NY times story about guns getting to Mexico

[longdayjake]

First of all the picture showing the barret .50 with a long belt of .50 cal bullets is just dumb. Second of all, if it really does happen as often as they say it is happening, then maybe its time to put some mexican officials on the border to stop illegal things from getting into our country. I didn't see them whinning when their drugs and illegal aliens were getting through our borders. Now that the shoe is on the other foot they think we need to give them money and restrict our liberties to help them out. Screw you Mexico.


here is an exerpt from the story. The whole thing can be found at

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1915327,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

This traffic of heavy weaponry from American gun stores to Mexican drug cartels will once again feature in talks between the U.S. and Mexico when President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón meet at a North American summit in Guadalajara on Aug. 9 and Aug. 10. Mexico with its strict gun laws has long complained that the vast majority of firearms used by the gangs wreaking havoc here are bought in El Norte. Meanwhile, Obama has said — more unequivocally than any previous President — that the U.S. has a responsibility to stop American guns getting into the hands of the mobsters.
(See pictures of the most dangerous city in the Americas, Ciudad Juarez.)

But seven months into Obama's Administration the guns keep flowing south and show no sign of abating. Mexican government raids continue to turn up vast arsenals of brand-new firearms that can be traced to shops north of the Rio Grande. Another sign of the gangster's abundant supply of firepower is that they can afford to leave some weapons at murder scenes to avoid detection. Along with the river of guns, Mexico's bloodbath has deepened into the Obama era. Last month was the deadliest since Calderón launched a frontal offensive against drug cartels in 2006, with 854 drug-related killings. In total, more than 13,000 people have perished in massacres, beheadings and execution-style hits under Calderón — whom Obama has compared to the "untouchable" Elliot Ness for his fight against organized crime.
(See pictures of crime-fighting in Mexico City.)

Obama concedes that one major problem in stopping the traffic is the strength of U.S. gun laws — and the gun lobby supporting them. Mexican officials have pushed for the United States to reinstate a Clinton-era ban on assault rifles. Such weapons — especially Kalashnikovs and AR15s — are behind the vast majority of Mexican gang-killings. Both types of guns have been sold widely in Arizona and Texas since the U.S. ban on sale of assault weapons was repealed in 2004. A 2008 Supreme Court decision reinforces the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, making a future ban even more difficult. In his first visit to Mexico in April, Obama said apologetically that it was beyond his power to overturn that. "Assault weapons, as we now know here in Mexico, are helping to fuel extraordinary violence," he said. "Having said that none of us are under any illusion that reinstating that ban would be easy."

Obama said apologetically that it was beyond his power to overturn that. "Assault weapons, as we now know here in Mexico, are helping to fuel extraordinary violence," he said. "Having said that none of us are under any illusion that reinstating that ban would be easy."

Who cares if it would be unconstitutional? All we care about is how easy it would be. More proof that the constitution is a barrier to him and not a guide as it should be. I'm glad to see that we are beating them so soundly. Keep it up guys.

 

[Bowman140]

Some people just don't understand what a load of BS this is.

 

[velojym]

Hmm... they aren't even hinting at the fact that WHEN YOU BAN SOMETHING, YOU CREATE A LUCRATIVE MARKET FOR IT!!!!
...and you're handing it directly to the folks who don't really care what the law says anyway. Prohibition gangsters were a great example (you know, like the Kennedies)

 

[jakemccoy]

(That's Time, not NY Times.)

Any story about Mexican drug cartels needs to start off with a summary of the corruption of law enforcement in Mexico. If a writer begins with anything else, then I'm programmed to tune it out. It's like trying to comprehend what somebody's telling me while trying to ignore the big pink elephant in the room.

 

[mercedesrules]

Nowadays, I always assume that any actual consequences of a government program are the intended ones (rather than being "unintended"). Therefore, IMHO,any so-called "problems" concerning drugs and guns at the Mexican border are desired by the administration.

 

[Pweller]

The hallmark of bs journalism are all of the sensationalistic unqualified statements like 'vast arsenals', 'river of guns', 'bloodbath', and my favorite (from the article) 'killing machine'.

How about some real numbers and facts to support these assertions?!

 

[AMBASSADOR]

I agree SCREW YOU MEXICO!When will people take responsability for thier own problems?.It's time we stopped fighting other peoples wars.

 

[wally]

Why doesn't Time blame the dopers for giving the Cartel's enough money to buy whatever weapons they want?

We need to get serious about drugs and stop the erosion of our freedoms! Either Legalize them and tax & control like alcohol, or mandatory prison time for all users. Six month sentence ought to be enough to detox a first offender.

I'd vote for the Legalization option, its more consistent with personal freedom and the tax revenue from it would be a lot more productive than the money sunk into the DEA gestapo.

--wally.

 

[atomd]

The first clue that it's pure BS is that it's in Time magazine. You can tell it's just plain chock full of lies because there's almost always a liar on the cover lately.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Yep. The vast majority of fully automatic weapons that find their way to the Mexican drug cartel's soldiers were purchased in the U.S.
-By Mexico's government
-Who issues these weapons to their military
-Who join the cartels en mass, taking their weapons with them.

The rest come from Colombia, Venezuela, and all of the other countries that smuggle drugs through Mexico.

A fair number of semi-auto weapons cross over to northern Mexico, but these are meant for the small-timers and civilians. The big dogs want full auto!

 

[TEDDY]

mehico

this story has been beat to death.some statistic where ironed to make it and its 9/10 bull.