Opinion: Column
Government says Mexico unsafe? Gimme a break
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Also by Sean Kittridge:
- Sanford and the art of lazy lying (June 26, 2009)
- Wisconsin budget follies induce flailing, head-shaking (June 18, 2009)
- Wiscard good for UW's funds, bad for students' (June 13, 2009)
- Scared straight: Use fear to force police into enforcement equality (June 5, 2009)
- Selig sets horrific example for undergraduates (May 5, 2009)
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Although I’ve never seen “Braveheart,” I watch enough television to know there’s a famous scene where Mel Gibson, with a face done up in blue and white and a kilt that would strike fear into any invading army, yells that “they may take away our lives but they’ll never take our freedom.” He died, but his scripted words still resonate, and as the State Department urges college students across the country to be very careful about spring breaking in
At issue here is the escalating violence between drug cartels and the Mexican government, which has led to town-wide firefights and deaths. But before you start second-guessing your travel plans, it’s important to keep in mind that most of this fighting goes down around border towns — not the places featured on MTV. The way I see it, if you’re spending break 10 miles from
There’s something scary about the words “drug war.” For one, wars never end up being very fun. But more importantly, they really mess with the economy. Fighting in
The State Department didn’t go so far as to tell students to avoid Mexico this break, but they are asking them to exercise extra caution and use common sense, and while the sentiment is appreciated, they need to understand common sense under normal circumstances is very different than common sense after your fourth Mai Tai. Under normal circumstances, common sense tells you to avoid barbed wire tattoos and guys with cameras offering T-shirts, but once your plane touches Mexican soil, that logic dissipates. By asking people to be aware of their surroundings while on spring break, the government is either trying to cover their hides for when something does go wrong, or they really are as ignorant as we all assume.
If there is one piece of advice to give before we all embark for sunnier destinations, it’s this: Go to
Sean Kittridge (kittridge@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in journalism.
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Mexico has to be the dumbest country on earth if they don't keep their cash-cow tourist zones safer than Mr. Rodger's neighborhood. (Israel and Egypt have learned this lesson reasonably well)
At least the drug cartel guys won't cut off your head for blasphemy.
Guy, for real, you are the best writer this paper has had in a while. You have a future in this game.
Badger Herald continues to publish Sean Kittridge? Gimme a break.
Are you kidding me Sean Kittridge, it's called a Civil War. You are seriously irresponsible for obviously not researching this and publishing this. Mexican government officials are fleeing the country and moving to places like El Paso to stay safe. Also, the State Department tends not to cry wolf. So if they give out a serious warning, it would probably be advantageous to listen.
Mexico is unsafe. It's the only country in the world that gives you diarrhea for drinking their water.
www.everywearstore.com
The comment that you made - Remember, that $8 you spend for a burrito on State Street can buy you a small child in Guadalajara- is very upsetting to me. I just spent a year after my graduation from the UW in Guadalajara working with victims of sex trafficking. I worked kids. Yes, kids as young as 4 who were sold into the sex industry by their parents and family members. I know the comment made in the article was meant to be humorous, but these kids are being sold for around 4 US dollars, and this isn't funny. The trauma these kids went through is horrendous and their childhoods have been lost. This is a very serious issue in the country, and instead of laughing about it, maybe more of us should try to make a difference. If everyone donated just 20 dollars of their Mexico spring break money, some major changes could be made- shoes, school supplies, clothing, anything that would be beneficial to these very kids who have been betrayed by their families and their country. Enjoy your spring break- but remember that you are very privileged in this world to have an education, much less take a week of that time to go to a foreign country where rules are nearly nonexistent and drug cartels rule the government.
Lynn VanderWielen
Class of 2007
(1) "[B]ut the government needs to realize spring break is a student right, and no amount of kidnappings or murders will stop us from our yearly invasion of the Red, White and Green."
Either you're serious and you embody the sense of entitlement and utter lack of understanding of the world at-large typified by most college students [and might want to rethink a career as a journalist] or you're joking and not funny. Either way, never try to connect Braveheart, a movie you admit to having never seen [which is itself an embarrassment], to a student's supposed right to Spring Break in Mexico.
A travel advisory/alert is clearly different from a travel ban, though you'd be wise to listen to heed both if issued. And if you bothered to read it, it notes that although violence is concentrated along the borders, foreigners have been affected across the country.
Bottom line: you'll be fine in your resort bubbles and as long as you don't listen to Sean Kittridge
Mexico is unsafe. It's the only country in the world that gives you diarrhea for drinking their water. ---INDIA.
"Undoubtedly, Gibson will be quoted often during those long days in the Cancun..." Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh, are you saying this because St. Patty's Day falls on Spring Break. Because you realize that Braveheart has NOTHING to do with the IRISH, right? Oh my god, FAIL!
What would be awesome would be if Sean would actually respond to any of the comments made. Sean?
Way to seriously drop the ball on this one, Sean. (If that's even your real name) I think you've really legitimatized your future career as an Op-Ed columnist.
Actually, I blame the editorial staff at the Herald for allowing this to run unedited. That third paragraph is rife with so many factual errors, e.g., fighting in Iraq was supposed to free up cheap oil (wha???), "barring an Independence Day-explosion of Wall Street" (what does that even mean? is that a reference to the movie ID4 or the July 4 celebrations? in any event, what's happened since the Dow fell below 7k is being likened to a 9-11 for the economy), "airport security stepped up their game" (whaaaat???), that they deserve to be hung out to dry along with him. He couldn't even get the price of a kid right.
This article is the journalistic equivalent of wearing an "FBI: Federal Bikini Inspector” tee-shirt.
Reading the headline about the rape makes madison look more unsafe. I am American and have lived in mexico and believe it is safe if you think responsibly. Yes the government wants to keep the touristic areas safe because it is their main source of income, followed by drugs and remittances from the US. The Mexican Government has no control over the two major cartels who are in a war against each other for control and so drug gang violence can break out anywhere at anytime.
Bottom line:go have fun and always act responsibly. If you are intoxicated and a foreigner you may have someone take advantage of you just as in the United States
More crimes can happen against you in the US.
The Mexican government can only go so far to keep you safe in tourist zones. The cartels now have as many armed fighters as the entire federal army does.
When the government tried to set up an alternate, federally run police force in Cancun because the local force was known to be infested by corrupt officers with Zeta ties, the retired general running the new force and all of his men wound up dead outside the city. The police chief is now implicated in this massacre.
Funny article, just keep your wits about you.