This is in regard to Dorothy Prince’s letter to the editor on Nov. 9. She obviously considers North Korea to be a rational, legitimate nation. It isn’t, any more than Nazi Germany was under Adolf Hitler. Appeasement wasn’t appropriate then, nor is it now. Kim Jong Il only comprehends force or the threat of force, just like Hitler.

I am aghast at the naveté in the letter. She seems to think that we Americans are inherently evil for defending ourselves from terrorism. Does anyone think we can negotiate with Kim Jong Il?

For evidence, type “North Korea refugee” into an Internet search engine and be prepared to be transfixed for hours, at least if you have a conscience. I found claims that millions have starved; hundreds of thousands (or more) have been executed. There are concentration camps in North Korea larger than the size of Washington, D.C. Orphans are thrown to the elements to die of exposure. There are medical experiments where inmates have healthy limbs, eyes and internal organs removed, merely on a whim, or because the incompetent party loyalist doctor needed to learn something before operating on another party loyalist. According to the Web site, one of the methods of execution there is to boil prisoners alive and then skim off the “human oil” to use in cosmetics? They say it takes about five minutes for them to stop thrashing.

When I read letters such as Ms. Prince’s, I wonder if anyone is paying attention.

Michael Lord, Auburn