The Sadness that is Mexico

Apparently events in Mexico are continuing to spiral out of control. Mexico is experiencing what can only be described as localized anarchy brought on by that nation's inability or unwillingness to deal with those who run the criminal drug organizations that have literally taken full control of parts of the country. Of course, how can we expect anything else from a nation whose citizens try to cross its borders in huge numbers daily? I think I can say without much fear of contradiction, that when a nation's people flock to its borders to leave, the nation is corrupt to its very core.

Indeed, this has always been one of my unanswered questions about the illegal immigration problem faced by our own country. We seem to focus on the problem's symptoms and its manifestation on our side of the border. And yet we never seem to ask the truly important question: Why are these people flocking to our country? What is wrong with their native country that causes them to take all the risks associated with illegal immigration?

This leads me to pose a related question to the U. S. Bishops. Why do you expend all your efforts attacking US immigration policies but not the unjust, corrupt policies of the nations from which the immigrants come? I never hear anything from the USCCB addressed to the Mexican and other Latin American governments discussing the reasons for illegal immigration. After all, if these nations were governed well and would rid themselves of the corruption that robs the poor of any opportunity to advance themselves, the poor wouldn't want to leave.

As if to highlight the nature of the problems in Mexico, today a priest and two seminarians were brutally murdered in an area of western Mexico plagued by drugs. They were on their way to organize a retreat. The Archbishop of Acapulco, Aguirre Franco, referring to Catholic clergy, stated, "We have become hostages in this violent confrontations between the drug cartels living among us."

And while innocents are murdered the corruption just continues. Not long ago 53 prisoners escaped from one of Mexico's prisons, and now 51 prison officials, including guards and the prison's director, have been charged with crimes. And that's not all. A large group of Army officers were also arrested for passing information along to the drug cartels. It's good to see the government cracking down, but I think it's too little, too late.

Pray for our southern neighbor and its people, that they can rid themselves of the corruption that is tearing their nation apart. And while we're at it, let's pray for our own nation as well. We also have a few corrupt folks running around in our government. And pray for the souls of the priest and seminarians who were so brutally murdered. Perhaps their deaths will wake some people up.