Kerby Anderson

Two weeks ago the slaughter of Mormon women and children was a shocking reminder of the danger at our border and the terror so many Mexican citizens experience on a daily basis. Drug cartels control huge swaths of the Mexican countryside because government officials and law enforcement are out spent and out gunned. The attack was originally attributed to a case of mistaken identity. But the reality is that it was probably a warning sent to Mexican officials that the drug gangs are in charge and will kill anyone at any time. Last year homicides reached a high of 36,000. Murders average 90 a day in Mexico. Senator Ben Sasse summed it up best. “The hard truth is that Mexico is dangerously close to a failed state.” Although President Trump offered to help the Mexican president, we will see what can be done or will be done. I was encouraged to see that the Wall Street Journal editors did place part of the blame on our country’s drug habit. Make no mistake; the drug cartels are the ones to blame. However, Americans who consume lots of illegal drugs provide the financial resources and the power to these cartels. We spend more than $150 billion on cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Most of these drugs come across the Mexican border. The money from those drug sales line the pockets of the drug cartels and are used to bribe law enforcement on both sides of the border. Some of us remember when there was a war on drugs and remember the campaign to “just say no” to drugs. Today, that is a distant memory as more and more states try the failed experiment of legalizing drugs. Meanwhile, actors and other entertainers use drugs and promote the false message that drug use is a victim-less crime. Tell that to the Mormon family grieving the loss of their loved ones.