Opion Page on Safety In The Baja

Too many TV news stations in the United States have focused on the crime in Mexico. When was the last time
you heard the term "Gang Capitol of the Nation"? That term refers to Los Angeles California. In fact, Los
Angeles California had more crime in 2008 than all of Baja California, but apparently it is not as good of a news
story. Why they do not put things in context versus US cities? It is simple, the American media finds crime in
Mexico a good story. There is more crime in a year in Los Angeles than the entire 1000 miles of the Baja. I
wonder, do the people in Los Angels ever go outside? Do they live normal and regular lives? Are they told not to
travel to their own city?

One real problem with the US press is that they group the entire country as one. Think of it if the Mexican press
did this when Katrina happened in New Orleans. They would say all of the United States is under water? When
Columbine happened they could say all of the United States has high school kids shooting teachers? It is as
ludicrous as what the US press does to Mexico.

I recently watched O'Reiley on Fox News talk about the crime in Mexico. He is all over showing every single
event anywhere in the country. He had a guest that he had to acknowledge knew her facts. One of her facts
was that Juarez, a noted Drug Cartel City, had half of all murders in Mexico in 2008. We do not recommend you
go there. On the other hand, we do not recommend you go to New Orleans the capitol of murders in the US.
Crime in Mexico has been highlighted recently and yes there is crime in the Baja as there is in the US, but it
has been blown out of proportion in comparison to crime in US Cities.

Keep in mind, more people will visit Mexico from the US by noon tomorrow then will visit London in a year. Most
of foreign destinations, with the exclusion of Canada, are more dangerous to visit for Americans than is Mexico
on an incident per visit ratio.

This US Media obsession with crime in the Mexico has really hurt Baja tourism, but is it fair? No, but it is
sensational. Take it from someone who goes to the Baja every other week, who knows women who are eighty
years of age that go and live in the Baja on a regular basis. They do no comparison of apples to apples so you
are unable to compare to the very neighborhoods you live in the US. If they ever reported your neighborhood with
the same scrutiny, you would move.

We are not involved with the drug cartels, we do not drive at night, we do not visit bad crime areas in the Baja or
in the US, so we are not afraid to travel to the Baja and neither should you be. Chicken littles never go on
vacation or enjoy something new and exciting. Don't be one. The Sky is not falling.