Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
We have a situation in hand of abuses to Americans traveling through Ciudad Constitución. This is happening and it can't be denied.
| American, Canadians & ????
Does anyone know whether or not they are stopping non-Mexicans who are driving private vehicles with Mexican plates? Or is it limited to non-Mexican
plates & possibly Mexican rental cars? Are they looking at faces....or license plates? I could probably find out myself by driving my gringo
face through Constitucion in my Mexican plated vehicle & see what happens, but I currently have no need to take a tour of lovely downtown
Constitucion & according to your summation, the collective self-centered group of Americans wouldn't lift a finger to post my bail if it came to
that!
Quote: | Various recommendations have been made to fight, tooth and nail, the assaults upon our dignity and initial responses have been vibrant and
cooperative, to say the least.
Everybody says, "Let's strike back." "Let's show them we mean business and are a group to be respected and listened to."
We ruffle our feathers, paw at the ground and make threateng gestures backed by our clout with money and our desire to spread it here and there in
Baja.
That is a legitimate bargaining tool...if it were in the collective hands of those willing to fire the weapons which they brandish.
| A little strong, a little militant, but I get the point you're trying to get across. Yes, we definitely
get our feathers ruffled, and yes, I sincerely believe that tourist & resident alien dollars/pesos are being negatively affected by the extortion
in Constitucion. The greatest infusion of cash is apparently going directly into police pockets. Those who continue to refer to this as mordita(on
other threads), please call it what it is....extortion is in no way related to mordita. This is not mordita!
Quote: | We Americans won't do that. We live in our own little worlds and have no interest in solidarity. Our neighbor's problem isn't ours.
What's happening in CC will never be addressed by Americans, your brothers. Quote: | You folks who have been raped and brutalized are on your own. I prefer to call a spade a spade & use the terms harrassed, intimidated
& extorted. |
Your brother won't come to your assistance.
Here on Nomad, the problem is clear. Those trying to affect change through an appeal to his own people are met with silence. Some may want to watch,
but few want to participate.
That's just the way we are. Very into ourselves leaving no room for others.
How freakin' sad that we can't empathize and sympathize to the point of action and the inconvenience to help a brother.
We just can't be bothered.
OK....suffer the consequences of your inaction. Pay the Pig in all of the cities who will shortly see that highway robbery pays off.
SHAME will be ours. | Au Contraire! Please don't be painting ALL Americans with a
self-centered, uncaring isolationist brush. There are a lot of people on this site alone who would, have & will continue to help their fellow
man, regardless of nationality....be they another gringo, or Mexican family broken down on the hwy, towing vehicles off of sandy beaches, we've loaned
jacks, donated time, money, food clothing, whatever is necessary in times of need. For the most part, we network, we brainstorm, we do try to make a
difference, both individually & as a group. So I take acceptation to your blanket statement that we as an entire nationality wear blinders to all
but our own self-interest.
There are two distinctly separate groups of foreigners in this scenario....tourists & resident aliens....I & many others fall into the latter
category. Myself & the majority of those I know who are full-timers here sincerely try to adhere to local laws & customs. We choose to live
here & in my mind that means I do my damnedest to know & respect local laws; on the flip side of the coin, I expect to be treated the same as
the rest of the local population. When that doesn't happen, I personally try to use resources in place for the general population. I have never
expected different treatment because I'm a gringo. My indignation is that extortion is happening at all, I'd be just as angry if it were only
happening to national-born. Right is right, wrong is wrong & those two know no national boundaries. What is happening in Constitucion is wrong,
it's discriminatory & it's extortion!
The Mexican Tourista Dept. is an agency which is chartered to promote tourism & to come to the aid of foreigners in Mexico if the need should
arise. The US Consulate in TJ is there to aid US citizens if the need should arise. If the US Consulate does not/will not respond to the documented
complaints they said they’d follow up on, then shame on the US Consulate!
There are people here trying to make a difference, please, a little less negativity & a little more faith in your fellow Americans!
Signed: Pollyanna
|