The world is running out of 'Brave Democrats' ..... they fall too easily to the forces of evil. Take as an example, the very brave ex mayor of Tiquicheo in central Mexico, who had held office between 2008 and 2011. During her reign, Mrs Maria Santos Gorrostieta had twice been attacked with guns by the local drug cartel warlords. In the first attack, her husband was killed and after the second attempt to kill her she was scarred by wounds, which she bravely displayed on TV and to the press.
Although it was obviously a drug related issue, she had professed ignorance as to why the attackers were so relentless in their efforts to kill her "I have a clear conscience, I have never had any issues of any kind, be it money, family or crime related, and I have never had any fights with any neighbours or residents of my town, or any other town" .... but she continued to stand "true to my ideals and my convictions, convinced that the truth will make us free", even after the two attempts to murder her.
Sadly, the attackers were very determined that she should die, and so last week, three days after her family had reported her missing, the body of Mrs Gorrostieta, was found in a ditch, killed by a blow to the head. Her death brings the total of democratic leaders killed by the cartels to an even two dozen.
We are losing the drug wars ..... and finally, this fact seems to be getting through to some in the US, where some states are voting to legalise some drugs such as Marijuana ... its a small step, but like many people, I believe that we have to try and take the criminal out of drug use, and some steps towards, taxing and controlling many low level drugs in a manner like tobacco and alcohol. This may be the only way to stop states like Mexico, Columbia, and Afghanistan (where heroin production is up 61% in the last 12 months), from becoming official instead of defacto 'Narco States'.
Although it was obviously a drug related issue, she had professed ignorance as to why the attackers were so relentless in their efforts to kill her "I have a clear conscience, I have never had any issues of any kind, be it money, family or crime related, and I have never had any fights with any neighbours or residents of my town, or any other town" .... but she continued to stand "true to my ideals and my convictions, convinced that the truth will make us free", even after the two attempts to murder her.
 |
| Mrs Maria Santos Gorrostieta - A Very Brave Democrat. |
Sadly, the attackers were very determined that she should die, and so last week, three days after her family had reported her missing, the body of Mrs Gorrostieta, was found in a ditch, killed by a blow to the head. Her death brings the total of democratic leaders killed by the cartels to an even two dozen.
We are losing the drug wars ..... and finally, this fact seems to be getting through to some in the US, where some states are voting to legalise some drugs such as Marijuana ... its a small step, but like many people, I believe that we have to try and take the criminal out of drug use, and some steps towards, taxing and controlling many low level drugs in a manner like tobacco and alcohol. This may be the only way to stop states like Mexico, Columbia, and Afghanistan (where heroin production is up 61% in the last 12 months), from becoming official instead of defacto 'Narco States'.
It's shocking how the drug war has killed so many brave people, but because they are brown the West ignores them. Shame on us!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. It's Columbians, Mexicans etc who pay the price for Western addictions. We are hypocrites when we accuse them of being too hard or too soft in almost equal measure.
DeleteYou can't help but think the West is blind to the fact that if the drug users stopped all the misery in Mexico and elsewhere would cease.
ReplyDeleteSince I wrote this post, the situation has only got worse .... one has to hope that the penny will drop with the Western politicians that we can't carry on like this.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC are reporting that another Mexican Mayor, Ygnacio Lopez Mendoza, who controlled the small town of Santa Ana Maya in the western state of Michoacan was found shot to death last Thursday, he had been was tortured before being killed in his car.
ReplyDeleteStory Link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24875961
Their tentacles spread everywhere. The leader of the Colombia 'Urabenos' cartel, drug baron Palencia Gonzalez was arrested in Spain over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteThere are still very brave people in some of these countries but how many will step forward when the state is a 'narco' one?
ReplyDelete