IMHO #1 - Mexican Drug Cartels

When I think of drugs, I think of its illegality and covertness; not thousands of murders in all of the Americas. Ever since the president of Mexico declared war on its drug lords two years ago, there have been mass murders as acts of revenge on the government. According to a 60 minutes segment by Anderson Cooper, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security states that the stakes are high for both Mexicans and Americans. Not only are the drug cartels taking Mexico by force, but they are also fighting to gain control over land by the U.S. border which is only miles from San Diego. Suspicious of rival drug dealers in the states, the Mexican cartels have intruded across the border invading homes and demanding payments of debt. The New York Times reports that there have been brutal assaults and kidnappings in Phoenix and speculate the shootings in Vancouver may be linked to the drug cartels.

Thinking of all the heinous incidents that have occurred in recent months, I can’t help but wonder how these people somehow believe it is their right to kill hundreds of innocent citizens because of their own involvement in illegal drug trafficking. The drug industry has been a source of income in South America and I understand that in these times people need money more than ever. However, those who get involved in something so shady should learn to expect its drawbacks and losses, and it should in no way result in invasions and killings. In Mexico alone, over 7,000 government related individuals have been murdered because of their connection to the president. Taking the life of someone based on who they know or what they do in their profession is a tremendous offense that should be put to a stop immediately.

From what I have read on CNN’s website, the war was initiated by the government to end the drug cartel’s trafficking business. But if you think about it, would it have been better to allow this to continue behind closed doors instead of pronounce war and reveal the cartels therefore concluding in mass murders? After learning about the bloodshed and grotesque torture that Mexicans and Americans have endured, I feel that it might have been a better idea if the Mexican president had looked the other way. In today’s society, it has become common for a vast majority of our population to get involved in illegal drug dealing. This has gone on for years with the rest of us pretending that it does not exist. Sometimes ignorance is the safest policy.

SOURCES
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/6338269.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/19/AR2007091902442.html