Mexico acknowledges migrant abuse, pledges changes

[totodeinhere]

Source: AP

Amnesty International called the abuse of migrants in Mexico a major human rights crisis Wednesday, and accused some officials of turning a blind eye or even participating in the kidnapping, rape and murder of migrants.

The group's report comes at a sensitive time for Mexico, which is protesting the passage of a law in Arizona that criminalizes undocumented migrants.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100429/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_migrants_1

---

It seems that immigrants have a tough time all over. As Mexican authorities rightly protest that draconian Arizona law, they should also get their own house in order.

[amandabeech]

1. I think that the Mexican government should get its house in order first.

IMHO, that government blames everything on the usual suspects, the U.S., and ignores the causes of the problems right there at home. Like having a country run by a few rich folks who look like Europeans who invest and store their money abroad.

The best thing that we could do here is stop using illegal drugs. Just stop it. Every day we are hurting people all over Latin America and there really isn't any reason to do so.

Think about Mexican kids being shot up by Zetas every time you light up, folks.

Or, if you prefer, severe damage being done to our national forests by a bunch of bad guys from a Mexican drug cartel.

It's not just about you any more.

If you want legalization, wait for it.

Show a little self restraint.

[Flaneur]

2. Sorry, drug users didn't enact drug prohibition, with its violence and black markets.

Prohibition created these Frankensteins, not American pot heads.

Legalization would not make the cartels disappear, but it would weaken them significantly by removing their primary source of income.

[amandabeech]

5. No, but your insistence that you are blameless is really getting old.

The reality is that people and whole countries are dying because you have to get high in a certain way.

Things are totally out of hand at our border and in the lands to the south that we've been abusing for years.

You're just making it worse.

Prohibition violence was generally contained within our borders and the immediately appurtenant waterways.

This is different. The violence goes all the way down to Bolivia.

I used to think like you, but I have really changed my mind with the level of violence in Mexico.

You know that our military is starting to get involved, don't you?

It is just not worth it now.

[Flaneur]

13. That's just absolute horse shit.

People are dying because drug prohibition creates lucrative black markets.

Prohibition-related violence has spread because we imposed our prohibitionist policies on the rest of the world.

Yes, I know our military is getting involved, and yes, I'm aware that we are funding the Merida Initiative to the tune of $1.3 billion. That should just make matters worse, just as Calderon's declaration of war on the cartels has.

By the way, I grow my own weed and have no use for other products offered by the cartels.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[amandabeech]

4. Unrec the hell out of it, mister. Be my guest.

Go ahead and ruin the national forests with your selfishness.

I don't partake and you don't need to, either.

You have blood on your hands.

[mitchtv]

6. who says I don't need it?

it's people like you who try to tell everyone else how to live ,is why we have stupid laws that need to be ignored. It's your fault and all who support prohibition

[amandabeech]

8. You get your script, you smoke all you want.

I used to think like you, but I see the carnage now I think that I was wrong.

You obviously don't give two you-know-whats about what's happening to people to your south.

[Flaneur]

14. Get off your high horse. And wipe the blood off your own hands.

[independentpiney]

7. I grow my own, thank you very much

Take your Nancy Reaganesque 'just stop it' somewhere else.

[mitchtv]

10. as do I, and it is very therapeutic

being I have Parkinsons

[EFerrari]

12. You remember, of course, that the current leader of Mexico

was supported by BushCo and that many people believe the election was stolen from the reformer. If rich white people are ruling Mexico, they're doing it with plenty of help from our government.

[totodeinhere]

18. I am not denying that. You are quite right. But that fact doesn't make the plight of immigrants in..

Mexico any easier and we need to do all we can to point out the problem and put pressure on the Mexican government to improve things.

[EFerrari]

19. Definitely. I'm struck, though, by the difference between

the Mexican government that readily admits their faults and, our government that not only doesn't admit how badly immigrants are treated here but actually avoids talking about how badly Latino citizens are being set up for harassment in Arizona.

[fishwax]

20. indeed

[Igel]

9. Again?

There's a cycle:

US does something that might affect Mexico's revenues.

Mexico promptly screams racism and oppression, and vows to defend it's citizens and residents--albeit in another country--to the death. Anything directed at illegal immigrants is ipso facto directed against Latinos, and the only Latinos that anybody can really care about--Mexico thinks--are Mexican.

People with no great love for Mexico's politics point out that compared to illegal immigrants from Central America in Mexico, illegal immigrants from Mexico in the US have it fairly cushy, at least once the actual process of getting out of the maw of the coyotes is over. And that Mexico has a raft of internal problems and that it's #1 export, excess poorly educated underskilled workers, would also be the #1 rabble that could be roused to do something nasty. Moreover, this rabble earns far more for Mexico abroad than they would at home.

Mexico immediately vows to be a model global citizen and treat those illegally within its borders with dignity and respect. It then blames the problem not on the laws, which are blatantly and obviously discriminatory, but on a few bad greedy officials (none of whom, oddly, are ever related to those promising to clean up the situation, but many of whose replacements are related to those promising to clean up the situation).

Nobody notices that the more serious problem wasn't mentioned by Mexico, but the more glaring, yet superficial, instance of hypocrisy is taken to heart. Of course, checking up on them is difficult, and dealing with the main problem is clearly against Mexico's interests.

I'd say it's what--the cycle repeats in the course of 1-2 weeks every 5 years or so?

[EFerrari]

21. That's about as one sided and self-serving an analysis

as could possibly be made.

The Mexican people elected a reformer last time and our State Department made damn sure he wasn't seated.

We don't only steal elections in Fl and Oh, you know.

Good grief.

[AlphaCentauri]

11. "get their own house in order"

The House of Representatives received the Institute "National Migration reply to a point of agreement on the current situation and the actions" of U.S. officials at the International Airport of Mexico City to oversee the passage of foreigners through Mexican territory.

http://www.inm.gob.mx/index.php/blog/2010/02.html

The National Migration Institute (INM) Adjustment Program was developed in the field, with more facilities to be granted to foreigners and their families to expedite their process of legalization of residence in Mexico.

http://mx.starmedia.com/noticias/inmigracion/programa_acelera_tramites_inmigrantes_328521.html

[No Elephants]

15. .....

https://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/site/c.jhKPIXPCIoE/b.2719751/k.C0A4/Donate/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2719751&en=6pJBILMnG5JKKVPqF4IGJXMHIpJSISMxGeIML2MCIkIUK4PMH

You can donate one time or authorize them to put a small amount on your charge card each month automatically.

Come on. You know you want to.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. "...and therefore the Arizona law is not that bad and you pinkos should stop complaining."

And don't tell me you're not saying that. You aren't, but you are.

[totodeinhere]

17. So are you suggesting that we should ignore the terrible plight of immigrants in Mexico just...

because of the new law in Arizona, which by the way will almost surely be overturned in court? Amnesty International is a very esteemed organization, and I take what they say seriously. Whatever may or may not be happening in Arizona or anywhere else, if AI points out the plight of immigrants in Mexico, I am going to pay attention to it and I am going to bring the subject up.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. LOL. So your OP was not about the AZ Papers Please Law.

Yeah, RIGHT. :rofl:

[totodeinhere]

23. If you are going to call me a liar there is nothing I can do about it and frankly I don't care.

And by the way, what do you think about the plight of immigrants in Mexico?

[AlphaCentauri]

24. Read post #11