Yikes... dont drink in this bar...

[Aigtbootbp]

firstdive2005



Say what?????

Darol, I couldn't have said it better.


Firstdive, thank you for injecting racism into this discussion. Nobody was pointing fingers until you threw this out there. A educational discussion is now about race.
So, will this thread be trashed due to such an unsavory comment?

 

[1KWIK_69]

Darol, I couldn't have said it better.


Firstdive, thank you for injecting racism into this discussion. Nobody was pointing fingers until you threw this out there. A educational discussion is now about race.
So, will this thread be trashed due to such an unsavory comment?

I doubt Kev was trying to inject racism into the conversation, but rather Mexico bashing. They've had a lot of bad press where the media is constantly running stories on how dangerous it is down there because of the drug war, recently the swine flu, and don't forget the endless illegal imigration stories. To be honest, most places in Mexico are no more unsafe for us Gringos than most cities in the U.S. unless you're either in Mexican law enforcement, or somehow connected to the drug cartels. I have a lot of sympathy for average Mexicans that get such a bad rap because of things that are going on that they have nothing to do with. Don't get me wrong, I'm seriously opposed to people coming into America illegally, but that's still just a small percentage of the Mexican population. We all have to fill out forms on the plane saying where we're staying, how long we'll be there, and we all have to maintain a valid passport(ID) when we go to Mexico. It should be the same way when Mexicans come here.

 

[jonlarz]

One murder a night is probably below average for most US cities. I've been in the Memphis area all my life. Coz is a cakewalk to me.

Antonio is right, don't look for trouble and don't put yourself in a situation that you wouldn't put yourself in while at home.

 

[Aigtbootbp]

I doubt Kev was trying to inject racism into the conversation, but rather Mexico bashing. They've had a lot of bad press where the media is constantly running stories on how dangerous it is down there because of the drug war, recently the swine flu, and don't forget the endless illegal imigration stories. To be honest, most places in Mexico are no more unsafe for us [red]Gringos[/red] than most cities in the U.S. unless you're either in Mexican law enforcement, or somehow connected to the drug cartels. I have a lot of sympathy for average Mexicans that get such a bad rap because of things that are going on that they have nothing to do with. Don't get me wrong, I'm seriously opposed to people coming into America illegally, but that's still just a small percentage of the Mexican population. We all have to fill out forms on the plane saying where we're staying, how long we'll be there, and we all have to maintain a valid passport(ID) when we go to Mexico. It should be the same way when Mexicans come here.

Funny you should say that....
Gringo | Define Gringo at Dictionary.com

 

[1KWIK_69]

Funny you should say that....
Gringo | Define Gringo at Dictionary.com

So it goes both ways with some people. The locals at the lake I frequent up here like to call tourists FT. I don't have to tell you what the F stands for. I guess if you live anywhere that has a lot of generally rude clueless visitors, you're bound to get an attitude towards them.

A word only has as much meaning as people assign to it. I'm a gringo, and proud of it. We even use to eat at a restaurant in Texas with my Dad called Dos Gringos when I was a kid. My Dad use joke that Dos Gringos translated to Dumb Americans.

 

[Christi]

5 drug related murders in less than 2 years is inherently sensational, I don't think it's been artificially hyped. I'm more concerned by efforts to down-play it on the board, but I can understand the PR reasons why it's being done.

I still feel comfortable vacationing in Coz though, for now.

OK, I know you said you still feel safe in Cozumel, but as far as the rest of your post goes, are you kidding me????? You live in Dallas - where I would be willing to put money on that there are 4 - 5 drug related murders per WEEK if not per DAY not to mention all of the random acts of violence that take place on a daily basis there. How many different gangs do you think there are in Dallas, I can only imagine. I guess I won't be visiting Texas anymore because the violence there is just too much to handle! For that matter, why don't I just blanket the entire country - guess I won't be visiting the USA anymore because I heard there was a drug/gang related shoot out in Los Angeles last week! See how ridiculous that sounds?


As I said in another thread - again, not trying to downplay it, simply to put perspective on the issue. One thing that IS different in Mexico and the drug related murders here - is that most of them are contained within the cartel and the people that cross them, not random people - unlike the thug gangs in the US who commit random acts of violence to score their next high and/or to get initiated into their gang of choice. My point again is that these are not random killings and Sundays shooting was a direct SHOOTING, not a shoot out as some have inaccurately reported.

 

[Mossman]

I doubt Kev was trying to inject racism into the conversation, but rather Mexico bashing. They've had a lot of bad press where the media is constantly running stories on how dangerous it is down there because of the drug war, recently the swine flu, and don't forget the endless illegal imigration stories. To be honest, most places in Mexico are no more unsafe for us Gringos than most cities in the U.S. unless you're either in Mexican law enforcement, or somehow connected to the drug cartels. I have a lot of sympathy for average Mexicans that get such a bad rap because of things that are going on that they have nothing to do with. Don't get me wrong, I'm seriously opposed to people coming into America illegally, but that's still just a small percentage of the Mexican population. We all have to fill out forms on the plane saying where we're staying, how long we'll be there, and we all have to maintain a valid passport(ID) when we go to Mexico. It should be the same way when Mexicans come here.

It is the same way when Mexicans come here on the plane, though probably not as easy (I believe they have to have a visa as well, something we don't need when traveling to Mexico).

In the old days, i.e. when I was a kid, there was no need for any documentation besides ID for Americans to cross back and forth across the border on foot or by car, as long as travel was restricted close to the border (on the Pacific side, the limit was a little ways south of Ensenada). They'd wave us across without any need to even stop the car, and we'd line up on the crossing back to declare how much tequila we were bringing back, the simple oral declaration of U.S. citizenship was enough to satisfy the INS border guards in most cases.

I crossed illegally into Mexico once, when we took our train south. Mexicali, the origin of our trip, was in the zone where you didn't need a tourist card, and I was supposed to obtain one at the train station the morning of our departure. Unfortunately they were closed that morning, so we went without tourist cards. Coming back, we ended up flying, as I got some bug that I really didn't want to suffer through the duration of a 30-hour train trip. Presenting our tourist cards at the airport prior to boarding the flight was a necessary requirement, so we got to the airport the day before our flight to work it out. Ended up being sent to some office upstairs and eventually we were given tourist cards. It took about 3 hours total, but I'm sure I would have been able to cut through the red tape a bit quicker had I offered bribes along the way.

Another time, before I had turned 21, we were crossing back to the U.S. on foot. The INS agent asked for my ID, mainly to prove I was over 21 and legally able to possess the booze I was bringing back. I made up a story about how I had completely forgotten my ID, how stupid, but I really, really was over 21, honest officer! After enduring a brief lecture on how dumb I was for traveling in a foreign country without any ID, he let me back into the U.S., booze and all. Those were the days!

 

[1KWIK_69]

In the old days, i.e. when I was a kid, there was no need for any documentation besides ID for Americans to cross back and forth across the border on foot or by car, as long as travel was restricted close to the border

Another time, before I had turned 21, we were crossing back to the U.S. on foot. The INS agent asked for my ID, mainly to prove I was over 21 and legally able to possess the booze I was bringing back. Those were the days!

I was around in those days. I went into Nogalas, Matamoros, Nevo Laredo, and Monteray lots of times as a kid. When I was 19, coming back into Brownsville/South Padre, I gave my fake ID to the boarder agent so I could bring my $2.75 bottle of Sauza back with me!

 

[Aigtbootbp]

Yup, exactly. Everyone has there own opinions which are influenced by where they live and their life experiences. However I do not see how "Race profiling with violence is a white mans propaganda tool." can be mistaken for anything other than a racial slur. Especially in the context of accusing others of racism.
BTW, I do not take offense at being called a gringo. It did make a fantastic point about how differing viewpoints can be perceived by different people though and so individual perception must be taken into account before making these sort of accusations.
I hope I haven't rambled too much here and my point is clear enough to make sense. I have to go to work now, y'all have a nice day.


This is in response to post #45 of this thread.

 

[Christi]

The two suspects in the shooting have been apprehended and are in custody today. Supposedly there is no question that the correct people are in custody.