On Monday, I published an article in The Daily Campus called, "We American drug market fuel international war on drugs." It linked the rampant drug culture in America (particularly the use of marijuana) to the cartel violence raging in Mexico. In the past day I have received numerous emails from various readers of The Daily Campus, most of which are not affiliated with SMU. All of the emails were concerned with the legalization of marijuana, which my article, in fact, never denounced nor promoted. [continues 665 words]
Let's Treat Alcohol As the Danger It Is and Make It Pay Its Way With Higher Taxes "Crack is wack." I heard many people repeat that phrase last week as they appraised the waste of Whitney Houston's later years and flashed back to her 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, when she uttered those immortal words. Sawyer wanted to know what Houston was on. Everyone wanted to know what Houston was on, and news reports after her death took unconfirmed inventory of the pills in her hotel suite, wondering if they represented the extent of her indulgences. [continues 576 words]
Good morning. My name is John Morton. I'm a colleague of Jaime Zapata's and Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The American poet William Wallace once wrote "Every man dies. Not every man really lives." We are here today, in this place, to honor a man who really lived - Jaime Jorge Zapata. A man who followed his father Amador into a career of law enforcement - a career not of riches but of service and sacrifice; a career of protecting people and their communities from criminals; a career of putting himself in harm's way for the benefit of others. [continues 796 words]
It is generally common knowledge that there is a drug war going on in Mexico. Cartels run rampant through the entire country, making unfathomable sums of money from the drug trade. None of these drug cartels would exist if there was not a market for the illicit substances they sell. We are their market. You see, America has a drug problem. No matter where you go, whether it is on the SMU campus or to the poorest neighborhoods in the United States, there will be drugs. It is as much a part of us as Ford, hamburgers or apple pie. [continues 430 words]
Four years ago SMU was rocked by the deaths of sophomore Jacob Stiles, freshman Jordan Crist and senior Meaghan Bosch due to drugs and alcohol. Amidst the sadness, many loudly criticized SMU's drug culture. It was this culture, they say, which contributed to the three deaths. "Drugs are woven into the Greek system and the social fabric of the university," Bosch's father, Joseph Bosch, said. Four years later, what has changed? It's true that SMU has become more involved in efforts to curb and prevent drug and alcohol abuse. The Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention delivered 30 recommendations to President R. Gerald Turner; 21 of those were accepted. Now the Task Force is called the Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention and Education. [continues 370 words]
How will the Obama administration respond to the shootings of two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Mexico? The Tuesday murder of one agent and the wounding of another puts the administration's feet to the fire as has no other incident so far in Mexico or along the border. The administration has skated on a number of incidents so far, including the murder of an Arizona rancher, the killing of a Border Patrol agent in Arizona, the shooting death of an American missionary, the shooting death of an American jet skier on Falcon Lake, the killings of two El Paso students in Juarez ... and who knows what we haven't even heard about. [continues 464 words]
If Phil Jordan were to travel to Mexico, he would do it under one condition: "If I could take a couple of U.S. Marines and Navy SEALs with me." He also likely would be armed. "Whether we want to admit it or not, there is a war going on in Mexico. It's a no man's land," Jordan said. A former director of the El Paso Intelligence Center, and formerly in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in Dallas with more than 30 years in law enforcement, Jordan made his comments in the wake of Tuesday's slaying of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Jorge Zapata. [continues 635 words]
The shootings of two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Mexico on Tuesday were tragic and heartbreaking. Agent Jaime Zapata, from Laredo, was killed. And El Paso-based Agent Victor Avila was wounded. The shootings hit close to home. Tragic? Heartbreaking? Yes. But not unexpected. This country is at war in Mexico, just as surely as the U.S. is at war in Afghanistan. And the tragedy of war is that there will be casualties. Most Americans know that there is a drug war going on in Mexico, but probably not many realize the depth of American involvement in that war. A number of U.S. law-enforcement agencies have a presence in Mexico, including ICE, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and no doubt others. Of necessity, much or most of their work is covert or at least low-profile. [continues 230 words]
An ICE agent from El Paso is being hailed as a hero after surviving an attack that killed another agent on a Mexican road earlier this week. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Victor Avila Jr. was released from a U.S. hospital Wednesday after being shot twice in the leg in the attack Tuesday that killed Special Agent Jaime Zapata in San Luis Potosi state. "As we mourn Special Agent Zapata's death, we also recognize Special Agent Avila's great heroism," said ICE Director John Morton. [continues 298 words]
Budget concerns mean crazy things for Texas. One of these crazy plans deals with releasing people from prison in order to save the state some money. "Texas lawmakers have been discussing the possibility of releasing more nonviolent prisoners early to help the state deal with a projected $15 billion budget shortfall," according to the Houston Chronicle. The implication of releasing non-violent prisoners is something that should be given a lot of thought. Depending upon how long of a sentence they have already served, some of these people may get parole and then immediately return to their criminal ways. Others whom have served sentences of various lengths may be unfit for society after their prison experience. [continues 349 words]
The U.S. will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Mexico in its fight against drug cartels in spite of the fatal attack Tuesday in Mexico in which one U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was killed and another from El Paso was wounded, officials and experts said Wednesday. Some, like University of Texas at El Paso professor Howard Campbell, also said it was no surprise the agents were attacked, and admitted he had been surprised it had not happened before. [continues 1026 words]
Execution-style killings, caskets carried by teenagers and bloodstained houses are every day scenes in Juarez. The shocking clips of drug-cartel violence ravaging the border city will hit the big screen Friday when "8 Murders a Day" premieres in El Paso, Las Cruces and Deming. "It just got too unbearable for me to see all these people getting killed," said Charlie Minn, the film's director and producer. "To me, this is not a war on drugs, it is a war on people." [continues 437 words]
Dear Editor, I am writing to you about the article by Jordan Smith in the Feb. 4 issue "The War on Talking About the Drug War" [News]. Why am I not surprised by the government's reaction to Border Patrol Agent Bryan Gonzalez's statement? When did having an opinion become grounds for dismissal? Let me say that I do not do drugs nor do I think they should be legal; however, I think anyone, no matter what the circumstance, should be allowed to have an opinion. [continues 210 words]
Janet, Janet, Janet ... Please don't come to El Paso and issue what is essentially a dare to Mexican drug cartels. "Don't even think about bringing your violence and tactics across this border," Janet Napolitano said Monday. "You will be met by an overwhelming response. And we're going to continue to work with our partners in Mexico to dismantle and defeat you." As I read her challenge, a Jim Croce tune started drifting through my mind, along with the words: [continues 474 words]
With all due respect, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is totally out of touch when it comes to Mexican drug cartels. On Monday, she visited El Paso and issued this overdue threat: "Don't even think about bringing your violence and tactics across this border." Madame Secretary, I regret to inform you, the violent Mexican drug cartels are already here! They're occupying our land, stealing our property and harming our citizens -- and U.S. border states have been warning you about this since you've been in office. [continues 413 words]
SAN MARCOS - The Kyle City Council earlier this week took the first step in banning the sale of synthetic marijuana products known as "K2" and "Spice." The council voted 6-1 on first reading to make the purchase, sale or use of salvia divinorum a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 . The council is planning a final vote at their next meeting. Kyle Council Member David Wilson said that while he expects K2 will become illegal everywhere soon, he didn't want to wait to keep it out of Kyle. [continues 377 words]
Now Juarez has a rift between two groups charged with keeping the peace -- the "good guys" in the long battle to rid Mexico of drug-cartels. A bodyguard for Juarez Mayor Hector Murguia was shot outside a residence where Murguia was having dinner last week. And four federal agents have been arrested -- to determine who pulled the trigger. The two sides, which are supposed to be on the same side, have conflicting stories. Thus we can understand why Murguia was scheduled to be in Mexico City on Friday to get some answers. [continues 260 words]
A Call for Ending the Violence CANUTILLO -- Frustrated and tired of the drug violence in Juarez, seniors at Canutillo High School took a stand Thursday. More than 300 students participated, decorating handprints attached to stakes. Every handprint had a message urging peace. The event was part of the school's "The Violence Stops Here" campaign, intended to bring more attention to the killings across the border. An estimated 7,500 people have died since in the drug war began in 2008. About 200 people have died this year, and more than 3,100 were killed in 2010. [continues 382 words]
Drugs have been in use for centuries by many people both in the arts and other phases of life. Persons who want to use drugs will find a source, sometimes not a reliable source that is common knowledge. Let's give them a controlled source and reap the benefits. During prohibition, the "rum runners" were no different from the "drug runners" of today. They all made millions at the expense of others. If we legalize drugs, we could tax it the way we tax cigarettes, wine and liquor. The tax money could be used to pay off our debt. Just think. [continues 67 words]
Inside Texas
