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TIJUANA, Mexico - Rosalba Padilla thought the first shots were nothing but construction in her quiet, upper-class Tijuana neighborhood. It wasn't until she looked out her window and saw a sea of police that she realized the noise was gunfire.
But Ciudad Juarez would be -- it is one of the bigger cities of Mexico. I think it's right after Guadajara in size -- maybe bigger by now.
No it isn't.
It's a border town - just like Tijuana. Everyone knows the border towns have a bad reputation. Just like everyone knows that cities like Detroit, Gary Indiana, and Washington DC (our nations' capital for crying out loud - what does that say about US?) are high crime areas.
Mexico does indeed have a higher crime rate than the US - how much higher will depend on who's stats you choose to believe. But you know what? Amoung OUR peers (ie Western Europe, Japan etc) our crime rate is by far the highest in almost every category - and this has more or less ALWAYS been the case, in spite of the fact that the U.S. currently has the largest documented prison population in the world, both in absolute and proportional terms - higher even than Russia and China (maybe we should consider changing our nickname to "Land of the Unfree").
So yeah, Mexico has more than it's share of crime - but so do we... and we always have, even before we we "overrun by illegals". American produces plenty of it's own low-life criminal types (more than ANY other modern Western nation) so I wouldn't be so quick to point out Mexico's problems as if we were so much better ourselves. Those folks in the true "low crime" countries look down on us in much the same way you are looking down on Mexico - and I guess by your standards, rightfully so.
Not that I think ANY rational argument is going to stop American "Mexico-bashers" from doing so since their arguments are generally less logical than emotional.
I find your use of "typical" Mexican city interesting though -- who exactly defines that? Is it the city that the ex-pats prefer to live in? Or the places the illegals are fleeing?
If Ciudad Juarez is the third largest city in Mexico, you can't really claim it's not typical. You can say Guadalajara is nicer or bigger or so on, or you can Taxco is nicer. Morelia, Michoacan is a beautiful city actually -- and could be said to be typical -- but there are problems there.
Maybe instead -- just list the towns and cities the ex-pats can be found, where they feel it's still safe enough to live.
And if you think some Americans are bad -- you ought to hear what illegals are saying -- that they left because people in Mexico are starving, unable to feed their families and so on. Mexicans coming to the USA obviously don't paint such a rosy picture of how things are in Mexico.
It comes down to money -- obviously a wealthy American does not live like a typical Mexican in Mexico -- they don't have to worry about low-paying jobs or crimes because they have their pick of places. They associate with the well-to-do and that makes a lot of difference.
I know a lot of Mexican ex-pats -- and they don't make the claim that all is fine. Tens of millions of people don't flee a country that is perfectly fine.
Well they just found 6 bodies in someone's yard in Chihuahua City.
I know there are some safe places -- but many are not -- Morelia for example -- and maybe most of Michoacan is no longer very crime free.
My exposure to Mexican culture and locations was during my hauling days for United Van Lines Household Goods from the early 70's to the mid 80's, and was limited to locations along the border. Yes, cities like Tijuana, Mexicali and Cuidad Juarez were rough and you always had to watch your back, but nothing like the Mexico of today. I always went into Mexico with a buddy, now you need a posse. IMO, any person entering the border towns of Mexico today, and particularly the larger cities without protection, is looking to come back in a body bag, if the Federales find your body. Drug gangs, smugglers, coyotes and bad ass people makes the border towns of Mexico not the place for an American (or other foreign person) to be seen and heard.
The interior of Mexico is a whole different situation for another time and posting.
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IMO, any person entering the border towns of Mexico today, and particularly the larger cities without protection, is looking to come back in a body bag, if the Federales find your body. Drug gangs, smugglers, coyotes and bad ass people makes the border towns of Mexico not the place for an American (or other foreign person) to be seen and heard.
