BajaNomad - Again, No indignation

Again, No indignation

BajaTed - 5-11-2017 at 10:49 AM

With Mexico now as the 2nd most dangerous place to be in the world and a murder rate of about 17,000 per year, the total deaths in just 2 1/2 years will exceed the death toll of the Vietnam war.

As I recall back in 1972 when I won the lottery in life and didn't get drafted, there was a bit of indignation in this country about that same death toll number.

The palm tree in Bahia Concepcion might still be at the same sea level it was 50 years ago, but the amount of blood spilled on the Baja peninsula is reaching epic proportions.

1# Always lease, never buy.
2# Put on your rose colored glasses when crossing the border, because NO guns allowed
3# Vicariously live an exciting sort of lifestyle by actually traveling to Baja or even residing there for periods of time.
4# When someone questions why you even go to Mexico, say don't worry I followed rule 1#

JoeJustJoe - 5-11-2017 at 11:23 AM

I think Carry Duncan, has the right approach to the shootings in Mexico, and besides the "Gringo Gazette" is a tourist publication, not a police blotter. You could find Mexican cartel caused deaths and homicide numbers in lots of media outlets.

So while some are showing fake indignation and outrage over shootings in Mexico, that include up to 90 percent of Mexicans involved in the drug trade trying to satisfy American's insatiable appetite for drugs. The rest of us will be on some Mexican beach drinking a cold Mexican beer, or Margarita.

Besides, the "war on drugs' is a dismal failure, and needs a new approach. So why waste your time worrying about things you can't control?
_________________________________________

From the "Gringo Gazette" editorial by Carry Duncan.

We’re going to talk today about a very grown up subject, so there will be no joking around. Those who know me will be taking bets at this point that I can’t write an entire column without screwing around at least a little, but you shall see. I can do this.

We are occasionally asked why we don’t write about the shootings that have been going on for the l a s t s e v e r a l months. We list the reasons here. We take seriously our tag line, “No Bad News”

We are a tourist rag. Tourists don’t want to hear that stuff It wouldn’t change anything if we wrote about it.

It might freak some readers out, causing the weak sisters among our otherwise pretty cool readers to flee, and for no good reason, which would deprive them of enjoying the region.

Just like the gang bangers in the United States, these thugs are only interested in harming each other, and have no interest in us. Other than to sell us drugs. And just why are you buying drugs, anyway?

But last month there was a shoot-out between cops and robbers in a hotel lobby in San Jose. That’s because the idiot cops saw a car w i t h i l l e g a l l y tinted windows, suspected bad stuff was going on, and tried to pull it over in a tourist zone. That was pretty stupid, and presumably those police got a good talking to concerning geography of the barrio and the tourist zone.

Then last week a man who called himself a journalist was shot and killed in front of Sam’s Club in La Paz. The geography of this is a tough call: is Sam’s Club in the barrio or the tourist zone? But the fact that he was a journalist did get our attention so we investigated it

Turns out he was not a journalist, he was just another internet troll writing what was often fake news. He had the reputation for writing complimentary articles about whichever side of a controversy would pay him. Recently he had been warned by the aggrieved party to cut it out, but he pushed the limits and paid the price.

Which brings us to reason # 6 for not writing about the drug wars which are none of foreigners’ business: It’s none of our business and we could get hurt. We meaning me.

Nobody likes for someone to come into their house and tell them what to do, so as foreigners we’re not going to tell our hosts what to do about their country. What would we tell them, “Stop that stuff, it makes you look silly”? That would be like pointing out to someone that they have a pimple on their nose. Chances are pretty good they know about that pimple and are hoping nobody notices it.

So let’s all of us enjoy all that Los Cabos has to offer and continue pretending that we don’t see the pimple. It’s been working pretty good so far.

http://www.gringogazette.com/system/files/GringoGazetteSouth...

mtgoat666 - 5-11-2017 at 11:48 AM

There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.

If you look at the same stats on a population adjusted basis, things aint as bad. The homicide rate (homicides per 100,000 people) for mexico is lower than the rate for El salvador, venezuela, honduras, jamaica, guatemala, brazil, columbia and puerto rico, USVI, louisiana, DC, st lucia, montserat, and bahamas.

Lee - 5-11-2017 at 11:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

With Mexico now as the 2nd most dangerous place to be in the world and a murder rate of about 17,000 per year, the total deaths in just 2 1/2 years will exceed the death toll of the Vietnam war.

I've seen that number and think it refers to Mainland, not Baja. You're obsessing about murder outside Baja? Why? Lighten up Ted.

Took me a long time to like Carrie but do like her now. She's right. Little gringoes can do about the murder. Stay away? Live in an open carry state up North -- and carry in case the Mexicans invade your state?

I'm all for enjoying what Baja has to offer and avoiding what makes me uncomfortable.

JoeJustJoe - 5-11-2017 at 12:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.

If you look at the same stats on a population adjusted basis, things aint as bad. The homicide rate (homicides per 100,000 people) for mexico is lower than the rate for El salvador, venezuela, honduras, jamaica, guatemala, brazil, columbia and puerto rico, USVI, louisiana, DC, st lucia, montserat, and bahamas.

I think you're right Goat, because of the few articles I have read about all these thousands of killings, placing Mexico in the number 2 spot, right after Syria. The articles authors don't cite their sources within Mexico, where they came up with all those deaths.

In Mexico, there are two official homicide sources, the SESNSP, which gets their data from law enforcement sources, and the INEGI, which gets their data from death certificates.

And then we have some idiots, come up with homicide numbers based on newspaper articles, or make them up out of thin air.

All these different news outlets or tourist boards, come up with different homicide or death numbers, depending on their agenda, for example to promote tourism, or hurt tourism in Mexico.

So I treat most of these sensationalized news articles about deaths in Mexico, like I treat a Chuckie post, and just call BS, unless they can cite their actual sources in their post or article.

That's not to say there aren't a lots of deaths in Mexico, but it's important to see the sources for a number of different reasons.

[Edited on 5-11-2017 by JoeJustJoe]

aguachico - 5-11-2017 at 12:44 PM

All is good in margaritaville.
All is good unless you are a gas stealing rata being detained by a inexperienced soldier. They say it was an execution, I believe it was a mistake...

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0c4_1494475327

MMc - 5-11-2017 at 12:46 PM

If you are not comfortable going don't go... I refuse to allow others to tell me when to be afraid, or to what to do.

pacificobob - 5-11-2017 at 04:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

With Mexico now as the 2nd most dangerous place to be in the world and a murder rate of about 17,000 per year, the total deaths in just 2 1/2 years will exceed the death toll of the Vietnam war.

As I recall back in 1972 when I won the lottery in life and didn't get drafted, there was a bit of indignation in this country about that same death toll number.

The palm tree in Bahia Concepcion might still be at the same sea level it was 50 years ago, but the amount of blood spilled on the Baja peninsula is reaching epic proportions.

1# Always lease, never buy.
2# Put on your rose colored glasses when crossing the border, because NO guns allowed
3# Vicariously live an exciting sort of lifestyle by actually traveling to Baja or even residing there for periods of time.
4# When someone questions why you even go to Mexico, say don't worry I followed rule 1#

#5 stay home where you feel safe

chuckie - 5-11-2017 at 04:14 PM

I think JJJ is trying to hurt my feelings?

BajaBlanca - 5-11-2017 at 05:35 PM

I am sure that Brazil is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of Mexico in # of deaths.

There has been one murder and one attempted murder in La Bocana's 70 year existence. Not too shabby.

BajaTed - Baja sure does not feel dangerous here where we live!

bledito - 5-11-2017 at 06:35 PM

I have been in the hoods in Chicago. Baja is a joy to be in compared to the Chicago ghettos. never felt uncomfortable except one time I arrived at a rancho out west of Santiago and a young gringo came running out of the brush with a drawn compound bow. we left pretty quickly. Probabally protecting his weed crop or something like that.

aguachico - 5-11-2017 at 06:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca

I am sure that Brazil is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of Mexico in # of deaths.

Yeah Brazil is not too tourist friendly in the city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ztLtpuwkM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca

... and one attempted murder in La Bocana's 70 year existence. Not too shabby.

What happened Blanca? Les was running too fast or learned to duck?

Nashville Frank - 5-11-2017 at 07:37 PM

If I turn on the news, here in Nashville, I'll hear of murders everyday within our metropolitan area. But, I'm so tired of the sensationalism of our local channels and the national ones too. They think they haven't done their job unless they slam you with the "dark side" of life! This makes Nashville seem like a very unsafe place. It is not! Many of these deaths are drug and gang related and tend to be located in those parts that these folks tend to gather or live.

What's happening in Mexico and Nashville is like what happened when I lived in Peru. One time there were convicts who took over a national prison, the US newsies said the country was having a revolution!!!

Nuff said!

bajabuddha - 5-11-2017 at 11:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Nashville Frank

If I turn on the news, here in Nashville, I'll hear of murders everyday within our metropolitan area. But, I'm so tired of the sensationalism of our local channels and the national ones too. They think they haven't done their job unless they slam you with the "dark side" of life! This makes Nashville seem like a very unsafe place. It is not! Many of these deaths are drug and gang related and tend to be located in those parts that these folks tend to gather or live.

What's happening in Mexico and Nashville is like what happened when I lived in Peru. One time there were convicts who took over a national prison, the US newsies said the country was having a revolution!!!

Nuff said!

Don't take this personally, but I drove down west Jefferson St. in 1972, a bit lost, and asked for directions. The person said, "ARE YOU NUTS??? DOWN HERE BY YOURSELF??? " Needless to say, I survived. Nashville is as safe as Chi-town, Mo-town, Memphis.... depending on where you hang.

Just like Baja.

pacificobob - 5-12-2017 at 06:49 AM

those who consider mexico relativity dangerous, have not traveled much.or have traveled to only the "safe" places

pacificobob - 5-12-2017 at 07:11 AM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

With Mexico now as the 2nd most dangerous place to be in the world

I just did some playing with numbers; according to my very loose calculations, the (annual) overall chance of an individual being murdered in Mexico is 0.018%. The overall chance of dying of a traffic accident in the U.S. is 0.010%, somewhat over half the overall Mexico murder danger.

Considering the minmal exposure of U.S. citizens to the murder violence happening in Mexico, that risk drops substantially and my conclusion is that it's WAY more likely for a Gringo to die in a U.S. traffic accident than some Mexican murder scene.

So why so much attention focused on risks of going to Mexico, and almost none on driving to the corner grocery store? The mind games we play....

wait a minute! lets not let facts get in the way of perfectly good fear mongering!