Weapons used by the cartel.
When President Obama headed to Mexico today, it wasn’t for a spring break in Cancun (which means US Democrazy can’t justify a fact-finding mission there).
Instead he is working to tackle, among other things, one of the most violent cities in the world. (And guess what, folks… it is not located in the Middle East.)
The Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, has become a literal war zone. Two-hundred and ten people have been killed from January to March, and 1,605 total for the year of 2008.
Why is there so much violence?
The government of Mexico, under President Felipe Calderon, has been cracking down on the drug cartels in his country (a plan backed by the USA). Such restrictions are forcing drug gangs ino a bloody fight for survival.
With increasing violence and corruption (it is hard to fight crime when local police are paid more by gangs then by the government), the Mexican government has deployed federal police and the military to deal with the crisis. This has reduced the violence… a bit.
How does this involve us? Well, America is seen as the source of this drug violence by many Mexicans.
It seems the drugs flowing through Mexico being fought over by Mexican gangs are not being consumed by Mexicans. These drugs are going north to the good old USA.
To add insult to injury (literally) the guns being used in the deadly drug battles on Mexican soil are from… you guessed it… the USA.
So what have we (the United States) done to address this issue?
Well, Obama is promoting a treaty aimed at reducing cross border gun smuggling. A “Border Czar” has also been appointed by the White House to direct anti-drug and violence programs.
One suggestion is making it harder to get guns in the US by strengthening gun laws.
The lessons of the alcohol prohibition have been cited as a solution, promoting *gasp* legalizing drugs to cut off demand for smuggling.
So what should be done? Check out these ideas and post your own. We would love to know what you think (please post– when you don’t comment, we cry).
1) All convicted drug users should also be convicted for voluntary manslaughter. Voluntary because it was their choice to use the drugs. Manslaughter for all of the innocent victims of drug violence.
2) Have a registry of convicted drug users the same as for convicted sex offenders.
3) Have adds on TV showing in graphic detail the bodies of the innocent victims and in bold letters remind watchers that drug users are responsible just as if they pulled the trigger or did the beheading.
4) Push for a social attitude change towards drugs the way the the attitude has changed over the last generation towards cigarettes.
These should stop the casual user.
or
5) Legalize drugs and have a high tax, such as is currently on cigarettes, to pay for the issues that arise with drug abuse.
If all drug users were convicted of voluntary manslaughter, wouldn’t that continue to pack America’s overcrowded prisons.
Legalizing drugs would probably be more feasible. This could cause some major unforeseen consequences.
Maybe we just need to bite the bullet and continue the war on drugs (not that America needs any more wars).
Good article… I was surprised to learn (from hearing the news, then confirmed by your email) that the guns going into Mexico are from the USA. I assumed they were coming from some other country that was even more sloppy than we are about border checks. I find this really embarassing that we are part of the problem, not just because we provide a market for the drugs, but that we also furnish the guns. I really think this country must do more…
We been fighting the war on drugs for years now. Putting more in jail for posseion of drugs is rediculus. The drugs being illegal is what is making a volient impact.
As far as US guns going into Mexico, who’s the biggest arms dealer in the world, hmm?? None other than the US Federal government! The Feds are not releasing serial numbers on all the weapons for fear of blowback on them. Seriously folks, you can not go into a gun store and buy large quantities of automatic weapons (you need a class 3 license which is VERY dificult to get) and $5K Barret .50 Cal sniper rifles, let alone M203 grenade launchers! The US has been supplying Mexico with large quantities of weapons for a long time now. This is another attempt to disarm the citizenry and outright destroy precious rights.
Let Mexico fight their own battles and the people need to take back control of their government and force the Feds to end the ‘war on drugs’ just as they should end the ‘war on terror’. It is logistically and economically unfeasible.
Reviewing the picture in your article and the weapons layed out, those are all 100% military weapons. Starting from the left is an AT4 light anti-tank weapon, M67 fragmentation grenades, M4 carbine, and M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). Aside from the M4 carbine, no civilian can obtain any of these weapons. The US Federal government is responsible for the weapons there, not US civilians or ‘lax’ gun laws (they’re actually fairly tight).
Besides, why are people even thinking of compromising their rights and soveriengty for foreign matters? Come on folks…
[...] Mexico just can’t get a break. An outbreak of Swine Flu has given one more headache (one of the flu’s symptoms) to Mexico’s over-worked government (see US Democrazy’s post on Mexico’s drug war). [...]
-It is interesting how 60 Minutes and the mainstream media has branded the U.S. civilian gun industry for these battles. Saying that U.S. Citizens purchase guns to then sell to illegals and criminals.
This is called ‘Straw’ purchasing, and when you purchase a firearm it is made clear on the form that performing it is a felony and WILL put you jail.
-The media seems to also call gun shows “Arms Bazaars” where anyone can buy and sell anything no questions asked.
Purchasing a firearm at a gun show is no different then from anywhere else; the purchaser fills out the form(s), supplies proper I.D., and the dealer then calls the FBI on a land line where a national background check is performed.
-Also, as Joe said, all the pictures shown on the T.V. are military ordinance, nothing a civilian can obtain legally. (But as the media says, “U.S. Citizen buy them and then sell them to drug dealers”) Doesn’t make much sense to me.
-On a closing note: In the last few months of 2008 35 agents in the Mexican federal government were arrested for corruption. Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora, stated that EACH one was being paid between $150,000 and $450,000 per MONTH. If they can keep up on bribes like that; these drug cartels in Mexico have enough liquid assets to buy whatever they need arms wise, from whatever government they want without having (supposedly) to go through U.S. citizens, just to get civilian grade arms.
All in all, it is an excellent opportunity for those in the U.S. government whom wish to take away the rights of Americans to own and posses firearms. They can use the media at their disposal, and the worst part is, so many people just believe whatever they see on T.V.
“Americans [have] the right and advantage of being armed – unlike citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” – James Madison