Categorized | Featured, Queretaro

Spring Break in Mexico: Do the Math, Kids

Posted on 17 March 2009
Tags: crime, safety, spring break

A post by “Frank Koughan” | http://burrohall.blogspot.com Frank is the author of Burro Hall, and is a former CBS News 60 Minutes producer who has been living in Queretaro since 2006. To see more posts by this author, click here.

As the Iraq War enters its seventh year, I’ve been trying to imagine a world in which CIA director George Tenet, faced with deciding whether to recommend sending young American men and women into a dangerous foreign country, receives information from the State Dept. and, instead of disregarding it, accepts it as credible and recommends standing down from the mission.

As reported by the New York Times this week, this actually did happen. Unfortunately, it happened six years too late; the country was Mexico; the mission, spring break; and the young people at risk were Tenet’s college age son and his friends. And this time, it was State that was being unnecessarily alarmist.

Last month, the State Dept. issued a travel advisory for Mexico that was, by bureaucratic memo standards, rather breathless:

“Mexican drug cartels are engaged in an increasingly violent conflict – both among themselves and with Mexican security services – for control of narcotics trafficking routes along the U.S.-Mexico border…Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades.

Large firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico but most recently in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area…The situation in northern Mexico remains fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements cannot be predicted.”

The phrase “large fire fights” tends to have a cooling effect on the tourism trade, and sure enough, colleges across the US have started warning students against spending spring break in a “war zone.”

I have lived in Querétaro, Mexico, for two-and-a-half years. My city is about 450 miles from the nearest beach, and farther still from the nearest wet t-shirt contest, and so I don’t have any particular interest in persuading a swarm of horny teenagers to come survive for a week on tequila shooters. But America’s young people are being fed a lot of misinformation about their neighbor to the south, so I’m here to set the record straight. For the children.

There is indeed a great deal of senseless, drug-fueled violence happening in Mexico right now: over 5,000 people were killed last year, and this year the body count hit 1,000 in just 51 days. But the vast, vast majority of the dead were either involved in the drug trade themselves, or were part of the forces (Army/ police/ judges/ officials) who are fighting them. If you’re planning to spend spring break either working for a drug cartel or joining the Mexican Army, then by all means you should think twice about coming here.

Consumers of American media could easily get the impression that Mexico is a blood-soaked killing field, when in fact the bulk of the drug violence is happening near the border. (In fact, one way of putting this would be that Mexico is safe as long as you stay far, far away from the US.) If your spring break destination of choice is Juarez, Tijuana or Nuevo Laredo, I would humbly suggest that you’re both a degenerate and insane. You’ve got plenty of underage prostitutes right at home in America, and despite what you may have read there’s no such thing as a “donkey show” here. Tenet is right. Cancel your vacation or I’m giving your name to Interpol.

It’s hard to blame universities for issuing these dire warnings, since they have a responsibility to their students, and the fact of the matter is, Americans do get killed here. But in debating whether or not Mexico is dangerous, they’re asking themselves the wrong question. The issue is, is Mexico dangerous compared to the United States? We’ve been hearing for years how American kids are falling behind in math and statistics, so I’ll try to keep the following simple as I can.

According to the State Dept., 669 Americans died “non-natural deaths” in Mexico in the three years between Jan ‘05 and Dec ‘07, which accounts for 30% of “non-natural” American deaths around the world. Sounds scary, but then Mexico also accounts for 30% of the foreign trips taken by Americans, so what do you expect? Furthermore, we’re talking about 45 million American visits to Mexico, so while 669 deaths are a tragedy, they are not exactly a killing field. Based on these numbers, the survival rate for Americans in Mexico would appear to be 99.9986%

Breaking that State Dept’s numbers down a little further, though, we see that 58 percent (389) of these “non-natural deaths” were from accidents – car, plane, boat or “other.” Eighty-five Americans drowned here in this national full of beach resorts. Fifteen died of drug overdoses and 61 Americans – nine percent of the total – committed suicide! Admittedly, life here can be frustrating sometimes, but any tourist who kills himself here should, in all fairness, not be counted against Mexico total.

The number of Americans who decided Mexico would be a great place to kill themselves is nearly half the number of those who had that decision made for them. According to the State Dept, a grand total of 126 Americans were murdered in Mexico during those three years – just slightly less than the 45,000 killed north of the border during the same period. So while your chances of not dying here may be 99.9986%, your chances of not being murdered here are 99.9997%. Anyone who considers those to be dangerous odds would be advised not to spend spring break in Las Vegas, either.

Recently, the Houston Chronicle took a look at the numbers (covering four years, instead of State’s three) and came to a similar conclusion: that fewer than one-thousandth of one percent of American visitors to Mexico come back to Uncle Sam in a pine box. Actually, the way the Chronicle phrased it was, “Caught in the Chaos: More than 200 U.S. Citizens Killed in Mexico Since ‘04”.

So, y’know, one a week, which makes the country a lot safer than most US cities. But then the Chronicle goes on to note:

“The Chronicle analysis showed some American homicide victims were involved in organized crime. The dead include at least two dozen victims labeled hitmen, drug dealers, human smugglers or gang members, based on published investigators’ accusations. Others were drug users or wanted for crimes in the United States…in at least 70 other cases, U.S. citizens appear to have been killed while in Mexico for innocent reasons: visiting family, taking a vacation, or simply living or working there.”

In other words, of the “200 U.S Citizens Slain,” 130 of them simply didn’t draw their own weapons fast enough. So we’re really talking about seventy murders in four years, during which time Americans made 60 million visits to Mexico, which has a population of about 120 million. For the record, that’s ten percent fewer murders than took place in Houston, population 2 million, in the first three months of 2008:

“HPD officials say that the City of Houston has recorded the fewest numbers of murders for the first quarter of this year since 2005.

“The unofficial numbers show 78 murders were recorded through the first three months of this year.

“There were 88 murders for the same period in 2007. That’s an 11.3 percent decrease.”

In case it’s not clear, Houston officials were proud of this. And they should have been, because in 2007, Houston had the second-highest urban homicide rate in the country:

“In Houston, the number of murders increased to 379 last year from 334 in 2005, a jump officials blamed in part on hurricane evacuees.

“The homicide rate has been much higher in years past, especially the 1980s,’ HPD Capt. Dwayne Ready told the Chronicle in October.

“‘Even if the number … for 2006 hits 400 it’s not a bleak picture for Houston.’”

If 400 people get gunned down in Houston in one year, the Houston Police Dept. doesn’t think it’s a “bleak picture.” But seventy innocent Americans get killed in Mexico over the course of four years, and the former director of Central Intelligence is warning people to steer clear? Where was this sense of caution six years ago?

Mexico is a real country, kids, not some isolated beach resort. There’s crime here. People die here – mostly by accident, but some by murder. But the same is true of the United States. The state of Querétaro, where I live, is very small – a little over a million people – and at any given time there are about 50,000 Queretanos working in the United States. In 2007, forty-one of them were shipped home for burial by the Mexican embassy. Strangely, no one here ever tries to talk me out of returning home for a visit.

Share and Enjoy:

33 Comments For This Post

1. kwallek Says:
   March 18th, 2009 at 8:11 am It’s about the money and keeping it at home.
2. Danny J. Says:
   March 18th, 2009 at 3:04 pm I feel strongly that there is a secretive push going on. Not actually to keep American dollars at home, but rather to put more pressure on the Mexican government to get this drug related crime scene under control before it explodes into one big nightmare. Everyone knows just how very important the dollars (and jobs) generated from tourism is to the economy of Mexico. I think there is a hidden push to overstate the level of violence to create a sense of fear among those inclined to travel to Mexico in hopes that the lost dollars from tourism will be the catalyst to drive the Mexican government to squash this scurge into oblivion. Just my two cents
3. heatherinparadise Says:
   March 18th, 2009 at 5:51 pm I agree with Danny J. that there is some secretive push, but I’m not exactly sure I agree on the agenda. Putting pressure on Mexico to solve drug related issues that the US is at least half responsible for themselves? Why would they do that? Where are all these drugs going? Mexico and the US should be working together to solve the drug problem, as it is the problem of both countries.
4. Parker Says:
   March 19th, 2009 at 8:02 am Hm….a secretive push to change the drug situation in Mexico? Perhaps I’m old and jaded, but I’ll say that I don’t believe the US has ANY interest in changing ANYTHING in Mexico. There is a lot of lip service regarding clean up this and that, but the US certainly has never wanted an educated, affluent populace south of the border. It serves the US’s purposes to keep’em poor and fighting amontst themselves. In the thousands of times I’ve been to Mexico…and ALL over the country, not just the tourist spots…..I’ve never seen anything even close to drug related.
5. JRose Says:
   March 19th, 2009 at 10:32 am the problem is that there is a lot of demand of drugs in the US, in other words that country is full of people adicted to drugs, thats what makes this groups of druglords to want to have the control of the borders, the money that drug adiction generates.
6. Inside Mexico Says:
   March 22nd, 2009 at 2:08 am Great post!

   The truth is there is a lot of drug violence in Mexico, and this has increased in recent years with Calderon’s pledge to fight against the cartels, but it is not being directed at tourists, rather between the drug gangs and the police who are frequently being on the take from one drug gang and suffer the consequences of rivalrybetween gangs (or in certain cases are directly involved with the drug industry themselves).

   No one who lives here (in Mexico) and promotes Mexico as a great place to visit/live/work/retire to is kidding themselves that it’s all a bed of roses but at the same time the holiday destinations in Mexico (Cancun, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, Oaxaca, Riviera Maya etc)are not areas where non-participants in the drug war are being affected.

   I’ve lived in Mexico City now for four years and I can honestly say that I personally had far more run ins with violence and crime (mugings, my house being broken into) in my 5 years living in London.

   I guess what I’m saying is that you can still enjoy a fantastic holiday or year out or indeed life here in Mexico. There are problems but there are in all countries, and the UK and the US are certainly not with out fault themselves.

   With regards to the whole “failed state” issue, check out what Antony Garza, the ex US ambassador to MExico has to say on the subject: http://insidemex.com/news-opinion/oped/failed-state-former-ambassador-says-no

   P.S I also I agree with many of the above comments with regards to the timing of these statements. It’s no coincidence that the US is in a severe economic crisis. This seems like a vain attempt to prove that there are worse countries to live in right now…

7. Robb Anderson Says:
   March 22nd, 2009 at 8:14 pm Great article! Unfortunately, there is a very direct effort to steer consumers to spend at home during a down economy. There is a transcript of a very direct example of this on Sean Hannity show on Fox that was recounted on the March 14th entry on http://burrohall.blogspot.com/. Mexico has for once decided to try and clean up the boarder by stationing the military in key boarder cities. I loved the quote that you are safe in Mexico so long as you stay as far away as possible from the U.S. This is a joint problem on both sides of the boarder — a lot of the arms in the hands of drug cartels are purchased on the U.S. side of the border and of course we know where the drugs are going. It seems very underhanded to try and put pressure on the Mexican government by issuing misleading state department reports when they are putting forth an effort to change the situation.
8. Mexico Mike Says:
   March 23rd, 2009 at 9:44 pm Good work, Frank.

   Incredible! Great minds think alike. I recently used those same State Department statistics for an article on my web site. The Houston Police Department was a great quote. I’d used something from Los Angles or the FBI stats, I think.

   Also used them in a new book to be published in a few months on Mexican society. Ended up taking them out because I’d already proved my point by having 30 Mexican interviewees say the same thing.

   Contact me if you’d like to review my book – an honest and positive view about what it is like to be a Mexican. ‘Mexico’ Mike.

9. mari salmi Says:
   March 24th, 2009 at 10:47 am I live in Morelos and I just wanted to tell you thanks for writing this, I’m telling everyone I know to read it.
10. heliosmazmiguel Says:
    March 24th, 2009 at 12:02 pm Spring breakers have been redirected to Palm Spring…

    Please don’t explain, a few years ago they were chased out of Palm Spring.
    Amazing isn’t it?

11. Vane Zamudio Says:
    March 24th, 2009 at 2:31 pm Thank you so much for telling the truth about Mexico. It makes me feel very sad and upset when I hear people saying that Mexico is one of the most dangerous places in Earth. Evidently all these people have never live in Mexico, and their comments are completely out of place. Mexico is more than the border with U.S.A!!!
    In my opinion is easier to point to what is going on in other countries, that facing the problems that we have in the U.S. due to a lack of responsibility of many politicians and individuals.
    I hope many more people follow your example (especially foreigners that live in Mexico), and take the time to fight ignorance and open the eyes of others that evidently don’t know the truth.
    Thank you again for your time, and the courage to speak up your mind.
12. Frank Says:
    March 24th, 2009 at 2:46 pm You guys are making me blush. Thanks. (But please, send your spring breakers someplace other than Queretaro,okay?)

    F

13. Mercy Says:
    March 24th, 2009 at 9:41 pm I want to THANK you for the excellent article on this very important and pressing subject. Spring breakers average $60 dollars per student – and probably destroy more property and destroy the Americans image abroad more than the benefits of their vacation bring to Mexico. Yes, they are being encouraged to stay in the USA for spring break. I saw CBS news and Palms Springs doing backflips for the students to visit their city. I say – good riddance. Mexico deserves respectful tourists who appreciate the hospitality and service that Mexico has to offer those who visit. I know that many of the coastal cities depend on Spring breakers – and I am sorry that they are going through tough times. President Calderon is doing an excellent job in taking the drug cartels head on – but if the demand was not so BIG in the USA for drugs – and they did not send their ARMS and money laundering down here, things would also be different. I am confident that Clinton and Obama will help to straighten out all this mess – in the mean time – I hope that the MEDIA in the USA gets their information – and don’t resort to HYSTERIA like they have in the past.
    Great job and thank you. I will be passing your article on to many of us who live in Mexico, love Mexico and make our living in Mexico and consider it home.
14. Ellen Fields Says:
    March 25th, 2009 at 12:25 pm Fabulous, fabulous story… thank you for writing it!
15. Pedro Escalante y Núñez Says:
    March 30th, 2009 at 1:28 pm Springbreakers are traditionally young types that seek engagement in a libertine environment, horny and needing sexual services and the oppontunity to explore drug involvement devoid of the implied threat of law enforcement agencies. The U.S. government neglected the drug scene for countless years and now that armed conflicts around the world have turned highly unpopular Mexico and drug trafficking appear as a top priority apparently to distract the naive population up North from thorny issues. Let’s get real and somehow lessen drug addiction in the U.S. It is troublesome to observe U.S. Marines protecting poppy growers in the areas of armed conflict. Please clear that up, someone.
16. Alejandra Says:
    April 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pm Thank you for speaking out.
17. Karla Says:
    April 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 pm I really loved this website, as a Mexican living in the US it is very sad for me that a lot of people has a misconception of Mexico and I get tired of explaining it is not what they think, but it seems that they don’t believe me I have even said ok “you think” but ” I know” you have never been there how do you know? but anyway theri ignorance is their problem but it really hurts when some americans are very cruel and errogant, what is wrong? What makes them think they are better?

    Thank you again.. I am sharing this website with a couple of people..

18. Allena T Says:
    April 3rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm Saying “Don’t vacation in Mexico because of Juarez/Tijuana/Laredo” is like saying “Don’t vacation in the U.S. cause of Detroit/Houston/New Orleans.”

    Then again, screw ‘em– they just want cheap tequila off the backs of Mexico’s poorest. They don’t want real Mexico. More Michoacan for me.

    Want to see the best of Mexico? Start in Guadalajara, take a jaunt to Puerto Vallarta NOT IN SPRING BREAK SEASON, then drive to Morelia via the toll road. That’s the best parts!

19. Frank Says:
    April 3rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm Actually, Morelia can be kinda dangerous, and I got typhoid while visiting PV outside of Spring Break. Just sayin’. But I do love that toll road.
20. Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Says:
    April 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm Excellent take on a very silly media take on the real life situation here in Mexico.
21. Jim Cook Says:
    April 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 pm The next time someone expresses concern about the safety of traveling in Mexico, pass along the information below, a sample easily found on a Google search. All these shootings happened within less than a month, and four out of five were in the last 4 days. All are in widely separated locations around the US. Two were on supposedly safe college campuses. None happened in major cities, where holdups, muggings, and drive-by shootings are too numerous to be considered significant news. While Mexico has had numerous killings of drug cartel members and police (sometimes the same category), it is very rare to hear about anything like the mass, random killings which happen routinely in the US.

    Alabama shooting rampage–11 dead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3f3n6vkavI

    Gunman kills eight in US nursing home: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=794957

    Northern University Illinois shooting killed seven: http://www.theinsider.com/news/658228_Northern_University_Illinois_Shooting_Killed_Seven

    Thirteen dead in New York State shooting (41 held hostage): http://www.canada.com/news/world/dead+York+state+shooting/1461083/story.html

    Radford University on campus lockdown after shooting: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512338,00.html

    Ask your US friends: “How do you dare leave your home, living in a country like that?”

22. John de Waal Says:
    April 5th, 2009 at 2:58 pm Hi Frank:

    It would be nice if your piece could be read by everyone in the USA, students, parents and educators. I do not want to be so arrogant as to definitively point my finger at the underlying problem, but I have some thought on why the US is trying to depict Mexico as a place where it isn’t safe to be.
    As some other responders mentioned, it may be an assiduous plot to keep ‘the money’ within the US. It may also be the continuous flow of misinformation about Mexico that those of us south of the border have no problem identifying. It may be drugs, but we all know that these do not pose any problems within Mexico, only along the border with the US.
    As to the drug problem, it should be recognized that this is an artificial problem in that many people in the US have a lot at stake to keep this a problem, including politicians and law enforcement. They need this sproblem for their very jobs. The flow of drugs through Mexico is in fact made more difficult by the Mexican authorities, just to please uncle Sam that is still the largest factor in the Mexican economy. But Mexico cannot be blamed for the problem, not even for half of it. The problem is in the demand for drugs in the USA and by keeping drugs illegal, by the high prices this demand causes. If the US government would simply legalize drugs, perhaps control its flow through the medical profession, and thus take the profits away, this problem will cease to be a problem.
    As to the murders in Mexico, coming from Chicago where the headlines somewhere in November proclaim a large decrease in the murder rate there when the number of victims reach 1,000 in that month, rather tan in October, the whole thing is, as you point out, ludicrous. BUt enough already. I enjoyed the piece, but try to get it published in the US media.
    John

23. Ralph Harris Says:
    April 14th, 2009 at 2:39 pm I just returned from four days in beautiful Mexico, down close to Ciudad Victoria, not only did I return safely, I felt safe while down there. I agree with the article, if you aren’t in the Cartel, against the Cartel, or a member of a rival Cartel, you have nothing to worry about. On Saturday, the day before I left, I turned on the TV, to see that three policemen were gunned down in Pennsylvania, 13 were shot at an immigration center in New York, and others had been shot at a Nursing Home. I didn’t want to return to the United States, things were too violent. Much more so, than what I witnessed while in Mexico.
24. BajaBrent Says:
    April 14th, 2009 at 8:18 pm Excellent article, however, it still alludes that the “victims” might in fact, be tourists. I reside in Baja where there are 200,000 US citizens registered as full time residents. It is estimated that another 50-80K may be living in the free-zone, as unregistered. So up to 300K reside there. Other estimates claim up to 1 million US citizens reside in Mexico. I personally went throuught the Houston Chronicle database of the supposed 230 murder victims, I focused on the 90 alleged to be in Baja. 68 of the victims had no id to determine citizenship, residency, sex, age, etc. Many were found in TJ wrapped in blankets w/ hands/feet tied. There was NO EVIDENCE that any of these were either US citizens OR were in fact, murdered in Mexico (they coulda been murdered in San Diego and driven over and dumped—the perfect murder).

    As for the balance of victims, almost all were FULL TIME RESIDENTS, some of which were associated wi/ the drug trade. In the end 4-5 murder victims in Baja MIGHT have been tourist or visitors OVER 6 YEARS. But Baja also welcomes 6 million US tourists every year….DO THE MATH, you are far more likely being a murder victim in a mass killing spree in USA…

    Final comment, TJ, has its problems as well, but to paint ALL OF NORTHERN BAJA with the same wide brush is likewise disingenious. I live 40 miles south of TJ and 20 miles south of Rosarito Beach, the latter of which has endured the same punishment…its not Iraq here either

    well done Sr. Queretaro

    bajabrent

25. Cathy “Amerimex” Says:
    April 21st, 2009 at 7:28 pm Thanks Frank for an incredible article.
    Our Firm sells properties in Puerto Vallarta, Litibu, Punta de Mita, Mazatlan, and Rivera Maya. Our statistics show Millions of Baby Boomers leaving the U.S. in the next several years. They are tired of high costs, lay offs, taxes, bail outs, foreclosures, and their money being worth very little.

    Many of those people have already purchased, vacation, live part time,or have retired to Mexico. There money is worth 35% more in Mexico. Since they lost much of their retirement. Only makes sense to move somewhere their money can buy more.
    The U.S. knows they will lose Millions of $$$ when these people move.
    My opinion is they are trying to deter people from leaving the states by causing them to fear Mexico.

    Moved from Florida to PV a year ago and have never felt safer even when I am walking alone at night. Have traveled though out Mexico and have never had a problem, even though I speak very little Spanish. In fact, think most people will agree the Mexican people are friendlier and more accominating.

    Hope everyone comes to visit, and see for themselves. Don’t need to speak Spanish and you can drink the water!

26. coto Says:
    April 21st, 2009 at 10:42 pm It’s indeed a great post, I live in Tijuana, and what i’ve seen and lived, most U.S citizens just come here to one big street in downtown, where drugs are available to all and CHEAP, and just get drunk, later on return home safely… The problem as you say is that many of them are into drug dealing. Name one place? Ensenada LOT of drug going in there, Mexican police is corrupted, few cops remain in the law’s side, while most of them are into cartel’s service. Some of my neighbours have narco-partys I mean cops and very high drug capos drinking side by side, hearing that horrible music, and talking about their miserable life and money. Perhaps many of you guys haven’t read about this fact, for all U.S. citizens living in tijuana to note this you just have to listen to the “music” lyrics in a party and you’ll know when a narcoparty is going on.

    Military guys are different, regulars are not bribed nor corrupted, neither sargents officers etc. But they all submit to Mr. President who is friend of Genaro Luna, with several acussations of drug dealing(you can read this in proceso magazine, the only remaining serious publication about the REAL situation on the drug bussiness), and covering drug capos, military guys really want to bust this garbage out, but they just simply aren’t allowed to…
    That’s why when you read about a “drug operative” most of them are military convoys that detect some suspicious vehicle (by its horrible music, and the finese of their clothes) and start the shooting, because most citizens know where drug capos hide, but they wouldn’t tell the military because of fear… fear of being executed by cartels. Cops know, citizens know where drug capos reside, they aren’t going to tell, but military doesn’t know that’s the bad thing. Is a very dangerous time, with money, and politics going around. I’ll be glad to read your comments about this. What do you think?

27. Comfy & Comfortable in Dallas Says:
    May 21st, 2009 at 9:41 pm Hey all,
    Ok, so my company has offered me a “package” for a job in queretaro, mexico for a year (aerospace industry). I’m 24, born and raised in texas, college in texas… I’ve been thinking about it intently and have pretty much decided that I want to go. I have some concerns, some serious concerns…but everything i read on the internet seems pretty positive???
28. W Says:
    August 20th, 2009 at 6:54 pm Some of your statistics are misleading. You cannot remove the “thugs” from the number of deaths, but still count them as visitors in the denominator to your survival calculation. You’re clearly trying to show the relative safety of Mexico by showing how unlikely it is to be murdered if visiting purely for innocent tourism. However, its not as meaningful as you suggest unless you can count that as a percentage of how many Americans traveled to Mexico for innocent tourism during that period. Clearly, if you were able to do that, the survival rate would be lower. I don’t know if it would be significantly lower, but it would certainly be lower.
29. Frank Says:
    August 20th, 2009 at 7:16 pm Thanks, W. This is what happens when English majors try to do math.

    So, when we factor back in the 130 “thugs,” we get 200 deaths (rather than 70) per 60 million visitors, for a survival rate of just 99.9997 percent.

    I’m sorry if I gave the impression that Mexico was not dangerous.

30. trina o Says:
    October 29th, 2009 at 11:01 pm I am wanting to move to Queretaro with my four children. However, I am affraid because of the crime and killing in some cities. Would someone please give me the truth about places like Tequisquiapan.
31. Mexican Says:
    December 17th, 2009 at 3:38 pm Kudos for the article! Thanks for telling it like it is!
32. eddieMex Says:
    January 8th, 2010 at 3:59 pm Great article I just happened to stumble upon… There is a great fear of traveling to Mexico right now. It really depends on where you are going. But I must state that I feel for the people who unfortunately happen to find tragedy down in Mexico.
33. KimG Says:
    January 24th, 2010 at 10:53 pm American bureaucrats aren’t very good at doing the math in any case. Take 9/11 for example. About 3,300 people died in that sad and tragic incident. But we’ve now lost more Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan than died on 9/11, and the numbers are still going up. And don’t even begin to count the poor Iraqis who’ve died. I guess God doesn’t value their lives as highly as ours.

    Take the example of airline security. Surely we could save more lives more cheaply than doing all of those excessive airport screenings.

    And what about that most risky and all-American activity, driving? Almost everyone does that, even though it’s one of the most dangerous things you can do. And no one warns against that as a matter of course.

    So no. American public policy is not directed by any rational analysis of the numbers. It is run to create as much public theatre as possible.

    Saludos,

    Kim G
    Boston, MA

5 Trackbacks For This Post

1. Spring Break in Mexico: Do the Math, Kids | The Truth About Mexico : Travipath Says:
   March 18th, 2009 at 11:36 pm [...] Read more from the original source: Spring Break in Mexico: Do the Math, Kids | The Truth About Mexico [...]
2. Is it safe to vacation in Mazatlan? » Mazatlan Hotels Says:
   March 23rd, 2009 at 5:40 pm [...] death, etc.), and about a 0.0003% chance of being murdered while you’re here (based on an excellent article that analyzes the relevant statistics for tourist safety in Mexico). As the article points out, that’s better odds than living in most large cities in the [...]
3. Resort Rentals International : Affordable Vacation Rentals, Cruises, Last Minute Travel Deals Says:
   March 24th, 2009 at 10:06 pm [...] contributors admit there is violence in Mexico but in the post “Spring Break in Mexico: Do the Math Kids” by Frank Koughan, former 60 Minutes producer and author of the blog “Burro Hall,” he [...]
4. Is Mexico Safe? | The Truth About Mexico Says:
   March 25th, 2009 at 11:19 am [...] Koughan’s excellent report and data analysis previously posted on this site already provides the facts of the matter, so [...]
5. Yucatan Living – Tranquilo in Yucatan Says:
   March 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pm [...] Want to know more? Read this fabulous article by a former television producer who now makes his home in Queretaro. [...]

Leave a Reply