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Fueling the fire in Mexico
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I recently wrote about the drug-related violence in Mexico and along our southern border. That generated some nice discussion. Even in the short time since I wrote that, the violence seems to have intensified: Already, more than 300 people have been murdered in the Juarez area this year. Yes, THIS year -- that's less than two months. The governor of Texas has called for 1,000 U.S. troops to guard the border. The Juarez mayor fled to El Paso after he received multiple death threats. The Juarez police chief resigned after six of his officers were killed, and the culprits threatened to do away with more if the chief didn't step down.
And there are signs that the bloodshed is spreading into the U.S. Last year Phoenix was number two in the world for kidnapping for ransom, second only to Mexico City.
But the latest news, reported by the New York Times, may be the most interesting. It turns out that because U.S. gun control laws are so much laxer than those in Mexico, the drug cartels are relying on U.S. dealers for a lot of their firepower.
Drug gangs seek out guns in the United States because the gun-control laws are far tougher in Mexico. Mexican civilians must get approval from the military to buy guns and they cannot own large-caliber rifles or high-powered pistols, which are considered military weapons.
Now, there are different ways you can spin this. If you're a gun rights advocate, you'd probably say that Mexico's violence is proof that gun control doesn't work -- down there, the criminals are just going elsewhere to get arms. On the other hand, if the U.S. had laws that were as strict as Mexico's, then the narcos would have to go much further and through more trouble to get the big guns.
But there's also a tangential angle to consider. I've often been told that gun control laws in the rural West would be detrimental to our rural culture. There's a belief that somehow firearms are as integral to our identity as pickup trucks, Wranglers and cheap canned beer, and outlawing guns -- even if it's only assault rifles that are banned -- will somehow kill a piece of that identity.
That's funny. Because if any culture is more gun-dependent than ours, it's Mexico's. They ban big guns. And their culture hasn't suffered a bit: Just spend a New Year's Eve in a small Mexican village and you'll hear how true that is (and watch out for falling bullets).
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My background and couple of comments:
I am an American that is retired and living in Mexico full time and have lived here for the last 8 years. I don’t smoke, drink or use drugs and don’t moralize about those that do as long as they don’t infringe on my space.
Sorry to break it to you, but you don’t know frijoles (beans) about the gun trafficking into Mexico. It is common knowledge and well documented that most of the high priced fire power that the narco-traffickers have in Mexico is coming in illegally from the US.
It never ceases to amaze me that the same people that wrap themselves in the American flag and proclaim that their ‘God given’ 2nd amendment rights allow them to own almost any weapon under the sun, in the same breath say that Iran or North Korean shouldn’t be allowed to have nuclear weapons.
I agree that Iran or North Korean and probably Pakistan shouldn’t have nuclear weapons. And Joe Six Pack down the street has no business owning or selling an AK47 or Browning M2 heavy machine gun for that matter.
Some say after forty years, there has been NO PROGRESS in the drug war.
If you are apart of DEA, ONDCP and other ‘law enforcement agencies’ you have seen your operations and budgets grow. Your departments also get a piece of the drug bust ‘action’ to fund you program.
If you are manufacturer of military gear that is used to fight the War on Drugs you have also seen growth & profits.
If you are a politician, you have a moral cause to fight against. It’s a source campaign rhetoric and donor funding.
If you are in the leadership position of a drug cartel you own one of the world’ largest and profitable untaxed enterprises and you will do anything to keep it that way.
So legalization would eliminate the above referenced ‘progress’.
Guns, bullets and government troops don’t strike fear into a narco-traffickers hearts, only legalization does and the prospect of greatly reduced profits.
Joe Chapala
Casa Preciosa Ajijic, Mexico