Final Post: U.S./Mexico "War on Drugs"

Our group covered the "war on drugs" and how it has and is affecting both Mexico and the United States. We briefly covered the history of the "war on drugs", how and why it started, and more current issues. The drug economy, organized crime and violence have plagued both the United States and Mexico for many years; Mexico suffering from horrific violence and the U.S. drug problem fueling an illegal economy. Our most recent blog post focused on a joint operation between the two states that led to the capture of infamous drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. Although the arrest was championed by many as a victory for those involved in the "war on drugs" it sadly has had little, real effect for decreasing violence or hindering the drug economy.

Working with a group was incredibly helpful for such a complex topic. We each took a different jobs and approaches when building our posts and researching. It was imperative for us to find a variety of sources in both English and Spanish because of the inherent bias that takes place in the media. Our group was well organized and each member believes this to be an important topic which made our work both interesting and enjoyable. I found the most enlightening part to be hearing different opinions in regards to our subject and bringing all of the information together for the blog.

This issue is both complicated and overwhelming. Both Mexico and the U.S. have suffered from the violence and corruption that comes with the illegal drug market. Although both countries have declared "war on drugs", spent enormous sums of money, dedicated military, police and others to fight the "war", there has been little progress. The Unites States drug users supply the demand. The U.S. with its relaxed gun laws and prevalent gun culture is also responsible for (mostly inadvertently) supplying the majority of the weapons used by cartels to fuel violence in Mexico. On the other hand Mexican cartels grow, create and smuggle the drugs. Like any other wars there are many innocent civilians caught in the middle. After being part of this project it has become clear to me that the status quot is unacceptable. It is time that the two states decide on a different way to put an end to the crisis.