The state governor of Veracruz, Fidel Herrera Beltrán, has called for the legalization of marijuana as one tool to reduce the narco-violence that plagues Mexico. He acknowledges that it is not a "silver bullet" that would eliminate the cartels or related violence (the straw man argument that many against legalization use to support their gossamer stance). But, he argues that it would be one approach to reducing the funds that fuel the carnage similar to the repealing of the prohibition of alcohol in the US initiated a reduction of violence in the '30s. He also added that with the legalization of marijuana would not come the unfettered free marketing of the drug by private business (as is the case with Nike or Coca-Cola...another facile bugaboo of the anti-legalization cohort) but that the state would have the responsibility to regulate and control it, as it does with pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol etc).
Speaking of narcos, a gunfight between a group of gunmen and the military left 8 gunmen dead and 3 soldiers wounded in San Dimas, Durango. Five bodies were discovered in a mini-van located in San Miguel El Alto, Jalisco, all bore signs of being tortured and each were subsequently killed with a single shot to the head.
Two police officers are missing in the municipality of Altar, Sonora. Their patrol vehicle was located empty, with the lights still on, parked on the freeway. And, lastly, a 50 year old English professor, Felix Duarte García, was executed in his house in Real de los Mochis, Sinaloa.
Walter, perhaps you would carry more weight over here: Photo Essay: Drug Violence in Juarez.
ReplyDeleteMy first post was, um, censored, perhaps rejected is a better word? All it was, was links to your posts here, and links to your bios (here and LEAP), and a few words about how you were keeping up with the numbers.
However, they did publish my second comment. Frankly the logic just can't be denied. If it as "drug violence" as modern-day-journalists like to libel, then the U.S. would be EXPLODING with violence far worse than Mexico since we're told we consume far more drugs than they do. Unfortunately the link I included to Peter Christ's most recent video was stripped out, so it reads a little weird at the beginning.
Thanks, Mr CAP --
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you linking my articles...
You bet. Although it seems that particular post of mine ended up in the bit bucket, /dev/null, the circular filing cabinet. :-(
ReplyDeleteBut about as long as I've known of LEAP's existence I've written the News Hour (website comments, emails, snail mail) and told them to get some of y'all on-air. I feel like I've done nearly everything short of going to Washington D.C. and demanding to speak face-to-face with Jim Lehrer himself. :-)