When will this madness stop?

On Sunday, a senseless massacre took place in the northern state of Durango.

Four brothers, aged 19, 17, 11 and 13 years old; two girls aged 8 and 15; two more brothers aged 21 and 19; and two other young people aged 15 and 16, were killed in a single violent act.

According to news reports, they were traveling from their ejido (a cooperative farming system) to the closest town of Los Naranjos, where they were to receive some federal funding for a school program. All of the young people killed were riding in the bed of a pick up truck.

The police reports stated that a group of armed men – apparently drug traffickers – ordered the vehicle to stop. When the driver didn’t comply, the men launched multiple grenades at the truck.

I know that it sounds naive, but what kind of men can kill boys and girls who are not old enough to understand the reasons for this war? What kind of men can kill an 8-year-old girl, who probably was just accompanying her 15-year-old sister to town?

I know that it sounds even more naive to talk about morals and ethics in the midst of this drug war, but what kind of ethics and morals do these men have when they kill innocent children? 

A recent story from La Opinión of Los Angeles reported that an official estimate states that 610 boys and girls were killed in Mexico from December of 2007 to March 2009 due to incidents involving drug trafficking.

In the past, we heard that members of the Italian and American mafia lived by a certain code that made them respect family members and innocent kids. In those times, they just killed each other in the typical settling of accounts. It seems as if the people connected to this drug war have no sense of honor or code of ethics that they live by.

If the life of an 8-year-old girl doesn’t mean anything to them, then it’s crystal clear that nothing, absolutely nothing, will be able to stop them.

Comments

[Dax Bellafontaine]

It should be evident by now that life in Mexico has no value. Look at the many women who were murdered in Juarez yet the only efforts to catch the killers were cursory at best. The problem is not drug consumption in the US. It is not guns coming from the US or any other country. It is the culture that allow and assisted corruption and mistreatment. This is Mexico's problem and Mexico's chance to right its wrongs. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

[BBE]

Altough I agree completely that Mexico has many many flaws...To say that this is Mexico's problem and Mexico is the only one to blame is neither correct nor ethical. Mexico could easily stop the cartel violence that is occuring right now by legalizing drugs and taxing them. Now, we know that Mexico is not going to do that, nor should they do that, but to say that US consumtion does not lead to the violence in Mexico is a very naive and unrealistic view. Mexico's goverment, not culture, is very corrupt and many things need to occur from the top down to change it, but to say that the wolds leading consumer of illegal drugs has no fault in this matter is ridiculous.

[Dax]

No, to blame the problem on consumption is naive. When it wasn't drugs it was the maquila industry who provided the bite. Mordida's are so entrenched in Mexican culture no one sees them as wrong. Remove the bribe and the extortion, the politicians and leaders will do the 'right' thing. Blame US consumption and guns for the violence in Mexico and you are missing the most important part.

[joe medina]

Lourdes, what kind of men are they? A clue is the word "men." Seems that they are right out of Exodus, the armies of Moses and Joshua, who was the first terrorist. What does it say? eleven cities, every person slaughtered, even the animals; not one soul left alive. That is repeated ten more times. You are too young to remember My Lai, March 16, '68, over 400 defenseless old man, women, young babies killed by "good boys, last years high school basketball stars, with clean fingernails, not at all like that!" More of the same in Iraq. Yes, it is horrible, I certainly agree. But it is the reptilian brain, and the ego. I have no better idea what to do than Calderon. But force begets force, injustice begets resistance, in whatever form. Saludos.

[NadaKVer]

It used to be que el que nada debia, nada temia. But now, the cartels are out of control. They don't respect life. Antes, se mataban uno al otro. Now they kill anyone who gets in their way. This is what's made the border dangerous. I can't forget the 16 de septiembre when drug dealers launched granades into the innocent crowd. That's when this all went south. Ahora, no one is safe.

[Raymond Babcock]

after what president calderon said in washington i would not visit mexico if you paid me if i was to go to old mexico and told a mexican state how it should run a mexican state i would be arrested and put in prison if not excuted i could not be happier if calderon never came back to the united states of american you are as worthless the democratic party

[Raymond Babcock]

if you got all this time to tell us how we should live why dont fight the drug car tells why dont you educate your people get companies to build factories in mexico and stop wasting what capitol you have on palacies for losers give mexicans a reason to stay in mexico

[Raymond Babcock]

while your people live in abject poverty you live in a palace your people have dirt floors you president calderon you live splendor you can change you country do you want to