this criminal.

I’d be interested to see your views on Capitol punishment, period, as well as Abortion, to see how your supposed “Pro-Life” views stand up.

Respectfully,
E.S.

Ok, so you’re saying the life of “this criminal” is not worth more than art.

Well, that is clearly not my view.

And no, I’m not in favour of the death penalty. But I can at least understand the calls for it when it is in response to an equivalent crime.

As for the monument - they will rebuild it. It has lost some of its historical significance, but as we have also seen with the Mostar Bridge (and a great deal of other important monuments around the world), it can be rebuilt and will remain as an important monument.

The same can not be said of the environmental crimes that are committed by governments, companies and individuals around the world on a daily basis. And the effect of those crimes frequently has far more dire consequences than this.

All this does not mean that that I don’t respect the cultural and historical significance of that monument. In fact, it saddens me greatly to see it disappear in this way. I’m just not the kind of reactive, hateful person who would want to see someone’s head on a platter as a result!

Dear Peter,

If we can rebuild a bombed out palazzo or monastery, copying the thousand year old statues and paintings inside, and consider them as not lost,

how do you ignore greatest restorer of all? ...Nature!

The fact that you categorically deny the value of capitol punishment is ...interesting. 

I suppose there really is no point in arguing the Truth or Value of anything, if nothing is so treacherous, so horrible, in your view, as to Justly incur physical death.

As one who values Life to the utmost, I understand that we can abdicate that Right—just as a Sovereign can his Kingdom. 

The fact that we can FIX the horror one has committed (and this is arguable, since historic Art by definition loses its true value upon destruction) DOES NOT TAKE AWAY THE FACT THAT HE HAS COMMITTED IT.

He (the criminal) is not to be punished for the harm which was assuaged, but for the harm that was DONE, BECAUSE he INTENDED to do it.

We do not put to punishment perpetrators of accidents.  But of Crime? Yes.

The punishment of nations is not something we can solve.  It is something history and “the gods” solve.

As far as our lives are concerned, THESE are the crimes we are left to judge.  And EVIL which has manifested itself PUBLICLY and with much GRIEF, MUST BE PUNISHED with as much force of Justice as the INJustice which was forced upon us all.

BECAUSE I love, I say, if Korea wills it, then let there be justice, and yes: even death.

Peter Daams there is something you should realize before saying that, that person is more important then this national landmark. I am japanese, but i have studied history, including korea, let me just say i sincerly apoligize for the wrongs japan did to korea.  You do realize korean history is the probably the least known out of all 1st world nations, do you know why? Korea has been invaded and occupied by the chinese, mongols,and the japanese. These invasions by china and japan occured more then once , and each time they burned several of korea’s temples, castles, historical documents, artifacts that can never be replaced. you may think that the gate is just a 610 year old gate, but to the Korean people, its one of the proud surviving symbols of Korea that lived on through those years of suffering. This is far worse then many terrorist attacks in the 21st century ,in my opinion , because this attack Spiritually damaged millions.
Rebuilding it doesn’t keep any of that historical value of life, it wasn’t made by the people who survived the foreign attacks. Other countries sure they can rebuild it and it will retain some value. But korea, there Landmarks are more important than the Statue of Liberty or the White house is to America.

It’s so elucidating to hear that perspective, Mr.Shintaro… unfortunately the modern world is steeped in materialism, and I don’t know if your message of “Spiritual damage” is going to resonate with many. As for me, I totally agree with you, and am SO saddened that more don’t allow themselves to simply be human about these issues…

much love from California! :D

-e

Mr. Shintaro I fully understand about the Spiritual damage.  After living in Korea for over two years ,and falling in love with the country,one has to understand the culture. History is part of the culture, Koreans identify with it, it is part of their lives, and they are very proud of it. It is similar as Americans identify with the declaration of independance; it is part of their essence of who they are.
I am truly sorry to see such a beautiful treasure destroyed as it can never be replaced but will be eventually forgotten to those who know the story of this treasure but have never seen it.