MEXICO HOLIDAY: JUAREZ NOT CELEBRATING TODAY

Mexico recognizes its 200th birthday today, and millions across the
country celebrated on Wednesday night and into this morning.

Unfortunately, in Ciudad Juarez, that wasn't the case. Citizens, by
and large, stayed inside their homes at the urging of local officials,
or they ventured into El Paso to celebrate at the Downtown San Jacinto
Plaza.

We were happy to have them.

However, the fact that Juarez did not stage its own celebration due to
the violence that continues on the city's streets raises questions
about the future of Juarez and Mexico.

Juarez college Prof. Victor Orozco calls this a victory for the
enemies.

Sadder still is that Orozco points out that Mexican citizens are not
clear on just who the enemies are. How deep into society are the
various drug cartels embedded? Government? Law enforcement? Business?

Said Orozco of this annual Mexican Independence Day -- Grito de
Independencia: "Our government was defeated. Our society was defeated."

Outgoing Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz made the right decision to
call off organized celebrating in the streets. More than 6,000 people
have been killed in the city since the Sinaloa cartel moved in to
fight the Juarez cartel for control of this area's drug-running
operations almost three years ago.

Since Mexican President Felipe Calderon sent his army and his
law-enforcement personnel against the drug cartels in 2006, more than
28,000 people have been killed.

Assassinations. Extortion. Kidnapping for ransom.

Theft. Offshoot criminal gang activities. No entity, not the local
police, state police or all the president's army men have been able to
stop drug-cartel rule. Reyes Ferriz said, "To an extent, we are
yielding to the criminal element."

To an extent?

This was to be a day of celebrating 200 years of independence and 100
years since the onset of the Mexican Revolution. Mexico has defeated
Spain and defeated a dictator. Now it must defeat the drug cartels.