To celebrate our 60th and 65th birthdays, my husband and I were going to take a cruise to Egypt and Israel. We were all set to book the cruise when all hell broke loose in the Middle East. Even though Princess still goes to there, we’re not about to travel in volatile waters. We heed Jim Croce’s advice. You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind and you don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger. It’s not the right time to travel to Egypt.
But not everyone listens to that advice. Back in 2009, when I read about the three Americans who were arrested for hiking in Iran, I said to myself, “of all the places in the world, why would you hike any where near Iran.” I just didn’t get it. The gal was eventually released, the other two were convicted recently and sentenced to eight years, I guess, for spying. Ahmadinejad just announced that the two will be released as a “humanitarian gesture” – which really means, “I’m coming very soon to NY to participate in the U.N. General Assembly and I want to look like a really nice guy.”
As far as I’m concerned, if you choose to hike in areas you’re so unfamiliar with that you actually end up in Iran, or, as another example, you decide to murder someone in Italy as Amanda Knox, don’t expect the kind of treatment you’d get in this country. If you choose to do stupid stuff overseas, be prepared to face the penalty. I’m tired of reading reports when Americans are convicted of something in other countries and then have to listen to talking heads tell us how bad this one of that one’s judicial system is. If you’re not ready to do the time, stay home.
