This Weekends News

Yesterday was a pretty intense day filled with lots of emotions as it was reported that a Congresswoman had been shot in the head while holding a public speaking event, 6 people were pronounced dead, and more than a dozen injured.  http://abcnews.go.com/US/jared-loughner-alleged-tucson-shooting-gunman-appears-court/story?id=12580344.  Among the dead were a 9 year old little girl, who was interested in learning more about politics after being elected to her schools student council.  And another victim was a Federal Judge.  I was shocked, literally.  I happen to be surfing the news on the Internet, like I do every day when I wake up, and when I first saw the breaking news headline, my immediate reaction was WTH is going on???  What is America coming too??  I follow politics more than the average person, so immediately my brain knew this incident was not random...it was clear to me pretty much right off the bat it was politically motivated.  And if you keep up with the news and politics at all, you know that we are currently in one of the most heated and divided times politically in the history of our country.  Since the election of the current POTUS, Mr, Obama, the country has split and the hate and fear are at an all time high.  The threats and attacks are brutal and relentless.  And after the shootings, of course, it didn't take long for the blame game to begin.  All sides having to point fingers, call out others, and of course go on the defensive.  I have my own point of view on it all, but I don't want to get into that here.  What I wanted to express more than my thoughts and opinion's on the shooting, are my FEELINGS on the shooting.  I felt taken aback, one person said it was like having your breath taken away (only not in a good way).  I felt sadness, anger, confusion, outrage, disgust.  Above all I just really couldn't believe it was happening.  Haven't we learned??  HOW and WHY did we let it get to this point???  Violence is never an option in my opinion, so when it happens it's hard for me to accept.

Then came today, and the news headlines are still all about the shooting in Arizona and how the violent, hate filled rhetoric has to stop.  I am still taking it all in.  But then through literally hundreds of posts, articles, and videos of coverage on the shooting in Arizona, I happen to notice a different headline that caught my attention and got me thinking.  This article reporting on the violence and the Drug War in Mexico (specifically Acapulco), stated that more than 30 people were brutally killed over the weekend, 15 of them being decapitated.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2011/01/acapulco-drug-violence-sinaloa-beltran-leyva-gangs.html  Only this time, my reaction wasn't WTH???  I wasn't shocked, outraged, or really sad at all.  I guess I kind of brushed it off, like oh well just another day in Mexico.  It took a little bit, and then I found myself questioning my own feelings and reactions.  HOW and WHY could I have such a different reaction to the two headlines, that both held a general theme of death and violence.  I re-read the article on the War going on in Acapulco, and the deaths, and really it's quite disturbing.  So why would one story affect me so greatly, and another similar story not??  I realize they are two different countries, and two different issues underlying the violent attacks, but nonetheless they both are horribly sad, and disturbing. 

It makes me wonder if one can become numb to the violence around them, blind to it in sense. I think so.  What is going on when the violence around us is so common, that we don't even shrug our shoulders at the news of 15 decapitated heads??  How has it gotten to be okay, that violence IS the norm???  I guess perhaps that is why my reaction to the Arizona shootings was so different that the deaths in Acapulco...violent acts in the United States are not too common.  Here in Mexico stories of decapitated bodies, shoot-outs, and kidnappings happen on a weekly, or sadly even a daily basis.  So have I become numb to it??  I don't even watch Mexican television, so I am sure there are plenty of horrible stories and coverage I miss seeing. 

Just a month ago in my own neighborhood, blocks from my house a man was brutally murdered by drug dealers.  He was about my age, the father of a young baby, and extremely hard working.  He ran his own business, just a small spot on the street he set up every day to hand wash and detail cars.  He was there every single day working his butt off from morning till dark.  I often watched him, and wondered about his life.  No one knows for sure why he was killed either he owed the drug dealers money, or they targeted him for his money.  Now his spot on the street has been taken up by another person trying to make a living and survive. No justice will be served, the police haven't done anything.  I found it weird that no one in the community really did anything either, raised awareness or even just held a vigil for the guy.  It was just like he was gone and that was it.  Blue tries to explain to me that you cannot do anything because then you will piss off the drug dealers and you could become a target.  So do the people that are around it everyday, and have it on in front of them everyday on television become un-affected by it eventually??  Do they give up hope and accept the violence??  These are just questions I have been pondering and thinking about all day, and it makes me kind of sad. 

I hope for the case in Arizona, it serves as a huge wake up call, and that the violent and hate filled rhetoric can be toned down, and a more responsible, civil approach can have a fresh start.  I hope that people realize words have meaning, and people take words to heart, are inspired by them, people are listening, and this is why it is SO important to stay positive and be responsible in your speech.  I hope that somehow good can come out of the shooting in Arizona, and peace can prevail.  And for Mexico, I also hope peace will prevail. The situation here with the Cartel Wars is beyond huge, out of control, and devastating this country.  For now, in my part, all I can do is pray.  Pray for the victims and their families, and for both countries.  It can't stay this way forever, there has to be, and will be a turning point.  May it come quickly and may people suffer the least amount of suffering possible.