U.S. MUST ACKNOWLEDGE ROLE IN MEXICAN VIOLENCE

Today's Topic: Drugs, Guns Flow In Cartel War

While authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border wring their
hands over complicated ways of quelling the violence among Mexican
drug cartels, some of the factors in the issue are not complicated at
all.

What is the violence about? Money. What is the money for? Drugs. Where
is the demand for drugs? The United States. How is the violence
committed? Guns. Where are the guns coming from? The United States.

The horrific deaths may be occurring in Mexico, but the United States
is playing a very integral role in the conflict. Thus far, most of the
violence has been among the drug runners, like the old gangland adage
that they only kill each other, not the general public.

But since 2006, more than 6,300 people have died from the intense
unrest. There have been reports that the violence is spilling over
into the United States, but a congressional committee heard this week
that those reports are largely exaggerated.

But that still means thousands of people are being killed, and it
means steps are necessary to solve the problem of drug wars in Mexico
near the United States border. It's not just some humanitarian issue
for this country. The United States is responsible for the demand for
the drugs, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly acknowledged
recently.

The U.S. also is supplying the weapons that are being smuggled into
Mexico, and they are often the kinds of assault weapons that were part
of a ban that expired in 2004. Drug thugs do like those assault
rifles, which are described as military grade. So the United States
cannot simply say it's Mexico's problem and let Mexico deal with it.

This country has a large degree of responsibility for the
bloodshed.

The Obama administration has announced plans to send more resources to
the border. President Obama is expected to visit Mexico April 16,
where presumably the border problems will be discussed.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has asked for 1,000 National Guard troops to
be put at the border. Thousands of Mexican soldiers are on the other
side of the border. The El Paso district attorney, Jaime Esparza,
insists that the U.S. side of the border is safe. (2 of 2)

Whenever anyone suggests assault weapons should be banned there is a
cry from the National Rifle Association that it means the government
wants to take everyone's guns away, and the problem is a lot of people
buy into that argument. Advertisement

Gun proponents are far better at injecting fear that Second Amendment
rights will be taken away than they are at explaining exactly why
assault weapons are needed in the hands of American citizens.
Solutions to the violence in Mexico will be difficult to come by, but
one piece that might very well help is to subtract assault weapons
from the picture. The ban on 19 types of semiautomatic weapons that
expired in 2004 should be revived.

Addressing the gun smuggling alone will probably not end the violence
in the Mexican drug wars. But the debate over guns might help draw
into focus the fact that the United States must come to grips with its
culpability in the violence. It's just not good enough to say it's bad
guys killing each other. Thousands of lives are worth saving.

Ignoring the problem is not a solution. There is, after all, a border
between what is right and what is wrong.

Whenever anyone suggests assault weapons should be banned there is a
cry from the National Rifle Association that it means the government
wants to take everyone's guns away, and the problem is a lot of people
buy into that argument.

Gun proponents are far better at injecting fear that Second Amendment
rights will be taken away than they are at explaining exactly why
assault weapons are needed in the hands of American citizens.
Solutions to the violence in Mexico will be difficult to come by, but
one piece that might very well help is to subtract assault weapons
from the picture. The ban on 19 types of semiautomatic weapons that
expired in 2004 should be revived.

Addressing the gun smuggling alone will probably not end the violence
in the Mexican drug wars. But the debate over guns might help draw
into focus the fact that the United States must come to grips with its
culpability in the violence. It's just not good enough to say it's bad
guys killing each other. Thousands of lives are worth saving.

Ignoring the problem is not a solution. There is, after all, a border
between what is right and what is wrong.