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In spite of the violence in the northern regions, Mexico's homicide rate is 10/100,000, the USA's homicide rate is 5.8/100,000. That pretty much indicates the violence is localized to the cities we read about, Tijuana, Juarez, Nuevo Leon.
Actually, that's an assumption on your part that the cartel homicides are a statistically significant percentage of total homicides and materially affect the overall homicide rate. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. We would have to know the total homicides for the nation and the total homicides caused by cartel violence. Just because 95% of the homicides reported in the news are of cartel violence doesn't mean 90% of the homicides that occur are such.
Determining what is "unsafe" is very complex. It is about more than homicide rate - in fact there are many nations with much lower rates than the U.S. that I would not feel comfortable visiting (i.e. Jordan or Niger). For one, it depends on who you are and why you are there. For another, violence comes in many forms. Also, "safety" is about more than just violence as you have to factor in other threats like highway safety.
That said, I am not afraid to visit Mexico regularly and travel throughout the country. Despite lalo's stubborn belief I've never seen Mexico myself and my firsthand account of violence from Celaya, I drive all over the country several weeks a year, mostly staying with family and friends and "living like Mexicans live". I'm not even counting the frequent dive trips to Coz/Yucatan.
No place is completely "safe". Violence could strike any of us at any time. We could get carjacked at a red light, robbed in a mall parking lot, or burglarized in our home. Any of which could result in being shot and killed.
I think a major part in dealing with these threats and feeling "safe" or not is having an infrastructure to assist and support you. The U.S. is pretty good about emergency services responding to accidents quickly and trauma centers are excellent. Mexico has great doctors and I would trust them for routine care and dental care and even emergency care in the bigger cities but I'm not sold on their trauma care in most of the country.
Another part is police support where in the U.S. I feel more comfortable that they would or could do something about it. I think part of that has to do with how cops act at the lower level on lesser offenses. I've been pulled over in Mexico and fished for mordita, and it is done so brazenly it seems as if the population just accepts it if not condones it. No big deal as I know how to play that game but it raises doubts about their integrity and honesty and trustworthiness.
Facts, what facts what your media tells you educate more lemme tell u something what dont you look up the good things about mexico instead of just telling all the bad things about it, I personally like America its history shows that it could stand against a lot of problems and succeeded. Now tell me the facts you know now about mexico. Also visit it one day because you are not going to dislike it.
Strike three for you, buddy. I virtually begged you for a logical and respectful discussion and you respond yet again with an attitude. And either you haven't been reading my posts or you cannot comprehend them.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,437,580 times
Reputation: 1463
Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute
Actually - I would find Guadalajara, Mexico City, Puebla, and many other cities in Mexico far more liveable than most of Los Angeles or Chicago - but what's kind of pathetic is when the people "flee" the border towns, they will more often head to Los Angeles or Chicago than to one of the more sedate and serene cities of their own country.
They'll actually relocate to a city in the USA that has high crime when much of Mexico has less crime than those places.
100% true, the problem is that many people has been raised to believe that accumulating properties is what they are supposed to do with their life, so people fall for the lure of those goodies instead of enjoying what they have.
True there is extreme poverty in Mexico, some areas rival with places in Africa, some areas rival with Germany in HDI too, but most people who emigrate aren't in a situation of extreme poverty, I'm gonna translate an article that was just published in a Mexican newspaper today, regards.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,437,580 times
Reputation: 1463
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bagu
Do believe it's a matter of comprehension and NOT understanding the English language completely.
NO bad intentions intended just a matter regarding the level of education a person has under their belt.
A person with a secondary education cannot compete logically with a person who has a BA or PH.d etc.
Hope I got that right...NO insults intended towards anyone.
Steve
I agree but not totally, usually it is like that my friend, but not always, specially in these internet days where anybody can rise their cultural and educational level if they really want to.
In spite of the violence in the northern regions, Mexico's homicide rate is 10/100,000, the USA's homicide rate is 5.8/100,000. That pretty much indicates the violence is localized to the cities we read about, Tijuana, Juarez, Nuevo Leon.
The homicide rates you are citing are from 2007 and earlier, before the narco border violence which really took off in early 2008. Juarez in the early 2000's had about 150 murders per year, 2009 they passes 2000 in October. Even using your numbers, adding the narco murders you are likely to be in in the 15-20/100,000 range. Perhaps 3 times greater than the U.S.
Do believe it's a matter of comprehension and NOT understanding the English language completely.
Maybe so. But if I can explicitly say I love Mexico and it's people and the response suggests I dislike Mexico and think it's all bad, and if I can relate a firsthand experience in an interior Mexican city and the response suggests that I have never been there and should visit some day, then the comprehension is too flawed for meaningful discussion anyway.
I understand your drift Diver... I am able to read some Spanish but do not completly understand some of the words meanings and would never attempt to explain myself in Spanish without making myself misunderstood and appear ignorant.
I see some with a Spanish background trying to get across a thought in English but not doing too well which is understanable considering a lack of complete English education.
That was my inference to the secondary (Mexican High School) education in regards to the failed comprehension of the English language.
No need for a person to beat his head against the wall for nothing. I tried that a couple of times for naught.
Actually, that's an assumption on your part that the cartel homicides are a statistically significant percentage of total homicides and materially affect the overall homicide rate. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. We would have to know the total homicides for the nation and the total homicides caused by cartel violence. Just because 95% of the homicides reported in the news are of cartel violence doesn't mean 90% of the homicides that occur are such.
Determining what is "unsafe" is very complex. It is about more than homicide rate - in fact there are many nations with much lower rates than the U.S. that I would not feel comfortable visiting (i.e. Jordan or Niger). For one, it depends on who you are and why you are there. For another, violence comes in many forms. Also, "safety" is about more than just violence as you have to factor in other threats like highway safety.
That said, I am not afraid to visit Mexico regularly and travel throughout the country. Despite lalo's stubborn belief I've never seen Mexico myself and my firsthand account of violence from Celaya, I drive all over the country several weeks a year, mostly staying with family and friends and "living like Mexicans live". I'm not even counting the frequent dive trips to Coz/Yucatan.
No place is completely "safe". Violence could strike any of us at any time. We could get carjacked at a red light, robbed in a mall parking lot, or burglarized in our home. Any of which could result in being shot and killed.
I think a major part in dealing with these threats and feeling "safe" or not is having an infrastructure to assist and support you. The U.S. is pretty good about emergency services responding to accidents quickly and trauma centers are excellent. Mexico has great doctors and I would trust them for routine care and dental care and even emergency care in the bigger cities but I'm not sold on their trauma care in most of the country.
Another part is police support where in the U.S. I feel more comfortable that they would or could do something about it. I think part of that has to do with how cops act at the lower level on lesser offenses. I've been pulled over in Mexico and fished for mordita, and it is done so brazenly it seems as if the population just accepts it if not condones it. No big deal as I know how to play that game but it raises doubts about their integrity and honesty and trustworthiness.
Actually I don't really assume all that many of the homicides of a city like Juarez are directly cartel related. I assume otherwise in fact.
How many of the victims were working for any cartel? Maybe the street vendors were not, unless they were selling drugs, and the guy riding the bike was most likely not a big drug lord because they tend to ride around in luxury SUVs and big trucks.
I think the violence along the border has more to do with a break down of law and order. For one the Mexican military has been brought to replace local police forces because the local police are viewed as corrupt - a little too inclined to ask for mordidas and have their local "connections".
I've heard first hand reports that the military are helpful, polite and all that - but they are brought up from southern states and so how can they know the local layout? How do they know who is an innocent street kid and who is a "malandro"? I think they face the same problems a UN force would face - how do they know who should be out doing what and who shouldn't be - that's the big advantage of having a local police force. And even with thousands of military in Juarez, they can't be all places at the same time but also being from far away, they might not be all that willing to risk their lives being out in dangerous neighborhoods patrolling. I don't know -- but I hear people complain that it's not working.
But my point is - I wouldn't hesitate to take a trip to Puebla - a city I like or Guanajuato, where the crime rates are very low. The situation at the border is different for a variety of reasons - some of them are not new reasons.
The other problem I see with Juarez, it used to be a somewhat rowdy border town, but the maquilas brought in hundreds of thousands of impoverished people who have no safety net. Over a decade ago, there were the murders of young women and girls, most of them poor, and of course that all continues. One reason I think the police didn't protect them was just the sheer numbers of new people in town - so many the local infrastructure was overwhelmed. The taxpayers of that city could no way begin to provide police to the unincorporated colonias that were springing up overnight. The newcomers weren't in a position to pay taxes and there weren't nearly enough jobs for the numbers that arrived.
I think the local police in border areas are also just plain scared. Police are used to being the hunters, now they are the hunted. Many of the best have quit because they and their families have been listed and targeted by name. You have to be suicidal to take a job like police chief in those towns. How could the citizens ever feel like they have any protection when the police cannot even protect themselves.
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