We--the US--are doubly culpable for the drug wars, violence and killings in Mexico

The US' demand for drugs out of Mexico fuels their drug wars and now it comes out that our extremely lax gun laws and gun sales here in the States--both--are fueling and feeding the violence in Mexico. 

Many Mexican politicians view the current drug war — which has claimed roughly 30,000 lives over the past four years — as one more curse foisted on Mexico by their rich neighbor to the north.In this worldview, the incredibly violent conflict is fueled by U.S. demand for narcotics, fought with weapons from U.S. gun shops, and funded by U.S. cash that flows freely across the border.

At the chamber of the Mexican Senate, Sen. Sebastian Calderon Centeno says the United States hasn't done anything to curb demand for drugs or to diminish the flow of guns into Mexico. He says the drug war is actually increasing weapons trafficking.

The criminals are getting desperate, he says, and are trying to get more and more guns to attack the Mexican government. The senator says most of the guns in the hands of Mexican drug traffickers are bought legally in Texas, Arizona and California. And, he says, the U.S. has little incentive to stop the smuggling.

"This is a growing business in the U.S.," Calderon says. "They are in the gun sales business, and it doesn't benefit them to stop."

But we blame Mexico and Mexicans, solely.

Nice.

Link to original post:  http://www.npr.org/2010/11/14/131309142/despite-efforts-u-s-guns-still-fuel-mexico-s-violence?ft=1&f=1001