Mexicans Retake Their Town

In a spectacular, but not surprising, turn of events many citizens of the town of Ascension, just south of the New Mexico border, took justice into their own hands.  Police had just arrested two kidnapping suspects when they were surrounded by large number of local citizens demanding the police "kill" the suspects.  The officers placed the two men an a patrol vehicle and took shelter there themselves, but were unable to leave the area due to the crowd.  A helicopter bringing military help was not able to land after other people congregated under it.  Ultimately the two suspects died in the heat of the patrol car.  But the news reporter noted that many of the people had broken fingers and hands beating these suspects, and that the suspects were bloody and weak-looking when they were first placed in the police car.

As it turns out, the above incident is just one of many that have taken place over the past few months but have gone largely unreported in the United States.  More stories like this have been covered in the British, Irish, and even Australian press.  The citizens of several Mexican cities have created sophisticated systems of town protection such as armed groups assigned to certain blocks, and others assigned to create road blocks as soon as a kidnapping or other crime is reported.  Some incidents have included severed heads left in prominent locations, and notes with the heads warning the DRUG CARTELS "this is what happens to those who kill women and children."  One person told reporters that the security committees were not out to interfere with the drug trade, which is none of their business, but only to stop the gang members from terrorizing citizens, extorting from businesses, and kidnapping and killing local residents.

The return to vigilantism was probably inevitable since legal authorities were either helpless to do anything or were part of the cartels.  Unfortunately, while the intention of the security committees were noble, the reality is that some of the vigilantes have begun a program of "social cleansing" meaning that people perceived as "criminals," whether associated with the cartels or not, have been harassed, forced to leave their homes, or even "lynched" by the vigilantes.  Victims of this social cleansing include pickpockets, burglars, and other petty criminals who have nothing to do with the drug cartels.

From the outside looking in, it is very easy to understand the feelings of the people.  There is no sense of security and trust for the police and military, and the weekly, even daily atrocities of the drug cartels go unabated.  No wonder citizens have taken the initiative to protect themselves and their property.  It appears on the whole that these people are not concerned with "winning the war on drugs" but just want to be left alone to live their lives in peace and (relative) security, the same things you and I desire here in the United States.  It is unfortunate that some of the actions of these vigilantes have gone beyond self-protection, but I for one applaud their initiative and their bravery in taking action to protect themselves.  Remember, even the legal authorities we know and respect are only "legal authorities" because "we the people" have set these authorities in place.

May God bless the Mexican people and keep the innocent safe as this terrible war goes on.