| | |  Editorials | Opinions | March 2009 
Mexico Drug Woes are Ours
 Deseret News
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| | Residents pray and light candles on the site where a grenade explosion killed at least eight people> (Eduardo Verdugo/AP) | |
The firefights between police and drug runners on the Mexican border are Mexico's problem, not ours.
Yes, more than 700 narco-terrorists were recently arrested trying to set up cocaine outposts in several American states, but the issue is Mexico's problem.
Yes, 90 percent of the weapons used by drug traffickers come from the United States.
But that's Mexico's problem.
And, yes, the consumers of illicit drugs are American. And their habits wreck American families, crowd American jails and undermine American law enforcement efforts.
But that's Mexico's problem.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said 6,290 people have been killed in the drug war on the border — 1,000 since Jan. 1. He said as long as Americans continue to buy drugs, the cartels will never be fully eliminated. He also said he's optimistic about tamping down the drug trade to where local police precincts can handle it.
When he became president in 2006, Calderon set out to enhance the image of Mexico's northern border towns. Traditionally seen as tawdry outposts driven by American debauchery, Mexicali, Nogales and other cities had begun installing artistic venues and more family friendly businesses when the drug clash kicked in.
America needs to help keep the Calderon vision alive.
How?
By maintaining strong ties with Colombia and other South American countries where narcotics originate.
By doing more to keep drug terrorists from waltzing into the United States, buying a load of guns at gun shows, then waltzing home without a hitch.
By becoming informed instead of relying on second- and third-hand accounts of the conflict.
By giving Mexico whatever it needs in intelligence, armor and weaponry to beat down the narco-traffickers.
Helping Mexico more would not only be good foreign policy, but good domestic policy. It would enhance national security, boost economic vitality, and ease law and order pressures.
Calderon's idea for the border is ambitious. But the image of American families strolling under the street lights there, dining and shopping is worth the effort.
But first, America must realize that Mexico's drug war is also our drug war.
We must do what it takes to help our neighbors get the job done. |
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