The propagandists for Arizona’s draconian anti-immigration law claim that illegals are terrorizing Arizona residents. Actually, the crime rate for illegals is lower than for the native born, but reality has never swayed a right-winger who wants to believe BS. Arizonans have a head-in-the-sand viewpoint when it comes to their virtually non-existent gun laws. Thousands of weapons of various kinds have been flowing into Mexico from Arizona for years.
My wife and I have been driving from Nogales 900 miles to Nayarit state for 12 years. Anyone who has traveled to Mexico is aware that getting caught with a gun is a major offense that will land the perpetrator in jail muy pronto. Yet these days Mexico is awash with guns, most of which cross the Arizona and Texas borders. Smuggling guns into Mexico is, and has been, absurdly easy. Until November of 2009, there was no checkpoint on the U.S. side to intercept smugglers. You could take the freeway bypass around Nogales, Arizona, and proceed on to kilometer 21 in Sonora where you have to buy a vehicle permit to travel into the interior. If you are only traveling to Sonora, you don’t even have to do that.
Thus, there is a 15-mile corridor in northern Sonora where smugglers could, and probably do, pass the weapons onto confederates who have hundreds of square miles to elude surveillance. Finally, last year the U.S. Border Patrol set up a checkpoint presumably to catch weapons smugglers. The problem with the “Drug War” is the high demand in the U.S. and the flow of weaponry from the U.S., Arizona in particular, that has increased the violence in Mexico exponentially. Two years ago the ATF was handed a load of weapons captured from Mexican “Narcos.” The guns were traced to a dealer in Phoenix and the FEDs tried to prosecute the dealer, but were thwarted by a federal judge who threw the case out citing anti-gun control statutes. Thus Arizonans are whining about being terrorized by Illegals using guns from Arizona dealers. There is a warped irony in all this.
All the guns flowing into Mexico have obliterated the country’s heretofore strong gun control laws. Banditos and lots of rootless and unemployed young men are now armed to the teeth. Those of us who live in Mexico part time are now in more danger than we’ve been in the past. And it’s not easy to just stay away. There are an estimated three million Americans living in Mexico and most own property, including us. Fortunately, we have never had a problem except for our house being broken into a couple of times. But during our trip home late last month, we missed by two hours a shoot-out between two drug gangs less than a kilometer from the RV park where we camped. The Mexican fellow who works at the park warned there would be retaliation by the ambushed gang and suggested with a flourish of his arm that we “vamoose” as soon as possible. We did.
– R.T.Tihista
This article appears in May 6-12, 2010.
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Here is an idea,…. enforce border control. We already have literally 20,000 gun laws. We don’t need any more. If the fed gov would do there job securing the border you wouldn’t have to worry about mexicans with guns. Disarming americans will not stop violent criminals.
yeah well mexicos immigrants are crossing ours
I agree with the author on one point; gun control does not work.
The problem is illegal aliens crossing the border not guns. How many illegals have been busted for hauling drugs to Oregon in the last week. The murder rate dropped ten percent in 2009 as gun sales rose to the highest levels since 94. Sounds like Arizona’s got it right.
Your dialogue is one worth answering as its eloquence stands out among most of the apparent illiteracy I read on these sights. My wife and i travel the corridor to Sinaloa every year and have yet to encounter a problem. It can happen but we have neen lucky. I have no quarrel with Mexicans as they treat guests very well. I do take exception to conjecture in dialogue. Making the statement that the gun used to kill the man from Arizona came from Arizona just because many of the guns may have, is purely speculation and has no basis in logic.
Next, do not be so quick to criticise the right wing. I have heard enough political bickering over left and right to last a lifetime. Right or Left certain things apply in America and neither side is repecting our rights because there is now so much illegal activity of all kinds that the good citizens rights are challenged along with the criminals. Firearms are a birthright of Americans. I grew up surrounded by weapons, I am 55 years old and I have never experienced misuse unless by criminals. As far as AZ gun laws, right along with Vermont and Texas are concerned, they are some of the only remaining places still worthy of being called America. I do not know in what world you live but I’ll tell you about mine. I am 55 years of age and come from very humble beginnings where even meals were an issue. I now owe nothing to anyone. I own everything I have and I have never needed a handout or a bailout. If that is being right wing well then I guess I am. I own everything because I deal in cash. Our currency says right on it, “Legal Tender'” yet if you carry more than $100.00 in your pocket you can be accussed of drug trafficing. Our constitution provides for gun and property rights yet the government tells you how and when you can or cannot have them and how to use them. I object and if that is right wing so be it. Americans who prefer the controls, Chavez in Venezuela, Castro in Cuba, or China will be glad to have you.
I do not mind having to think, protect myself, or earn my keep so I do not need the government to tell me what is best for me. If I make a promise, I keep it so I do not need courts either.
In as much as I speak fluent Spanish and German, have family all over the world and am a product of immigrants, law is law. My mother came through Ellis Island and so did my granparents.
Even my Mexican family members understand that you cannot enter a country and expect to receive the same rights as that country’s citizens. Mexico prohibits political involvement of foreigners. Mexico will also not give legal status to immigrants without due process. I couldn’t even open a bank accout without being a citizen.
I am not in agreement with all of Arizona Politics but I give them credit for stepping up on this issue. Americans need to feel their sense of Nationalism as does Mexico. Americans need to drop the ethnic boundaries as Mexico has. And all living within our borders have to have no mixed loyalties. Hard to do when we elected a socialist who refers to himself as a hypen rather than an American. Mexico has all the ethnicities that America does but they have one mind as does Japan. America needs to be one mind. Difficult when your President cannot refer to himself as an American. There can be no hyphen Americans, only Americans. Arizona is taking the first step and the Mexicans, above all should understand that.
I’ve been a part-time resident of Mexico for the last thirty-five years. The guns were always there.
What has changed is the open, all out drug wars in Mexico as the cartels fight for control of the lucrative drug smuggling business into the US. Smuggling has followed the line of least resistance–and has resurfaced on our Mexican border. The US plays Whack-A-Mole–Columbia, Panama, and now Mexico. Our Mexican border is so pourous and vast we have failed–to stop the inflow of drugs and the outflow of guns. The problem isn’t the law abiding of Texas or Arizona, though. It is the criminal element that really doesn’t care what laws are passed or controls attempted. The fully automatic weapons that wreak havoc in Mexico are illegal here, too. Obviously it is an enforcement problem–not an absence of laws governing behavior.
Like Willie Sutton is supposed to have said, ‘That’s where the money is…’
And Mexicos president said it himself most people dying in Mexico from violent crime are involved in the drug trade. Maybe these people are worried their will be noone to hall their grass. We should worry about what we send across their border when they stop sending problems like drugs, illegals, and criminals across ours. The money the spend on border protection comes mostly from us. And what American do you think they are getting the fully autotomatic and even grenades from. Liberals use propaganda to almost the same extremes as Hitler, Who was also a gun control advocate.
Yes I am “crazy” enough to tell you my real name. This article is absurd. Guns dont kill anyone in mexico drug cartels do. They come from Arizona, they come from Texas, they come from Oregon, they come from other countries as well. Dont fool yourself, drugs are big business, and there is security in any big business. the time for woh is me is over. Guns are your problem, not THE problem. Para Bellum!!!
I think it’s “draconian” to be asked to show my driver’s license when I get pulled over. How dare they verify my legitimacy for using public roads.
Arizona's new immigration law may have been aimed at deporting as many illegal immigrants as possible, but an ironic side effect will allow more undocumented residents to apply for temporary work visas and permanent U.S. citizenship, according to research by the Arizona Capitol Times.
As we know, Referendum requires filing 76,682 voter signatures by 90 days. Do you think they will do http://immigration.civiltalks.com/
Rene how can you be so blind? That so called “Draconian Law” simply parallels Federal Law. It is a shame that Arizona has to do this because the Federal Government won’t! That fellow in the White House is to blame at this point in time – he can’t point to Bush as being the problem – he’s in charge now! For him to refuse to enforce U.S. Law is criminal, and I hope to see him tried for his crimes once he is out of office! It is apparent that he will never be impeached as long as the Dems hold sway in Congress!
I get asked for my driver’s license everytime I use a credit card,write a check at my own bank,check into a motel/ hotel, buy alcohol,etc. You bitch about being asked for a DL and/or ID? Unreal.
I fought for this country in SE Asia against socialists. You are a socialist. We have a problem.
Almost every man and woman, now, buried in Arlington National Cemtery, never complained about showing his/her ID.