Mass Grave found in Mexico

In the San Francisco Chronicle (via the Washington Post) there was an article about the largest mass grave ever found in Mexico. It was located near Taxco, a city known for its fine silverware, made from ore of local mines. Apparently warring drug mafias hurled their bound-and-gagged victims down a deep mineshaft. Inspectors rappelled some 50 stories down into a cold, wet, noxious cavern where their headlamps revealed the remains of some 64 people. The floor was described as “quicksand, but filled with bodies.” The article went on to say:

I can only imagine the terror of those who were thrown down alive into an abyss of darkness and desperation. There is no need for hell; we’ll create it ourselves.

The boys’ bathroom between the Science and Home Ec Buildings were filled with a strong acrid smoke. I later learned it was the skunky smell of marijuana. Drugs were never something I was even curious about. The kids who smoked pot were slackers, dopers and those who were disengaged from school. Later I learned that there were studious and upstanding kids who also toked.

The drug wars in Mexico seem to be escalating and the limits of violence the drug gangs will commit seem to have no limits. This is incomprehensible for me as a Mexican-American, who has family and affection for Mexico. I know Mexicans as good, generous and benevolent. They are not without their flaws but by and large they are a people of decency and integrity. Unfortunately, Mexico has failed to provide economic opportunities for its people, and the drug trade is a growing industry. And the US demand for drugs has fueled this commerce. We in the US, the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world, look to drugs for happiness. We have failed to nurture authentic alternatives to finding joy in life.

My censure and aversion to marijuana has grown into one of benign indifference, especially as I live in one of the most cannabis-tolerant cities in the US. While I don’t care for it, I am not offended if one smokes it (as long as it doesn’t invade my breathing space or endanger anyone else).

One serious idea to arrest the trade of illicit drugs is to legalize them and handle them as controlled substances, like alcohol and tobacco. And for those who have addiction problems, they would be eligible for treatment. But making them legal would take away the monopoly the drug mafias have and thus diminish their influence and power.

In November there will be a ballot proposition legalizing the use of marijuana. While I don’t begrudge individuals using it responsibly, I am not sure how I will vote. Recently my street has attracted many young college kids; and at any time of the day I can smell the wafting odor of pot, which I find annoying. But perhaps voting for the legalization of marijuana is a step in the right direction of legalizing all illicit drugs so the violence perpetuated by drug gangs in Mexico will diminish.