Beyond the Bar

Legal dramas tend to be cut and dried and certainly "Beyond the Bar" has its share, but nevertheless is entertaining and thought provoking with interesting dialogue.

It was decided romance was distracting so they held back at the beginning.  The main characters certainly had personal problems.  Hyo-min, the female lead we learn was a twin whose sister turned out deaf and had been given to an aunt who was also deaf.  When a lover found out about this he broke off their relationship.  Romance is subtle and slow to develop.

A tool for a possible romance is a dog.  Early on you will learn Seok-hoon the male lead and mentor to Hyo-min has been divorced and shares custody of a dog.  He fusses over the dog and is very concerned for its well being.

What makes the series worth viewing, is the cases and how the lawyers peel away the issues to find out what really happened.  Ethics are discussed.  A few examples follow.

A man breaks into a fertility clinic and destroys some expensive equipment.  The clinic sued him for damages, but realistically that was beyond his means.  His motive was that he had come to them before an operation with a risk of infertility.  The operation saved his life, but he did become infertile.  And later we learn that his wife was desperate to have a child that would not have a disfigurement that she got from an accident.  The back story was important for the case and Hyo-min is the one who uncovered it despite the accused client's wariness being interviewed by a woman.

In another case Seok-hoon was forced to work with a client that repelled him.  Nonetheless he is very good at getting the client out of some messy situations.  You can't help but think life is unfair when despicable people can get away with bad things.  Obviously money plays a role, but not the only one:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/untouchable-how-they-get-away-with-it.html  Our hero does redeem himself.

In an assisted suicide case we learn the husband had had an affair and stood to inherit her fortune.  But we and the court come to appreciate the wife was suffering and he really did love her more than some greedy relatives.

In the episode "Bystander" we learn a little of Hyo-min's history that involved watching someone being beaten up and did nothing.  One of their cases involves a similar situation and as viewers we come to appreciate what a big factor ignoring someone's suffering can be. 

Each episode brings a difficult case demanding careful analysis and moral judgments.  

Typical of Korean series there are some personal relationships among the staff as there would be to some extent with all legal teams.

Such a popular and well received series is the result of the talent and work of a number of people.

Kim Jae Hong was the creator, writer and director.  He has 3 director credits and 1 for writing.

Jang Woo-seok was the producer.  He has 47 producer credits and 1 for acting including "The Roundup" (2022) and "Rebound" (2023).

Yoo Min-ho was the music composer with 25 music credits including "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019). 

Songhwan Moon was the editor.  He has 26 editor credits and 26 for the editorial department including "When the Phone Rings" (2024-2025).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/01/when-phone-rings.html

Lee Jin-wook played Yoon Seok-hoon, the mature mentor.  He has 32 acting credits including "Miss Granny" (2014), "The Beauty Inside" (2015) and "Squid Game, Season 2" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/01/squid-game-season-2.html

Jung Chae-yeon played Kang Hyo-min, the new lawyer.  She has 20 acting credits including "The King's Affection" (2021).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/the-kings-affection.html

Kim Eui-sung played a senior partner.  He has 61 acting credits including "Assassination" (2015), "Train to Busan" (2016), "Memories of the Alhambra" (2018), "Under the Queen's Umbrella" (2022) and "Trauma Code:  Heroes on Call" (2025).  see  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/04/under-queens-umbrella.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/08/trauma-code.html

Lee Joo Yeon played a junior lawyer.  She had been in a girl band.  She has 7 acting credits including "Chocolate" (2019), "Hyena" (2020) and "Flower of Evil" (2020).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html

If you enjoy legal drama you should find this thought provoking.  Romance is there, but you have to wait for it.  Available on Netflix dubbed and subtitled.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favorite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

The Future of Tourism

As more of us become more affluent one luxury in increasing demand is traveling.  It has been beneficial for many, but the author to point how some concerns.

One concern is that as an area becomes popular the locals lose control as corporations and outside companies move in.  Prices for many locally priced goods go up and locals find themselves being pushed further away.  In some cases there is significant environmental damage.

One example given was for Barcelona, one of my targets having watched a few foreign films plus the Olympics.  Now I am putting it further down my list.

Another example was Hawaii with its native culture being sidelined for a more commercially desirable image. 

Environmental concerns are the direct result of trying to squeeze more people into a sensitive area.  One trend has been with glaciers that have been promoted as something you have to see before they disappear.   Many efforts have begun to ameliorate climate change.  One long range concern is air travel and that is very complicated, but progressing.

Kerala in India is an example where locals have been given power to make decisions.  Most countries see tourism as an important economic tool.  Kerala is home to some of my favorite movies and I am glad to hear that locals offer interested tourist a chance to understand their culture.   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/how-i-discovered-malayalam-cinema-and.html

The author referred to another book that impacted me, "Overbooked".  Among many good ideas that author highlighted two countries as good examples of being well managed.  France was one that honored its literary and artistic history.  Costa Rica was the other that got my attention, because their focus was on the environment with an emphasis on their unique natural assets.  At the same time they trained local people and paid them well.  They also limited numbers.  Read more  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/02/overbooked-and-thoughts-on-tourism.html

We have always had travelers including migrants, merchants, pilgrims and invading armies.  Tourism happened among the wealthy of Europe starting around the second half of the 18th century.  World War II heralded awareness of the world and incomes started to rise sparking an interest.  From 1950 to 2019 tourists went from 25 million per year to nearly 1.5 billion.  Then Covid drastically cut tourism with a notable drop in economic benefits.  Now the trend is upward.

One motive for tourism was to promote world peace,.  One unlikely source was Nikita Krushchev, but many others joined the pleas.  Tourism was identified in the 1960's as an industry with some countries including it in cabinet positions.

Mark Twain said "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness and many of our people need it sorely...Broad, wholesome and charitable views of men and things can not be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

Traveling can be very superficial, but Paige holds out hope that as individuals we can go deeper and enjoy it a bit more.  As an example she wrote about her experiences going by herself to Saudi Arabia where fears of anti female views had been prevalent and the Kashoggi.  Afterwards reflecting outsiders view of America. 

"I now know that Saudi Arabia is a deeply flawed and beautiful place that's home to millions of diverse souls including my fun and courageous tourist guide." Thinking deeper, "I ...see my home country as a deeply flawed and beautiful place that's home to millions of diverse souls including many of my closest friends and family members.....hope the naysayers might one day visit the U.S. and see there is more to it than the politics and crises they read about in the news."

 Hoping as you contemplate what to do in your future you give some thought to traveling and how it could make your life not only more enjoyable, but also more meaningful.

As I organize this blog post my city for over 43 years, Hamilton, Ontario, is holding its biggest tourist attraction event, Supercrawl.  I look forward to it, but I am now appreciating some downsides.  It is a once a year bonanza for our local restaurants, but as part of the deal literally tons of food trucks siphon off much of the tourist dollars.  Often they are more accessible than the restaurants.  This event started as an art crawl and then music was added and many vendors showed up. There is something for most everyone, but I would feel more comfortable if more locals benefited.  Now it is a big deal with a big budget trying to balance making it a fuller experience to attract a crowd, without local entrepreneurs being missing out.

King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution Explained

The Iranian Revolution was a big surprise to many including Jimmy Carter and the Shah Reza Pahlavi.  There were clues, but they were largely ignored until it was too late.  Scott Anderson decided it was time to research the records and try to better understand it.  His research was impressively extensive.

One perspective presented Iran with a positive rising income (but unequal), good life expectancy, fair treatment for minorities including Jews, Armenians and Assyrians.  Over half a million citizens with college degrees from abroad.  Traded with Israel.  Relative freedom for Muslim women, even planning to give them the vote.

On the other hand you had a religious fundamentalist, who thought women had way too much freedom.  Khomeini also hated Jews and Bahais as well as the American government. 

How did it happen?  More than 40 years after the Iranian Revolution Scott Anderson was able to talk with many eye witnesses and uncover detailed written information.  He does a great job providing a better understanding of this globally important event with serious consequences today.

Shah Reza Pahlavi was not universally popular.  Corruption was evident and inequality was prominent.  His freedom for women and toleration of  Jews and Bahai offended many.  His secret police, SAVAK was assumed to be much more intrusive than Scott was able to prove, but nonetheless clamped down on political dissent.  The Shah was very secretive.  He would talk to generals, chosen for loyalty one on one and never as a group.  He kept knowledge of a fatal medical condition from American intelligence.   An interesting skill was he could pilot jet planes and did so.

Ancient Persians did not enslave the people they conquered and allowed them to keep their religion.  They required only a pledge of loyalty to the Kingdom.

The Brits wanted to get rid of Mohammad Mossedegh, an elected leader who wanted to nationalize their oil resources.  They negotiated with President Truman who turned down request for a coup, but Eisenhower agreed.  Shah had been requested to sign an agreement to this end, but at first refused until Kermit Roosevelt strong armed him to do so.  The U.S. government had helped engineer the coup that in 1953 forced Mossedegh out and replaced him by a more powerful Shah. 

Fundamentalists immediately developed a greater grudge against Americans.  They already felt that Americans tempted Iranians to sin and encouraged female freedom.  Khomeini was one of the more vocal critics urging death to the Satanists. 

Jimmy Carter actually wanted to develop a stronger relation with Iran recognizing they were stable in an unstable part of the world, supplied a significant amount of oil, bought a lot of American weapons and provided a better location to monitor the Soviet Union.  He successfully encouraged the Shah to modify his human rights abuses.  He felt obligated to the Shah, but paid little attention to the real situation and his staff mostly ignored Iran, until they couldn't.

Ebrahim Yazdi, was a key operative.  Born in Iran he was an Islamist with a social conscience and became very upset about the Mossadegh ouster and hated the Shah.  Although aware of American connection he ended up upgrading his education and becoming a pharmacologist in the U.S.  Active among anti Shah groups while in America at first sought political action, but decided a fundamentalist would work better.  When Khomeini needed to find a new exile location Yazdi steered him to France where he would have a better platform allowing his bombastic sermons to have a wilder distribution. Yazdi provided translations for media while toning down Khomeini's hatred  Noted U.S. most concerned with all the riots in Iran that Communists would take over, but they were assured not a problem.  He planned strategies to steer the military leaders to Khomeini.  He was a moderate to the end (2017) confessing he regretted his (critical) involvement with Khomeini.

Riots escalated and it was decided the Shah should leave.  Khomeini was ready to move in, but other political forces tried to form a government encouraged by the United States.

Eventually in 1989 Khomeini came to Tehran and gave his blessing to some politicians he approved of, but was in reality the final decider.  The Americans wanted the politicians in charge, but found even they bowed to Khomeini. 

When Iraq invaded Iran to take advantage of its supposed vulnerability the Iranian leadership realized they had used up much of their weaponry and needed the U.S. to re-supply them and negotiations seemed to be progressing, but suddenly collapsed.  There was speculation that Ronald Reagan's campaign team may have encouraged the delay for the hostage release.  It is known they had contact with Khomeini staff.  Scott Anderson, the author in 2023 learned of comments by prominent Republicans that indicated they had inside information the hostages would not be released until Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.  Carter's humiliation at the hands of the Iranian went right to the inauguration. 

One interesting source for this book was Michael Metrinko who had learned Farsi when working with the Peace Corps.  He learned what street Iranians thought and tried to pass it on to little avail.  Working with the U.S. Embassy he was captured with the other American workers and for awhile his Farsi abilities were hidden, but when discovered he was tortured as he he was with the C.I.A.  He was eventually released and when the author discovered him he was sharing his house with a few Afghan students who had escaped that conflict.

Details do matter and Scott has been a hard worker uncovering the key players and the key moves.  A blog cannot do justice to his book, but it is my hope you will check out the book itself.

Trump has found Iran to be a good enemy to use for his political goals.  An earlier view of Iran from 2022:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/the-iranian-dilemma.html  That was for his first term.  In his second term he has taken a more aggressive stance in line with Netanyahu's perspective.

Jimmy Carter made critical mistakes with Iran, but overall was a very decent man who did much good, but admits his biggest regret was with Iran.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/10/the-outlier-unfinished-presidency-of.html

An earlier book, "Lawrence in Arabia" illustrates Scott's understanding of important historical events. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/12/lawrence-in-arabia.html

Stolen a book about the Sapmi nation

As a young man I recall seeing news clips about exotic Laplanders wearing colorful clothing and on skis herding reindeer.  For several years similar clips reminded me that they were found mostly in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland.  The term "indigenous" was one way to label them.

"Stolen" (2021) upends some of those ideas.  I had seen the movie and more recently read the book (that always deepens understanding).  The area is more properly labelled "Sapmi" and includes parts of Russia.  "Laplanders" is considered a slur and they prefer to be called Sami.  

The term "indigenous" is sometimes applied.  Definitions vary, but one perspective is those who identified as such, feeling they are different in culture and too often suffer discrimination.  As an outsider I believe the Sami qualify as indigenous.  Outsiders view the indigenous as primitive and strange.  We miss understanding their culture that would not only help us to better communicate with them, but also how we might benefit. 

Their status has been elevated by contact and intermixing, but the underlying dynamic is caste as they are seen as inferior beings.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/caste-origins-of-our-discontents.html 

Reindeer herding is integral to their culture.  At the beginning a Sami nine year old, Elsa witnessed a familiar Swedish man kill her reindeer and threaten her.  She does report the death, but refrains from identifying the man.  We follow her as she ages.  The local Sami feel a need to be on guard against outsiders stealing or killing their reindeer.  They have adapted to modern times by using fencing and snowmobiles are ubiquitous.  

They do suffer discrimination in various manners.  They were resented for their privileges (only they have the right to kill reindeer).  The Swedish police are slow to respond to attacks on Sami or their reindeer.   A slur is to be called "Lapp" or worse "Lapp whore".  Some Sami work in factories, but are mocked for their reindeer connections.  Sami clothing is mocked.  Elsa's mother is Swedish and is frowned upon by some Sami as "rivgu". 

Elsa and her family clash with Robert Isaksson, a belligerent Swede who hurt others, but never seems to be punished for it.  There is one sympathetic policeman who wrestles with his sense of fairness and his ambition.  

We learn about a Norwegian organization, SANKS (The Sami Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Mental Health and Substance Abuse) that uses psychology and understanding of the Sami culture to help with mental health.  Elsa's brother seeks help from them.

The climax involves some moral choices and guilt feelings.  An interesting read to help understand how minorities try to fit in while maintaining their uniqueness.

After the story has been told Ann-Helen offers some suggestions for discussion.

Earlier I did a post on the film.  Check it out  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/stolen-film-on-saami-people.html

 Note the different spellings:  Sami and Saami.

You Never Know You Too Might Become A Refugee

It seems refugees have always been in the news.  Mostly we think of people fleeing persecution.  A new reason is already developing--climate change.  In reality many of those who used to make their living farming now find it more difficult to survive and seek safer countries.

"You Never Know You Too Might Become a Refugee" (2023) is set in 2043 and might be thought of as science fiction, but unfortunately it is already happening and is predicted to get worse.  The film projects that in 2030 the United Nations declares a legal justification to be a refugee is climate change and all countries must accept them.  Unfortunately some countries refuse and even make it a crime.  England is one of them.

The Isle of Grain is used as a mythical starting point.  Two adults and their daughter are being severely battered by the weather and are aware it will become increasingly more difficult to survive.  They had applied to get to England, but were unsuccessful.  They felt the situation was so desperate that they would have to take the illegal route.

They were able to get the necessary money, but that would just about wipe out their finances.  Evading the police was an ongoing concern. Finding accommodation was difficult.  The film focuses on an interview to avoid criminal prosecution.  The interviewer suggests strongly they should have stayed where they were and have broken the law.  

The situation is not really resolved as there is no happy solution.  Some refugees die in the effort to reach safety. 

The irony is that the wealthy industrial countries are most responsible for climate change, but citizens of poorer countries suffer the most.  Donald Trump is already setting up America to close borders to climate change refugees.  To start with they deny climate change exists while allowing some of their donating businesses to profit.  They already put heavier emphasis to keep out immigrants.

This film offers a message the world desperately needs to understand, so I would like to credit some of the people for this particular effort.

Two people shared the organization of the effort.  

Teo Ormond-Skeaping, the director, writer, cinematographer and editor started as photographer and has had many photo exhibits.  He has become politically active and focuses on climate change and how it effects people.  Taking part in many international climate change for climate change.  He has 4 credits as a cinematographer, 2 as a producer, 2 as a director and 1 for editing.

Since 2012 Teo has collaborated with Lena Dobrowolska, a Ph.D. researcher.  She was a director and writer for this film.

Richard Skelton composed the music.  He has been a noted album producing musician.  Richard has 12 credits for composing.

Dominic Farrow played the father.  He has 3 acting credits.

Kaara Benstead played the mother.  She has 6 acting credits, 1 for writing and 1 for directing.

Richie Campbell played the interviewer.  He 62 acting credits, 1 for assistant directing and 1 for producing.

Nick Bartlett played a people smuggler.  He has 87 acting credits including "Topsy Turvey" (1999),  "London Boulevard" (2010) and "World War Z" (2013). 

Mike Kelson played the head of a people smuggling group.  He has 108 acting credits, 2 for writing and 1 for directing.

Jack Bense played a detention center officer.  He has 47 acting credits including "Hereafter" (2010) and "Unforgotten" (2025).

Bitu Thomas played herself.    She has been in films in English, Tamil and Hindi.  Her 16 acting credits, 1 for directing and 1 for writing include "One Life" (2023).

This film is well done and has a powerful message.  I watched it on a DVD borrowed from my local library and am not aware if it is available elsewhere.

A realistic assessment of climate change and how we might deal with it... http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/10/intervention-earth.html

Trauma Code: Heroes on Call

"Trauma Code:  Heroes on Call" (2025) has been a big hit for Netflix.  By ten days on the streamer it had topped the charts in 17 countries and top ten in 63 countries including New Zealand, France, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, India, Japan, Egypt, Peru and Chile.   Does that mean it is any good?  Some might disagree, but I think most (if you can handle some surgical blood) would find the series well worth your while

Baek Kang-hyeok comes across as very arrogant, but talented a trauma surgeon.  He encounters stiff resistance from hospital staff.  Over time he commands team cohesion as he really is focused on helping save lives.. 

His first surgery requires a helicopter rescue  rappeling to reach the victim.   At one stage he takes over the helicopter, the first clue that his medical experience came under combat conditions

In a later episode he expresses a concern over organ donations as he has an urgent need.  A few times an organ donation is necessary for survival on the surgery table.  Baek feels families should be pleased to be able to save another human being.  He blesses those who contribute.

There is an ongoing power struggle between Baek and hospital directors that are more concerned about budgets.  Heroic and innovative measures increase Beak's credibility, but the administration is looking for any sort of malfeasance.  An ongoing battle we can see in our own backyard.

It takes a lot of people to keep your attention.  Here are a few.

Lee Do-yun was the director.  He has 2 director credits, 1 for writing and 1 for special effects.

Tae-Kang Choi was the writer with 2 writing credits.

Karim Debbagh was a producer for the Morocco segment.  He has 80 producer credit, 15 for production manager and 2 for directing including "A Hologram for the King"  (2016) and "Beirut" (2018).

Ju Ji-hoon played Baek Kang-hyeok, the lead.  He was an award winning model before getting into films.  He has 29 acting credits including "Along with the Gods:  The Two Worlds" (2017) and "Hyena" (2020).  Hyena has one of my favorite laugh inducing scenes.  Check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/04/an-addiction-to-korean-tv-mini-series.html  Buried, but with a photo are two paragraphs on "Hyena" that mention one of my biggest laughs.  Ji-hoon has a few interesting quotes on IMDB and here is one:  "In times of borderless content sharing, it's gotten easier to observe and compare audience reactions. I find it both amusing and enriching to see how a single piece of content can set off such varied reactions depending on the cultural context of the audience."

Choo Young-woo played a protege for Baek.  He has 10 acting credits.

Shin Ha Young played a senior nurse.  She studied western painting at university and went on to study at the School of Visual Arts in New York.  She has 9 acting credits.

Yoon Kyung-ho played a staff doctor who initially did whatever he could to block Baek.  He has 85 acting credits including:  "Okja" (2017), "Itawan Class" (2020), "Vincenzo" (2021) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/04/escape-from-mogadishu-we-can-learn-to.html

Jeong Jae-kwang played a staff doctor.  He has 18 acting credits including "It's Okay not to be Okay" (2020) and "The Roundup" (2022).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.html

Kim Sun-young played the Minister of Health and Welfare.  She has 49 acting credits including "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019), "Crash Landing on You" (2019-2020), "Broker" (2022) and "Our Unwritten Seoul" (2025).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html and  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/06/our-unwritten-seoul.html

Kim Jae-won played a military doctor.  He has 10 acting credits including "Our Blues" (2022) and "King the Land" (2023).

In some accounts "Trauma Code:  Heroes on Call" is considered a comedy and it certainly has a lot of humor, but there is life and death moments.  There is no romance.

Available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  The ones with links are among my favorite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up. The bolded films were mostly above average.

A Different Kind of Power

Jacinda Ardenne is in so many ways a uniquely positive leader. She was born in Hamilton, New Zealand but her father became a sergeant and gained a position in charge of a small town police station.  She has been raised as a Mormon. 

 Her mother complaining about flyer delivery got Jacinda her first job, something my mother did for me.  

She was studying at Arizona State University at the time of 9-11.  While many were condemning all Arabs as terrorists, Jacinda asked  "Why?"  

New Zealand has an electoral system different from America or Canada.  Voting districts are decided by whoever gets the most votes.  Each voter also a chance to vote for a party.  Most often there is a disparity between the parties of winning candidates and the party preferences of the other pooled vote.  To reflect that differences other Parliamentarians are selected to better represent the will of the voters.   Their system is more democratic than ours.  A politician can be elected by winning in a district or off a party list if their party gets enough votes.  The parties negotiate to decide how decisions are to be made.

Jacinda at an early age proved to be talented and conscientious and found herself being ranked high on her Labour party list.  In her first two elections she was successful  at getting elected to Parliament on the opposition side.  After negotiations with two other parties she was able to be the Prime Minister.

Just another personal note.  During the inaugural celebrations one of the performing bands was Fat Freddy's Drop that I discovered while visiting New Zealand and still listen to them.

Notably she was the first Prime Minister to give birth while in office.  As an unwed mother it was assumed it must have resulted from an accident.  Not so,  She had become conscious that time was running out and with her supportive boyfriend Clarke Gayford she made attempts to become pregnant and consulted with infertility experts.  She had given up hope, but the day she was declared Prime Minister she learned she was pregnant. 

A crisis occurred when a terrorist killed 50 Muslims and injuring many others in Christchurch.  She visited to give comfort to the survivors and their families.  She was expecting anger and grief from an Iman, but was told he thanked the people of New Zealand for supporting his community.  

New Zealand did not have as much gun violence as many other countries, but she felt something had to be done to curb guns.  She called together the first responders who were familiar with pump action guns and asked how many were hunters and then asked them to differentiate between five and ten round guns.  They admitted for hunting ten rounds were unnecessary so the government banned the ten round version and set up a recovery program to encourage citizens turning in their 10 round pump action guns.  Jacinda also campaigned to restrict violent messages on social media with some success.

Another strategy was to not mention the name of the killer and give more emphasis to the victims.  Donald Trump called and asked why she was calling the killer a terrorist.  She pointed out that the killer was trying to spur more violence.  When Trump asked if there was anything he could do, she responded "You can show sympathy and love for all Muslim communities."  Not recorded his response, but I imagine it was silence.

Another personal note.  My cousin Linda and her husband Derek happened to be in New Zealand at the time with a pet care program that allowed them to get free room and board in return for looking after pet needs.  They had been in Christchurch about two weeks before the killing, went to a nearby community and returned about two weeks after the killing.   

The Covid pandemic caught everyone off guard, but Jessica had been monitoring developments and when it hit New Zealand had to make some difficult choices.  Lockdowns and other restrictions were part of the defense.  When vaccines became available the government did what they could to expedite distribution.  Jacinda noted the "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa, Canada that marked resistance to vaccines.  New Zealand achieved a high rate of inoculations and were relatively safe, but with long lasting effects.  On the positive side they managed to increase life expectancy.

On the brighter side her government declared a new national holiday, Matariki , the Maori New Year.  The government had made the teaching of New Zealand history compulsory in schools.  She felt all New Zealanders had to appreciate how the country was founded and be conscious of mistakes that had been made.  Quite a contrast to Trump who wants to downgrade the horrors of slavery.

There were many ups and downs during her administration but her popularity started to decline and she became sensitive to criticism and started to think someone else could better represent the Labour Party.

A couple of instances triggered the decision to resign. During a medical exam in preparation for a trip to the Antarctic a small lump was discovered and she started to think if it was cancerous she would have to leave.  It turned out to be insignificant.  During Parliament an exchange with an opposition member led to a remark that was captured on mike where she called him "an arrogant prick."

On the other side she was feeling guilty about being a too often neglectful mother.  She decided to resign.

Her administration did many good things for New Zealand that resulted in social benefits.  One goal had been to create a capital gains tax, but was unsuccessful.  Asked many times what she hoped to accomplish as Prime Minister, one striking response was "I want people to feel {this government} that it is open, that it's listening and that it's going to bring kindness back."  She chose the word "kind" for her title.  Being Prime Minister in the best of time you have to make difficult choices.

She and Clarke did get married.

Jacinda was able to move to Boston and work on fellowships with Harvard University allowing her to interact with students on case studies.  She also is very involved with a Climate Change project led by Prince Andrew.  She endorsed Kamala Harris for U.S. President.

We need more politicians like Jacinda who are not afraid to ask "WHY?"

Another blog on Jacinda Ardern  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/03/a-better-way-to-deal-with-sick-shooters.html

A book I read awhile back helps explain a difference between America and New Zealand.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/06/fairness-and-freedom-book-review.html