Trying to improve my lousy Spanish, sometimes I watch the news en español. It hasn't received a lot of attention in the US media yet, but there's a war going on next door between narcocartels and the Mexican government. Last year 7000 people were killed, and so far this year another 1000. The gangs are merciless and terroristic, cutting off heads and mowing down rivals and innocent bystanders in the streets with semi-automatic weapon fire. Recently the crime fighting police chief in Juarez was warned that if he didn't quit a policeman would be killed every day. Two days later, after two officers had been murdered, he resigned. What does this have to do with us? Some people in this country were outraged when President Calderon pointed out that this situation comes from both our countries. Chapo Guzman and the other gangsters in Mexico are walking sewage, willing to do anything for power and money. Some people in this country too are walking sewage, willing to arm the killers for money or finance them by buying their drugs. Ninety-five percent of the gangsters' weaponry comes from the United States, and most of the money to buy the weaponry comes from US drug users. If some six-year-old walking to school in Sinaloa takes a bullet in the head, that's OK as long as some worthless a------ in Kansas City or Seattle can get high. Fortunately most Americans and most Mexicans are good people. I hope our two governments can work together to clean up this mess.
February 28, 2009