My Word is My Weapon

Thanks to an email from a reader, I fixed the BAD ...

2011-08-30T15:29:33.063-05:00

Thanks to an email from a reader, I fixed the BAD typo at the end. It was never supposed to be "dead Marcos," it was "DEAR Marcos."

Muy bien...buenas fotos!

2011-07-16T13:32:31.834-05:00

Muy bien...buenas fotos!

Ahh.. Its so sad to hear waht happen in Juarez.. I...

2011-06-22T01:56:16.471-05:00

Ahh.. Its so sad to hear waht happen in Juarez.. I mean the Police is like Criminals too..
Murders of women in Ciudad Juárez <--- The police dont care about the Womens and i hope that this people come on the road again and dont do shit like rape Womens...
I really hope this world will change theire mind...

The man that is mentioned in this interview, who w...

2011-06-12T01:32:23.552-05:00

The man that is mentioned in this interview, who was kidnapped "a few days ago" and they "haven't seen him since," he was found dead yesterday (Friday) and buried today (Saturday).

Who says you can't teach and old dog new trick...

2011-05-08T10:44:07.466-05:00

Who says you can't teach and old dog new tricks! I've been reading your articles here for several months, and had never noticed the ''comment'' button here until you pointed it out for me! Keep up the good fight, and thank you for keeping us so well informed! Fred

He sounds like a hero in my book. It takes real gu...

2011-04-28T00:57:27.527-05:00

He sounds like a hero in my book. It takes real guts to do what he did. We can only hope it wasn't in vain.

Hi Kristin, BlogFront.org is committed to uphold...

2011-04-01T02:01:10.979-06:00

Hi Kristin,

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Maria Blanchard
BlogFront.org
Blog Revolucion

KB your story makes the absolute point that these ...

2011-03-09T06:04:13.169-06:00

KB your story makes the absolute point that these atrocities need names and faces to call out the International community and the obligation to bring aid to the people, the innocent murdered.
Please post this to the global news agencies and human rights groups. I will try to do the same.

Aristegui was reinstated after the letter was publ...

2011-03-05T21:09:53.176-06:00

Aristegui was reinstated after the letter was published and after I published the translation, so not updating an old post will go down as one of my more minor failures. Thank you for pointing that out.

You failed to update and note that Carmen Aristegu...

2011-03-05T14:52:00.752-06:00

You failed to update and note that Carmen Aristegui was later reinstated.

Good job covering the crimes against humanity in j...

2010-12-26T21:25:43.054-06:00

Good job covering the crimes against humanity in juarez.The cartel and the corruption in mexico is the mexican federal government itself.It's strange how the mexican government blames the cartel for all the problems in Juarez.I don't buy that at all.The problem in Juarez and mexico is not the cartel, it's the Mexican Government.I'ts the job of the mexican government to protect the citizens in mexico and they have failed like always.Years of the Mexican goverment corruption has led to chaos in mexico and in ciudad,juarez.Thousands of mexican people leave and cross over to the United states of America to find work, in which the mexican Government fails to provide for the Mexican people.The United States of America turns its back on the Mexican Government Corruption which has been in power for many years.People in Mexico seek work,shelter,medical and wealth and all means of survival which are not being giving by the Mexican Government.The Mexican Goverment needs to stop blaming the cartel for the problems in Juarez,Mexico.It's the Mexican Government that has failed for many years and has been suppressing the citizens of mexico.

Sure hope you're keeping your head down. Great...

2010-12-18T17:27:51.929-06:00

Sure hope you're keeping your head down. Great Reporting!

What a travesty. Thank you so much for being a wit...

2010-10-15T14:39:12.561-05:00

What a travesty. Thank you so much for being a witness to this injustice. Hoping and praying for justice for the Triqui and all indigenous peoples.

Oaxaca is definitely one of Mexico's most awes...

2010-10-01T11:50:34.940-05:00

Oaxaca is definitely one of Mexico's most awesome states, so you're right, Joan, it's terrible that it's also one of the poorest and most corrupt. If it weren't for everything you mention--the people, the culture, the art, the food--Oaxaca would be just one big tragedy of errors.

Thank you Kristin for the good reports on Oaxaca. ...

2010-10-01T11:42:15.302-05:00

Thank you Kristin for the good reports on Oaxaca. If I didn't know that the corruption and lawlessness was true, this would read like fiction. I love the people, culture, art and gastronomy of Oaxaca and it breaks my heart to see them abused and disrespected.

Joan

Thank you, trusty gun fact checker. So here'...

2010-09-03T00:42:11.096-05:00

Thank you, trusty gun fact checker.

So here's the Mexican context behind the confusion over what gun was found in Proctor's car. There's a term in Spanish that's called the "cuerno de chivo." Roughly translated, it means "anything that looks roughly like an AK-47" and is also synonymous with "AK-47." I've seen AR-15s incorrectly referred to as AK-47s and cuernos de chivo, even in official government reports. That said, all news reports (including US ones, which tend to get their gun details right a little more often than their Mexican counterparts) say the weapon recovered from his vehicle was an AR-15. The girlfriend was just confused because of the lack of differentiation in Mexico between an AR-15 and an AK-47. That lack of differentiation also threw me for a loop. I've been told (by Mexicans) that the AR-15 was the gringos' response to the AK-47, since, like you say, the AK-47 was made by commies and thus a little taboo.

Apparently the Mexican military uses neither the AR-15 nor the M-16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Army It's the police that use the AR-15. I've seen AR-15s on federal police and some state police.

Either way, Mexico is swimming with AR-15s, which are definitely NOT legal for civilian use here. In Guerrero in particular, I'm sure a significant portion of that state's population either owns an AR-15 or knows exactly where to get one in a pinch.

Phew, someone needs to give me some gun flash cards for my birthday.

The AR-15 is the civilian version of the M-16 mili...

2010-09-02T23:48:56.008-05:00

The AR-15 is the civilian version of the M-16 military rifle. Both are US made. The AK-47 is a communist bloc weapon. Both the AR-15 and the AK-47 are available to the US civilian market. However, the M-16 is reserved for military use; including the Mexican military. So did he have an AR-15, AK-47 or did the Mexican military plant one of THEIR M-16s on him?

Talk about blaming the messenger. That was a tran...

2010-09-02T13:00:20.981-05:00

Talk about blaming the messenger. That was a translation. Of a story written by a Mexican. From Proceso, one of Mexico's most respected magazines.

No one is defending drug cartels' behavior--not me, and not the author of this article. What people criticize is Calderon's response to the problem. A poll came out today--the day Calderon hands over his state of the nation report--that says that 8 out of 10 Mexicans believe that the security situation has gotten worse since Calderón took office in 2006.

Check the blog archives--I post articles criticizing the US Border Patrol and US immigration policies, too.

If human rights are only for the righteous, does that mean that little Martín and Bryan weren't righteous? Did they not share their toys, and is that why the military shot them as their parents were carrying them, running for cover from unprovoked fire? What about the two Tec students? Did they play hookie or neglect their homework? Is that why the military shot them and planted weapons on them?

Nice English, by the way. I'm sure you didn't learn that in public school.

What about organized crime abuses?? You write as i...

2010-09-02T10:33:35.254-05:00

What about organized crime abuses??
You write as if you had lived in Reynosa, Tijuana, Monterrey or Michoacan. Have you ever witnessed a shoot out in the middle of an avenue, have felt the fear for your son's life when they (organized crime "Zetas") try to kidnap primary students by the force, causing a shoot out in the very entrance of the school??
Those it seem to you as an abuse to torture and then dismember a body so it can fit into a bowl full of acid so there is no evidence left?
Or maybe kill 72 immigrants just because they don't want to become hit mans for the Zetas -organized crime- Oh, sorry I forget your border police patrol does the same... anyway we're talking about the abuses in Mexico right.
I bet you haven't been to Mexico by other reason different than Spring break.
Don't get me wrong I don't justify the military actions (presumably abuses or mistakes) but you do realize that by translating it and spreading this image you're giving power to the Zetas, which the last time I checked had no moral or respect for life, I mean there is no organization behind them watching their actions and punishing for them.
The military is doing the best to exterminate a parasite that is destroying Mexico and your promoting the "protection" of the organized crimes by alluding abuses.

As I friend once said:
"Los derechos humanos son para los humanos derechos" a raw translation would be:
"Human rights are for righteous humans"

$113 billion is spent on marijuana every year in t...

2010-09-01T05:12:48.872-05:00

$113 billion is spent on marijuana every year in the U.S., and because of the federal prohibition *every* dollar of it goes straight into the hands of criminals. Far from preventing people from using marijuana, the prohibition instead creates zero legal supply amid massive and unrelenting demand.

According to the ONDCP, at least sixty percent of Mexican drug cartel money comes from selling marijuana in the U.S., they protect this revenue by brutally torturing, murdering and dismembering countless innocent people.

If we can STOP people using marijuana then we need to do so NOW, but if we can't then we need to legalize the production and sale of marijuana to adults with after-tax prices set too low for the cartels to match. One way or the other, we have to force the cartels out of the marijuana market and eliminate their highly lucrative marijuana incomes - no business can withstand the loss of sixty percent of its revenue!

To date, the cartels have amassed more than 100,000 "foot soldiers" and operate in 230 U.S. cities, and the longer they're allowed to exploit the prohibition the more powerful they'll get and the more our own personal security will be put in jeopardy.

Thank you.

2010-09-01T01:39:17.210-05:00

Thank you.

Yes. Here is a Spanish translation: http://mipala...

2010-08-31T15:28:05.937-05:00

Yes. Here is a Spanish translation: http://mipalabraesmiarma.blogspot.com/2010/08/las-mujeres-triqui-en-la-primera-linea.html

I'll begin to post Spanish translations of all or most of my articles here: http://mipalabraesmiarma.blogspot.com . I don't have the Spanish site completely set up yet, so I haven't officially "launched" it yet, but it's in the works, and in the meantime, Spanish versions of articles will be available there.

hi kristen, amazing article. is there a spanish l...

2010-08-31T14:43:08.726-05:00

hi kristen,

amazing article. is there a spanish language version that i can send to my comrades in mexico?

thank you.

Nice job of covering this event. Personaly I feel ...

2010-08-21T23:43:43.774-05:00

Nice job of covering this event. Personaly I feel this event is a fair picture of things to come throught out Mexico, as the people grow more aware as to just how coroupt their government really is.

great piece. because Obama is currently arming th...

2010-08-01T10:59:33.854-05:00

great piece.

because Obama is currently arming the Mexican government, it would be interesting to ask the State Department for its response to these events in which the "government's preferential treatment of the paramilitaries is unmistakable"