"Alone in Iran!"

One of the worst feelings we can have is loneliness: that feeling of abandonment; when you have no one around you, and no one seems to care about you, is something none of us desire. I remember sitting on a listening post in the middle of the night; all you have for company is the sky and animal noises in the trees; if you're lucky, you will have a full moon to give you some light; otherwise, it is blackness. The next post may be 200 meters away, and your base camp just as far; but it feels like miles. You became a prisoner of your thoughts; countless scenarios go through your mind, and thoughts of home are dreamlike.

I don't know what it is like in prison; I imagine it must be horrible. You are never alone, yet those who surround you cannot be trusted and are extremely dangerous. You are alone in a crowd. Sometimes innocent people are sent to prison by mistake; their terror must be multiplied a hundred fold. The self knowledge of innocence, yet being trapped must be agonizing. The mind set of no one will help me, is enough to push an innocent person to the edge of sanity.

Imagine yourself on a vacation; on a hiking trip in an area so primitive you cannot find any identifying landmarks to guide you as to your location. Suddenly, you are arrested as a SPY! You are powerless; at the mercy of a hostile government. This took place in July of 2009, as three young people who were hiking the hills in Iraq were captured by Iranian troops, when they accidentally crossed the border. One young girl and two young men were imprisoned.

The two young men have been convicted of espionage; Shane Baur and Josh Fattal were sentenced to a total of eight years in Iranian prison. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said she was "deeply disappointed" by the prison sentences. She added "We continue to call and work for their immediate release...". I remember the 444 days when Jimmy Carter had hostages in Iran; I remember the frustration of many Americans over Mr. Carter and his limp-wristed attempts to resolve that situation. I know these young people feel abandoned; this cannot be allowed to drag on. I hope Mr. Obama has it in him to be more forceful than Jimmy Carter on this issue. Those are young Americans, surrounded by hatred, with nowhere to turn but him. We need a little more Reagan, and a lot less Carter, Mr. Obama. Show us some strength!