Thread: Mexico is far safer than many US cities and PR, but you may

If these reasons aren’t enough to justify skipping Mexico this year, there’s always this old standby: You still can’t drink the water.

Mexico is far safer than many US cities and PR, but you may want to stay home for political reasons

By Online: David A. Ridenour
Tuesday, May 3, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Don’t let the drug-related violence keep you from travelling to Mexico. There are plenty more compelling reasons to skip Mexico this year.

The murder of a U.S. immigration agent, the killing of an American jet-skier, and the seemingly constant stream of stories of drug-relating beheadings and kidnappings have led many Americans to believe that violence is rampant throughout Mexico.

But this simply isn’t the case: Most of the violence in Mexico is limited to northern border towns such as Juarez, Nogales and Tijuana.

Although Mexico’s homicide rate is about double that of the United States — 12 murders per 100,000 compared to under six here — this number is still about half the rate of the rest of Latin America and less than many urban areas in America.

Last year, for example, New Orleans, a city with a population of just 336,400, had 105 homicides, or 31 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In Detroit, there were 202 homicides in 2009, about 21 per 100,000. Puerto Rico, with a population of just four million, had nearly 900 murders in 2009, a rate comparable to Detroit’s in 2002.

Yet, no one says you shouldn’t travel to New Orleans, Detroit or to Puerto Rico because of violence.

For Americans living in these areas, some quiet time in relatively peaceful Mexico might be just the ticket for soothing those frayed nerves.

So should we pack our bags and head to Mexico for our spring vacations? No, there are very good reasons to spend your vacation dollars elsewhere.

First, Mexico’s immigration laws unfairly discriminate against American citizens. To work legally in Mexico, U.S. citizens must demonstrate they possess special skills that Mexican nationals do not; provide evidence that they meet minimum income requirements; submit recommendations from Mexican nationals attesting to their upstanding character; and pay filing fees.

Americans aren’t allowed to — as some “undocumented workersâ€

I have cancelled many groups to mexico, as well as vacations. I don't recommend travel to mexico for any reason and it's better to spend money here.

There are other resort areas Americans can go to, without having to deal with such a corrupt and inept government.

There is absolutely NO reason for mexicans who live near the northern border to make a run for our border in the name of "safety", they can go further south. It's a big country, after all.

Originally Posted by miguelina

I have cancelled many groups to mexico, as well as vacations. I don't recommend travel to mexico for any reason and it's better to spend money here.

There are other resort areas Americans can go to, without having to deal with such a corrupt and inept government.

There is absolutely NO reason for mexicans who live near the northern border to make a run for our border in the name of "safety", they can go further south. It's a big country, after all.

I agree miguelina; but I think he was trying to point out how dangerous America is and to not think you are safe by any means