Monday, January 27, 2003

Babies in Uniform

I was in Mexico yesterday shopping.

As part of President Vicente Fox's clean up the border initiative -- pairs of young uniformed men in flack jackets cradling machine guns were on every other corner in the central zone and riding in open bed policia trucks which patrolled regularly.

Not being my dad, my first thought wasn't Libertarian.

Instead of feeling like my rights had been snatched, pummeled, and violated by their presence -- I felt safer.

Which made me wonder if I felt unsafe to begin with...

No, not really.

I've been shopping across since I was eight and have never felt threatened in Mexico.

On the other hand, I have been threatened in Washington. Several incidents come to mind from my time at the Pentagon and the Law Center. One in particular was when a really big guy approached while I was refueling on NY Ave. He got way too close and made freaky curse filled threats.

I'm only five four and at the time wondered what the repercussions would be if I had to run him down in my car or shoot him in self-defense. DC is not Texas. In Texas, self-defense is understood and respected.

But I am wandering.... back to Mexico -- which was uncharacteristically chilly, wet and grey.

So if I have never felt threatened or uncomfortable there -- why would the visible armed presence of the state be reassuring?

Maybe because it jibes with the "an armed society is a polite society" tenant I espouse. The possibility of being shot in the middle of a criminal act is a great deterrent.

Although Mexico is a great example of the failure of banning guns amongst the citizenry. All the criminals have them anyway -- and use them regularly -- but not generally on American tourists.

Another thing about those flack jacketed dudes... I was struck by how young they were and how dark their complexions were in comparison to the skin of the average citizen strolling about. I wonder if their military serves as the same stepping stone of opportunity that ours does?

(In Mexico, light skin is a sign of a greater proportion of Spanish blood. Dark skin indicates more Indian ancestry. Just as African Americans are extremely "shade" conscious -- so are Mexican Americans and their Southern cousins.)

Anyway.

The trip was uneventful. Mom needed some prescriptions filled and I picked up the usual load of stuff for gifting -- a couple of bottles of hooch, some real vanilla, and other assorted curios.

The only other thing of note was the prevalence of female border personnel at the US check points -- which I chalked up to the Super Bowl.

Hee....

posted by Bohica at 9:17 PM