Fred Warmbier was a model of parental fortitude when he spoke today of his reunion Tuesday in Ohio with his son Otto, who was cruelly imprisoned for 17 months in North Korea. Mr. Warmbier’s profound love for Otto, who has suffered serious injury, framed his harsh criticism of the North. He also had pointed words about the previous administration’s efforts to achieve his son's release, and expressed gratitude to the current one for gaining it.

Dealing with government in such a situation can feel at times like staring into a black hole, as I found when our son went missing while studying in Tehran, Iran, in late 2015. But where else would one turn?

At a time of great disdain for government, it reminds me how much we need it to be a place where thoughtful and caring people aspire to work – not to avoid at all cost. Soon after we concluded our son had been detained, we called the State Department. There were no guarantees we wouldn’t be frustrated or angered as we pressed for his freedom (which came 40 days later), or that our son wouldn’t be caught up in a calculus different from our own. But when we made that call, it was 3:30 a.m. – and an attentive official answered. She knew where to start and how to try to move forward. And the work began.