Monday, August 18, 2008
Who is Illegal?
Mexicans want to know:
"What part of illegal do you not understand?"
Rightfully, a lot of Mexicans are asking of Americans, "What part of
illegal do you not understand?" And, "We thought you said, the US is
a nation of laws." The reference is to illicit drug usage by so many
millions of Americans buying and using an estimated $150 billion
annually. And, this is the money Mexican drug lords use to finance
buying guns from American gun dealers, killing soldiers, police
officers, prosecutors, journalists and innocent by standards for
being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We have to admit, there is some heavy hypocrisy going on. We are
quick to condemn gardeners, dishwashers, fruit pickers, vegetable
harvesters, meat cutters, hotel maids, janitors who make up the
majority of those who enter the US illegally, but nary a word about
the killings going on in Mexico in an attempt to keep drugs out of
the US and away from America's youths. Not a word.
Instead what we do hear is, "The corrupt Mexican government is
responsible and protects the drug barons." On its face this is about
as ridiculous a statement as any of the many made by would
be "patriots," the Lou Dobbs of the air waves, and some of the most
extreme rights in politics, and let us not forget, a huge number of
wannabe famous reporters who have found a new target for
sensationalism in their writings.
I suggest the above statement is ridiculous because it flies against
facts. Mexico leads the world in marijuana eradication (the US is
second), and has seized far more cocaine and other types barbiturates
than the US and most other countries. And Mexico has lost more law
enforcement and military personnel than the U.S. In fact, Mexico's
war against drugs deaths rivals those of the US military losses in
Iraq. They are paying a hefty price to help the US young.
How do we repay this? Accuse them of corruption, and allow the US
press to have a field day at Mexico's expense. Cub or non-seasoned
reporters, many not even bothering to go to Mexico will sit behind
their computer screen, Google "Mexican drug wars" and from there
either copy/paste make a few changes here and there, and out goes the
story.
The more responsible newspapers do have their reporters "call"
authorities in the field to obtain quotes that will support the story
already in progress. A few venture into Mexico, but not many. In the
end, the story has mistakes, misconceptions and most will rehash old
news mingled in with the new so as to give the appearance that some
events of months or even years ago are part of the new events.
What all articles have in common is that none touch on the root of
the problem. One, a USA Today article did bring out drug usage, but
not in the US, in Mexico. It did say that since Mexican authorities
working closely with US law enforcement have stopped quite a bit of
the smuggling, some drugs were staying in Mexico and traffickers were
developing a market. But the US market is still a 30 to 1 in dollar
value.
Why does the US press ignore the danger of drugs to our young? Is it
because so many of the reporters, or in the industry are themselves
users of such "socially accepted" drugs like marijuana and cocaine
that they are not in agreement with Federal, states' and local laws
prohibiting their use?
The "nation of laws" has become so unashamed on drug usage that an
organization such as Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) sends press
releases to the news media condemning the annual Campaign Against
Marijuana Planting.
"Record setting busts each year have done nothing to reduce the
marijuana supply or keep marijuana out of the hands of kids, but they
have succeeded brilliantly in driving the growers to more dangerous
locations, putting national parks and residential communities at
risk," said Bruce Mirken, the MPP director of communications.
The MPP makes no bones about their disdain for laws prohibiting
cultivation of marijuana or apparently getting it into the hands of
kids, they want to legalize and regulate marijuana similarly to the
liquor industry.
But the point is – it's against the law as of now. People are being
killed trying to stop this illegal activity. Illicit drug users are
as guilty in the killings taking place as are the drug gangster
pulling the trigger.
So what part of it's illegal is not understood?
illegal do you not understand?" And, "We thought you said, the US is
a nation of laws." The reference is to illicit drug usage by so many
millions of Americans buying and using an estimated $150 billion
annually. And, this is the money Mexican drug lords use to finance
buying guns from American gun dealers, killing soldiers, police
officers, prosecutors, journalists and innocent by standards for
being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We have to admit, there is some heavy hypocrisy going on. We are
quick to condemn gardeners, dishwashers, fruit pickers, vegetable
harvesters, meat cutters, hotel maids, janitors who make up the
majority of those who enter the US illegally, but nary a word about
the killings going on in Mexico in an attempt to keep drugs out of
the US and away from America's youths. Not a word.
Instead what we do hear is, "The corrupt Mexican government is
responsible and protects the drug barons." On its face this is about
as ridiculous a statement as any of the many made by would
be "patriots," the Lou Dobbs of the air waves, and some of the most
extreme rights in politics, and let us not forget, a huge number of
wannabe famous reporters who have found a new target for
sensationalism in their writings.
I suggest the above statement is ridiculous because it flies against
facts. Mexico leads the world in marijuana eradication (the US is
second), and has seized far more cocaine and other types barbiturates
than the US and most other countries. And Mexico has lost more law
enforcement and military personnel than the U.S. In fact, Mexico's
war against drugs deaths rivals those of the US military losses in
Iraq. They are paying a hefty price to help the US young.
How do we repay this? Accuse them of corruption, and allow the US
press to have a field day at Mexico's expense. Cub or non-seasoned
reporters, many not even bothering to go to Mexico will sit behind
their computer screen, Google "Mexican drug wars" and from there
either copy/paste make a few changes here and there, and out goes the
story.
The more responsible newspapers do have their reporters "call"
authorities in the field to obtain quotes that will support the story
already in progress. A few venture into Mexico, but not many. In the
end, the story has mistakes, misconceptions and most will rehash old
news mingled in with the new so as to give the appearance that some
events of months or even years ago are part of the new events.
What all articles have in common is that none touch on the root of
the problem. One, a USA Today article did bring out drug usage, but
not in the US, in Mexico. It did say that since Mexican authorities
working closely with US law enforcement have stopped quite a bit of
the smuggling, some drugs were staying in Mexico and traffickers were
developing a market. But the US market is still a 30 to 1 in dollar
value.
Why does the US press ignore the danger of drugs to our young? Is it
because so many of the reporters, or in the industry are themselves
users of such "socially accepted" drugs like marijuana and cocaine
that they are not in agreement with Federal, states' and local laws
prohibiting their use?
The "nation of laws" has become so unashamed on drug usage that an
organization such as Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) sends press
releases to the news media condemning the annual Campaign Against
Marijuana Planting.
"Record setting busts each year have done nothing to reduce the
marijuana supply or keep marijuana out of the hands of kids, but they
have succeeded brilliantly in driving the growers to more dangerous
locations, putting national parks and residential communities at
risk," said Bruce Mirken, the MPP director of communications.
The MPP makes no bones about their disdain for laws prohibiting
cultivation of marijuana or apparently getting it into the hands of
kids, they want to legalize and regulate marijuana similarly to the
liquor industry.
But the point is – it's against the law as of now. People are being
killed trying to stop this illegal activity. Illicit drug users are
as guilty in the killings taking place as are the drug gangster
pulling the trigger.
So what part of it's illegal is not understood?
By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista. com
August, 2008
