Vote now: Do U.S. drug users contribute to Mexican drug violence?

In connection with Ken Ellingwood's two stories in today's Times about Mexico's escalating drug wars (see post below), we're asking readers to vote on a question that surfaces often in Mexico and Latin America:

Vote now and/or post a comment and tell us what you think.

-- Reed Johnson in Mexico City

Comments

[robinia]

Well if they legalized drugs like they legalized alcohol, maybe we wouldn't be in such a mess. Can you imagine going to the drug store and buying a pack of Marijuana Lights 100's? Or a mirror, a blade, small bottle of coke, a jar of cold cream and two bottles of aspirin?

Well, just like sex. You can't tell your teenagers not to have sex, because they will. So, you just have to educate them as best as possible. What angered me was my daughter sadly revealed that she was pregnant. I was calm and collected. I demanded to know who the father was. I was extremely angered when she didn't know for she was actively seeing three young men. I didn't raise her this way.

I looked on the bright side. At least she wasn't sleeping with four men. Thank goodness for that!

Drugs and Parenting. What can I say?

[dab]

The war on drugs was and is a complete failure, let's be honest. Substance use has also been found during every time period, in every culture on earth. So wake up, It's not going anywhere! Better regulations do need to be installed but pushing an anti-drug campaign is NOT the solution and it never has been-- it only creates more problems.

[Phil Shaw]

We have the beginning of narco-state right on our border and we Americans seem to be totally oblivious to the national security consequences to our own country once that happens. We are supplying the narcos with unlimited amounts of money by buying their drugs and sending them unlimited amounts of weapons - enough to outgun the Mexican police and military. Yet nobody in this country seems to be at all concerned about the national security aspects of this problem. We need to do all that is required to discourage illegal drug use - and criminal prosecution is not enough - there must be a wide spread public educational campaign that stresses both health and our national security. We must also stop the flow of weapons south.

[tedson]

During the prohibition of the twenties did the drinkers contribute to Al Capone's gang violence or was it the law itself? How much violence is there now in the alcohol business now that the government controls it? Wake up people! People are going to get high whether you like it or not.
Let's try to control it so we can help those affected by it.