Family gatherings, politics, and Mexico?

[spartan933]

I am a democrat. Don't hate.

I hate the five or six times a year that I have to hang out with the extended family. Not because I don't like them personally. I don't like the politics and religion discussions. Too volatile. And it can get personal way to easily. My Dad tries to enforce his no politics and no religion at the dinner table. But, that's hard to do when you have Jewish people, Catholics, Lutherans, Agnostics, Democrats, and Republicans all in the same family. And, everybody has a Master's or Professional degree, except me. So, everyone thinks their smarter than the person next to them. Except for my father, he is a cool guy and everyone likes him because he only does and says what is right and is a fair man. Which, I think by default, makes him a good man.

Aside from my Dad and two other members of the family, the other six are soooooo judgmental in regards to gun rights. They have a puritanical view that private gun ownership should be banned in this country and that private gun owners are the cause of so much gun violence.

I usually attribute that view to a fear and lack of knowledge of firearms. But, recently, they threw at me the whole Mexico drug violence thing and how the United States is supplying ninety percent of the weaponry to Mexico. Well, I just had to cite a few facts regarding that issue.

Why? Because I just got back from Mexico. No, I was not vacationing in Cancun. I went to the heart of the country, Michoacan. No beaches and lots of mountains and rugged terrain. I was going to a Mexican college and learning Spanish. By the way, the interior of Mexico is beautiful and the mountains are for the most part, untouched by commercial development.

Michoacan has not seen a lot of drug violence, but some. The deal with that state is that it is sooooo big and has sooooo many mountains, that drugs travel through there, north, because the Mexican Army cannot patrol it effectively due to lack of resources and the terrain.

They thought I was nuts when I went, driving, and nuts when I came back, alone. I am a pasty, blonde haired, green eyed white dude with Irish blood. So, I stick out like a sore thumb. (Incidentally, I have never had so many hot women hit on me in my life.) But, the danger is part of the fun.

I explained that in Mexico, the Federal government oversees all gun sales and purchasing a firearm, rifle or handgun, is extremely difficult. Obtaining a license to carry is also difficult.

So, in Michoacan, the State Government is starting to issue licenses to carry firearms to the people and relaxing the purchase requirements for private citizens. Why? Because even though there is a lack of VIOLENCE in Michoacan as compared to the border states, there IS a significant amount of drug trafficking. So, the State Government, on its own, and smartly, began this "relaxation" process in order to stem the violence and to DETER future violence against law abiding citzens. Essentially, what they are doing is heading the Narcos off at the pass.

Well, my Harvard educated Step-Brother and his wife, who live in the Gold Coast area of Chicago, and are really very nice people, just had to tell me that it wouldn't be necessary if the U.S. would tighten restrictions on gun ownership.

Well, I just had to remind them that the reason for the drug violence is that the United States consumes 75 percent of all the drugs in the world and the Narcos are fighting for trafficking routes into the U.S. so people can buy their drugs. The drug violence is not because of the guns. Criminals will get guns one way or another. They are very enterprising in that way. The reason for the violence is the consumption of drugs.

Reduce the demand and you will reduce the violence.

They conceded that I had a valid point. But, they were unswayed on the gun issue. We ended the discussion in order to avoid further escalation of tempers. I later, offered to take them shooting on Easter Sunday. They politely declined.

Anyways, sorry for being so long winded. I just wanted to relate that to some like-minded people and get it off of my mind.