I was ticked off this morning when the front page of the online New York Times had a very unflattering article about Mazatlán and the drug cartels.
Supposedly pulmonía drivers (our golf-cart style taxis) take people for “narco-tours” in town. Maybe this is true, who knows. I’m sure taxi drivers in any city could take someone on a drug tour. I am just tired of the sensational press having to do with the drug war in México.
What I wish is that the same people that read the article above would read The US is Arms Bazaar for Mexican Cartels also in the New York Times. This article talks about how the arms the Mexican cartels are using get to Mexico, and guess what? There are so many loopholes in the rules about gun sales in the US I wouldn’t be surprised it the US is supplying all the thugs around the world with arms.
I have read several blogs lately (Kelly in Cancun, Rivergirl, and Rosa-Standring family) write about the questions they field from people asking if their area is safe. I get the same thing.
So I am coming out and telling anyone reading here that yes, I do feel safe. I don’t feel uneasy at any time going about our normal business. People need to decide for themselves if they want to visit or move here, but I would hope that they talk to people that live here, participate in local message boards, and discount obviously sensational stories.
Jackie
March 2, 2009Yesterday at a family birthday party I was asked if I would stop going to Isla because of the dangers. I am so tired of hearing and reading the blown up media reports about the dangers of traveling to Mexico. My aunt could not stop talking about what she had heard. So when she said that she was meeting a friend at the Acapulco Restaurant in her city which is Portland suburb the next day I asked her if it was safe. She didn’t get my sarcasm.
John Calypso
March 2, 2009Yes – tired of the miss characterizations. I suppose we should enjoy the fact that these ridiculous rumors keep the excessive population down – good that. But, the stories would lead one to believe we are daily dodging bullets and gun battles on our streets.
Safer here, for sure.
Danny Jacks
March 3, 2009It’s all about the American media and there sensationalistic approach to every story they run. The key here is NEWS, violence in the U.S. is NOT news. Here is a tidbit, I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma and in the month of January 2009 the bank robbery total for that one month surpassed the total for the entire year 2008. It has been confirmed by the FBI that these were unrelated except for maybe two of them, not done by the same people as a rash crime spree. Anyone read about that or see it on their news? Im sure you did not know that because this is the U.S. and things like that are NOT news! If the U.S. would do something about the need for the drugs, there would be no need to get them here and no need for the drug cartel’s. Not to mention the fact that we provide the assault rifles. The thing that bothers me is how the media here in the U.S. will condense a story if it makes it sound more newsworthy. That way they can say that they did not lie whenever they do not actually tell the WHOLE truth. Reports are everywhere here about the warning againt travel to Mexico. That’s the way the headlines read. They dont focus on the fact that the warnings are against travel to a few border areas that are experiencing drug war related violence. This would be similar to the Mexican press warning against travel to the ENTIRE U.S.in general just because it is not safe to walk the streets of East StLouis during the daytime without a good chance of being robbed, mugged or even killed, not taking into consideration that it is almost a 100% given if attempted at nightime.
I feel it is a total shame how our press blows things out of proportion just to get a sensationalistic headline to reach out and grab a prospective reader. Who knows? Maybe the U.S. government is behind it? Possibly thinking that if they do this type of scare tactic and it causes tourisim to Mexico to fall off, then maybe the Mexican government will take a more serious approach to head off this string of drug violence? All I know is that I too am getting tired of people coming up to me asking me if im scared to travel to Mexico and how they advise against it from what they read or heard from our U.S. media outlets. I have been to Mexico so many times I have lost count, all over the country, north to south, east to west. These people that ADVISE me againt travel to Mexico have never been there and probably never will because they let cheap shot scare tactics and sensational healines run their lives.
Nancy
March 3, 2009Jackie, I like your sarcastic comment. I guess people who love us want to make sure we know they care, but you would think they’d get the hint sometimes.
Juan – And you don’t know the half of it, people act like Sinaloa is ground zero and that there are armed battles in the streets of Mazatlan every day! It is ridiculous.
Danny – So nice to hear from you, how are you guys? Thanks for commenting. It is true how much things get blown out of proportion, and I am always surprised when the mainstream media falls for this stuff. But once they do, it has a life of its own. You bring up a good point about the government wanting people to keep their dollars in the US. I wonder if there’s any way to dig into that? Well, stay safe out there, sounds like Tulsa is a scary place. (You know I’m kidding, right?)
Ric
March 4, 2009I felt safer in Mexico, (Cancun, Mazatlan, PV then here in Edmonton Canada. I work downtown and crossing the street to Tim Horton’s for a coffee is more dangerous than any of the locations listed above. Even though I am not a user they should legalize soft drugs in the US and Canada, then the drug problem would go down, like in Holland rather than up.
Regards
Shoestring
March 5, 2009Hear hear! I have always felt safer in Mexico than in the US, and continue to do so living here in Sonora. And not only safer from random or personal violence, but infinitely safer when dealing with Mexican police, border officals, and doctors. Viva Mexico!