While I was enjoying a sunny, relaxing weekend of shopping, and hiking, and writing, and eating here in central Mexico, I still watched the news. I always do.
So imagine my surprise when I discovered on Monday that I had missed some very cruicial news over the weekend.
Mexico is dangerous.
Very dangerous.
A "fair and balanced" news report may have started with some facts, but after a slow news day, the take-away message that the Americans heard/understood was this:
Mexico is now as dangerous as Pakistan, and the US is considering full-scale attacks on both countries in the near future. Over 1 million Mexican refugees will likely rush the US border, seeking asylum, and ruining our already fragile economy. In the meantime, 3 border crossings between Texas and the US have already been closed, due to violence, and there is no longer any police force or government of any kind in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Travel alerts are at orange. mission trips are being cancelled, churches are demanding their missionaries to come home. Families are expecting to see their loved ones on top of their homes, being rescued like Saigon, or being abandoned like Katrina.
Sheesh.
Before you panic, picturing us stranded at the embassy, or kidnapped for ransom, or scared in our homes, let me remind you that NONE of this was in the Mexican news. Or the international news. Or even on CNN international.
This is why I was able to confidently shop from street vendors and eat in restaurants and walk down the street while this news was being spread:
Mexico is no more dangerous today than it was last week. The US gov't re-issued its prior security alert, which basically warns idiots from walking up to drug lords and asking for directions to the police station. That would still be a bad idea.
Three border crossings were temporarilly closed because of peaceful protesters. They have since reopened. No one was hurt.
One local police chief quit his job; the city is now being patroled by state & federal police, as well as the Mexican army. Considering that local police don't carry guns, and are most likely to take bribes, it wasn't a huge loss to the community.
Driving through Southern Texas into Northern Mexico is just as crazy of an idea today as it was last week. It is a no-man's-land deserted wasteland of nothingness.
Flying into the International Airport in the 2nd largest city in the world, on the other hand, is perfectly safe. We are in no danger. And we plan to come home in a plane, not a helicopter.
But thanks for your concern.
(For those of you who want to read the stories that led to the exagerated response, see below. I also heard that there was an interview with a US senator on US tv this weekend, but obviously I didn't see it. I don't recommend re-voting for that guy.)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491964,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479906,00.html
http://blogs.courant.com/travel_columnists_leblanc/2009/02/state-department-issues-warnin.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29243407/
http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnhome.asp?cve_home=1133
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1 comment:
First tip that your news may be heavily biased toward the "Mexico is evil" viewpoint:
It comes from www.foxnews.com
I love the "fair and balanced" coverage. Naturally they think they are fair and balanced .. that is the whole point.
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