VIOLENCE ESCALATES

Criminal syndicates battle to control the trade in an illegal
substance, with grisly slayings of rivals and innocent people caught
in the crossfire. When authorities go after them, the blood flows.

The violent drama is set in Mexico right now. But the tale itself is
familiar. It played out in the United States in the 1920s, when the
feds were chasing booze-running gangsters.

Today's drug war has taken a troubling twist for Arizonans. The State
Department for the first time included Nogales in a travel alert about
border cities that have had daytime shootouts. Click Here

History offers some valuable perspective:

. The danger rises when police finally crack down. Now that bribes
aren't keeping the cops off their backs (although corruption is still
a problem), Mexico's drug cartels are turning to murder and
intimidation. Police can also spark internecine battles when they
weaken or split a drug cartel - there's new turf to fight over.

. Demand drives crime. The end of Prohibition closed one chapter of
mob violence in the United States. The United States must find more
effective ways to reduce drug use and do a far better job of providing
treatment.

Arizonans should also keep the news about Nogales in
perspective.

The State Department is urging caution, but it isn't telling travelers
to avoid border cities.