A different perspective from Mexico.
Travel Baja California with Steve Dryden
Travel Warning: Avoid the United States
Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. Please use extreme caution when traveling, shopping or visiting family members or friends in the United States, particularly Southern California. According to the New York Times on February 28, 2008, “one in every 100 adult Americans are now behind bars.” This crime wave of random killings, shopping mall murders, rape, and “school children killing other children” is fully out of control. Today, more people are behind bars in America that any other country in the world. 1.6 million Americans are in jail for murder, rape, kidnapping, sex crimes, drugs, and other major crimes against society. And this drastic increase in prison population includes many mainstream politicians and religious leaders. The United States has become “the most dangerous country in the world for tourism and travel.”
Visitors, shoppers and family members should use extreme caution nwhen trvleing or visiting San Diego and Los Angeles counties and avoid these areas when no other options are available. The Homicide Report for LA County states that “more than 900 homicide deaths occurred countywide in 2007. Most, but not all, jurisdictions in the county were included in the survey. San Diego’s Union-Tribune reported on January 1, 2008 “there were 58 homicides in San Diego last year.” That same night on January 1st, a woman’s body was found in a vacant house in Golden Hill. She had been shot to death and was the 58th homicide victim. In addition, since 1990, the City of San Diego has seen an average of 15 gang-related homicides a year. “We’ve seen an increase in violence in some gangs that weren’t that active in years past,” said Lt. Andy Mills, who runs the department’s gang unit. “The gang-related homicides are all over the city – they’re in Southeast, Mid-City, Linda Vista, Mira Mesa and South Bay,” Mills said. Additionally, in the last four months of 2007, San Diego recorded 14 murders, 115 rapes, 347 armed robberies, 423 strong-arm robberies and 1,558 aggravated assaults. Furthermore, seven people were shot and killed by San Diego police officers last year compared with two in 2006. Please be very cautious when dealing with the San Diego Police, move slowly, keep your hands away from your pockets, hold you hands high in the air, and remain silent. Be careful, even minor infractions can have deadly results. Avoid shopping centers, malls, schools, police stations and post offices - if
And, on Valentines Day’s (a global holiday where love and affection is openly expressed) Lawrence King, a 15-year-old student at at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California was shot at least twice in the head and killed by another classmate. Fellow students say that King had given the “alleged” killer a Valentines Day card and was supposedly killed for that action. Murders committed by school children in the United States creates the highest murder rate by armed children in the world. And, just this week, a popular female college student was killed near her college campus in North Carolina. University of North Carolina Chancellor James Moeser said there was nothing to link Carson’s slaying to anyone on campus. “It’s just a huge blow. It’s a blow against everything we assume about ourselves, about being a peaceful, safe place where kids come.” Eve Carson, 22, of Athens, Ga., was found Wednesday morning lying on a street about a mile from campus. She had been shot several times, including once in the right temple. Her sport utility vehicle was discovered Thursday, a few hours after police positively identified her as the victim. She appears to be the victim of a random crime,
Many terrified parents of Mexican children attending schools in southern California are removing their kids from schools, bringing them back to Mexico or sending them to college in safer countries. Some parents are insisting that children, loved ones, and other family members visiting the US wear bullet proof clothing. According to Maria Ava Garcia of Ensenada, “all of our family members now wear protective clothing when traveling or shopping about the United States. We’ve been buying our clothes from Miguel Caballero, a Colombian designer sometimes known as “the Armani of bulletproof clothing.” He provides us with protective gear that includes a line of casual and formal jackets for women – that can withstand bullets. “It’s so sad, but in reality, schools in the US are extremely dangerous and the quality of education has fallen due to trllions of dollars spent on the occupation of Iraq, We’ve finally come to the realization that we can no longer send our kids off to America. Mexico has it’s problems, but nothing in comparison to the US. Here kids don’t kill kids, schools are a safe haven and our military is non-imperialistic. All we want is peace, safety and security for our children and families. The great American dream has turned into a nightmare of crime. corruption and murder,” she said.
Even US citizens are fearful of shopping in malls throughout the US due to the presence of a serial killer that is killing women and their daughters as they shop. “This is a horrible, cunning, pathological monster,” said John Walsh, host of “America’s Most Wanted. “I was called out to investigate two people that were found in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Town Center Mall,” said Detective Jeff Clare of the Boca Raton Police Department. “It was quite shocking once we got there.” Inside their black Chrysler Aspen, Nancy and Joey were tied up, dark goggles covering their eyes, shot to death. Almost a year ago, 52-year-old Randi, a mother of two, was at the Boca Town Center Mall in the afternoon, alone, walking to her black SUV when she was attacked and killed. This killer is still on the loose somewhere in the US.
Mexicans living near the international border regions are deciding to quit or reduce shopping in the US for safety and security reasons. This is a huge economic disaster for southern California and other border towns because Mexican visitors constitute an important component in the economy of communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. These visitors enter the U.S. regularly for shopping, tourism, work and socialization with family and friends. In the process, a considerable amount of money is spent on a multitude of items like groceries, clothing, appliances, furniture, and services such as hotels, restaurants, and medical treatment. Several studies in the border states of Arizona, California and Texas reveal a substantial economic impact in the range of $8 billion to $9 billion dollars spent annually along the U.S.-Mexico border region. The majority of Mexican visitors to the United States arrive for the purpose of shopping and are eagerly accommodated in malls, shopping plazas and downtown retail areas in border communities, in fact most shopping areas exist and thrive merely because of Mexican shoppers. And, in south San Diego County, Baja Californians account for almost seventy percent of the retail sales with area businesses. Surveys of Mexican visitors indicate that over seventy percent visit Arizona to shop and forty percent to seventy percent go to California for shopping and other services.
Few of us will ever forget what happened in San Ysidro, California (San Diego) on July 18, 1984. On that day 24 years ago, an unemployed security guard, James Oliver Huberty, walked into a Mc Donald’s, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, and began shooting. Armed with three guns, he killed 21 people, including five children and six teenagers, and wounded 19 before he was shot and killed by a police sniper. At the time, his 77-minute rampage was the largest single-day, single-gunman massacre in U.S. history. The shooting left gaps in families and shocked a nation that hadn’t seen such violence on a large scale. The world then was witnessing the beginning of a crime spree that is changing the safety and security of America: “Land of the Free.”
Please consider staying at home and shopping in Mexico until the current crime spree in the US can be resolved and controlled. We have our problems here at home for sure, but mass murder, random killings, armed child killers, and shopping malls homicides are nonexistent here. With one out of every one-hundred Americans currently behind bars, one has to wonder how safe you and your family will be while traveling or shopping in the US. Even with a large percentage of the American population in jails and prison, it seems that the crime wave continues to get worse. Use caution and wear your body armor when possible. And, remember that churches are not safe for your children due to the growing ranks of pedophiles in the clergy.
Steve Dryden is a travel writer living safely and securely in Mexico. He left the US in search of a non-violent and peaceful society. His opinion does not always reflect the opinion of the Baja Times and he does not work for any official government agencies. He can be reached at: sbdryden@hotmail.com
1 comment | February 14th, 2008 | Trackback
A different perspective from Mexico.
Travel Baja California with Steve Dryden
Travel Warning: Avoid the United States
Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. Please use extreme caution when traveling, shopping or visiting family members or friends in the United States, particularly Southern California. According to the New York Times on February 28, 2008, “one in every 100 adult Americans are now behind bars.” This crime wave of random killings, shopping mall murders, rape, and “school children killing other children” is fully out of control. Today, more people are behind bars in America that any other country in the world. 1.6 million Americans are in jail for murder, rape, kidnapping, sex crimes, drugs, and other major crimes against society. And this drastic increase in prison population includes many mainstream politicians and religious leaders. The United States has become “the most dangerous country in the world for tourism and travel.”
Visitors, shoppers and family members should use extreme caution nwhen trvleing or visiting San Diego and Los Angeles counties and avoid these areas when no other options are available. The Homicide Report for LA County states that “more than 900 homicide deaths occurred countywide in 2007. Most, but not all, jurisdictions in the county were included in the survey. San Diego’s Union-Tribune reported on January 1, 2008 “there were 58 homicides in San Diego last year.” That same night on January 1st, a woman’s body was found in a vacant house in Golden Hill. She had been shot to death and was the 58th homicide victim. In addition, since 1990, the City of San Diego has seen an average of 15 gang-related homicides a year. “We’ve seen an increase in violence in some gangs that weren’t that active in years past,” said Lt. Andy Mills, who runs the department’s gang unit. “The gang-related homicides are all over the city – they’re in Southeast, Mid-City, Linda Vista, Mira Mesa and South Bay,” Mills said. Additionally, in the last four months of 2007, San Diego recorded 14 murders, 115 rapes, 347 armed robberies, 423 strong-arm robberies and 1,558 aggravated assaults. Furthermore, seven people were shot and killed by San Diego police officers last year compared with two in 2006. Please be very cautious when dealing with the San Diego Police, move slowly, keep your hands away from your pockets, hold you hands high in the air, and remain silent. Be careful, even minor infractions can have deadly results. Avoid shopping centers, malls, schools, police stations and post offices - if
And, on Valentines Day’s (a global holiday where love and affection is openly expressed) Lawrence King, a 15-year-old student at at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California was shot at least twice in the head and killed by another classmate. Fellow students say that King had given the “alleged” killer a Valentines Day card and was supposedly killed for that action. Murders committed by school children in the United States creates the highest murder rate by armed children in the world. And, just this week, a popular female college student was killed near her college campus in North Carolina. University of North Carolina Chancellor James Moeser said there was nothing to link Carson’s slaying to anyone on campus. “It’s just a huge blow. It’s a blow against everything we assume about ourselves, about being a peaceful, safe place where kids come.” Eve Carson, 22, of Athens, Ga., was found Wednesday morning lying on a street about a mile from campus. She had been shot several times, including once in the right temple. Her sport utility vehicle was discovered Thursday, a few hours after police positively identified her as the victim. She appears to be the victim of a random crime,
Many terrified parents of Mexican children attending schools in southern California are removing their kids from schools, bringing them back to Mexico or sending them to college in safer countries. Some parents are insisting that children, loved ones, and other family members visiting the US wear bullet proof clothing. According to Maria Ava Garcia of Ensenada, “all of our family members now wear protective clothing when traveling or shopping about the United States. We’ve been buying our clothes from Miguel Caballero, a Colombian designer sometimes known as “the Armani of bulletproof clothing.” He provides us with protective gear that includes a line of casual and formal jackets for women – that can withstand bullets. “It’s so sad, but in reality, schools in the US are extremely dangerous and the quality of education has fallen due to trllions of dollars spent on the occupation of Iraq, We’ve finally come to the realization that we can no longer send our kids off to America. Mexico has it’s problems, but nothing in comparison to the US. Here kids don’t kill kids, schools are a safe haven and our military is non-imperialistic. All we want is peace, safety and security for our children and families. The great American dream has turned into a nightmare of crime. corruption and murder,” she said.
Even US citizens are fearful of shopping in malls throughout the US due to the presence of a serial killer that is killing women and their daughters as they shop. “This is a horrible, cunning, pathological monster,” said John Walsh, host of “America’s Most Wanted. “I was called out to investigate two people that were found in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Town Center Mall,” said Detective Jeff Clare of the Boca Raton Police Department. “It was quite shocking once we got there.” Inside their black Chrysler Aspen, Nancy and Joey were tied up, dark goggles covering their eyes, shot to death. Almost a year ago, 52-year-old Randi, a mother of two, was at the Boca Town Center Mall in the afternoon, alone, walking to her black SUV when she was attacked and killed. This killer is still on the loose somewhere in the US.
Mexicans living near the international border regions are deciding to quit or reduce shopping in the US for safety and security reasons. This is a huge economic disaster for southern California and other border towns because Mexican visitors constitute an important component in the economy of communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. These visitors enter the U.S. regularly for shopping, tourism, work and socialization with family and friends. In the process, a considerable amount of money is spent on a multitude of items like groceries, clothing, appliances, furniture, and services such as hotels, restaurants, and medical treatment. Several studies in the border states of Arizona, California and Texas reveal a substantial economic impact in the range of $8 billion to $9 billion dollars spent annually along the U.S.-Mexico border region. The majority of Mexican visitors to the United States arrive for the purpose of shopping and are eagerly accommodated in malls, shopping plazas and downtown retail areas in border communities, in fact most shopping areas exist and thrive merely because of Mexican shoppers. And, in south San Diego County, Baja Californians account for almost seventy percent of the retail sales with area businesses. Surveys of Mexican visitors indicate that over seventy percent visit Arizona to shop and forty percent to seventy percent go to California for shopping and other services.
Few of us will ever forget what happened in San Ysidro, California (San Diego) on July 18, 1984. On that day 24 years ago, an unemployed security guard, James Oliver Huberty, walked into a Mc Donald’s, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, and began shooting. Armed with three guns, he killed 21 people, including five children and six teenagers, and wounded 19 before he was shot and killed by a police sniper. At the time, his 77-minute rampage was the largest single-day, single-gunman massacre in U.S. history. The shooting left gaps in families and shocked a nation that hadn’t seen such violence on a large scale. The world then was witnessing the beginning of a crime spree that is changing the safety and security of America: “Land of the Free.”
Please consider staying at home and shopping in Mexico until the current crime spree in the US can be resolved and controlled. We have our problems here at home for sure, but mass murder, random killings, armed child killers, and shopping malls homicides are nonexistent here. With one out of every one-hundred Americans currently behind bars, one has to wonder how safe you and your family will be while traveling or shopping in the US. Even with a large percentage of the American population in jails and prison, it seems that the crime wave continues to get worse. Use caution and wear your body armor when possible. And, remember that churches are not safe for your children due to the growing ranks of pedophiles in the clergy.
Steve Dryden is a travel writer living safely and securely in Mexico. He left the US in search of a non-violent and peaceful society. His opinion does not always reflect the opinion of the Baja Times and he does not work for any official government agencies. He can be reached at: sbdryden@hotmail.com