Chula Vista City Councilmember Declares Mexico Safe for Travel

You're right... but wouldn't we be forced to say that by the same token, with 8,698 rapes in California in 2009 (higher per capita than Baja California's 565 rapes) all potential rape victims should avoid visiting California?? Sounds kind of silly!! Or how about Los Angeles in 1980, or from 1991 thru 1993, when there were more than 1,000 Murders per year? I don't recall the media from Oregon or Arizona or Mexico for that matter, warning against visiting Disneyland. Indeed that would be a silly proposition, since even though 3 murders per day may sound dangerous, the odds of being a victim are radically reduced if you're (a) not in a gang, (b) not involved in the drug business, and/or (c) just a regular tourist or resident. Of course, the odds apply on both sides of the border or anywhere in the world. And if we're going to recall numbers from past years (like the 2009 "yesterday" numbers in the comment and link), as Californians we might remind ourselves of the 54 dead in 3 days in Los Angeles: http://1992losangelesriots.com/What%20Happened%20… Its sometimes the case that we have to rely on press from out of state (or out of So. CA) in order to read responsibly-written, well-documented, unbiased versions of the situation of our neighbors to the South, who in So. CA's case means Tijuana and the rest of Baja California: . http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/travel/the_… . . http://sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com/2011/06/rick_b… . . http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/dining/09tijuan… .
— August 23, 2011 10:55 a.m.

Chula Vista City Councilmember Declares Mexico Safe for Travel

If anyone had looked for actual statistics, the comment thread would've probably not reached its current length. Its always better to be informed. Its irresponsible and childish to base our opinion on press outlets that are misinformed, incomplete, rating-driven, and/or alarmist. HOMICIDE 2009 or 2010: CALIFORNIA: 2009: 1,970 Homicides, http://stats.doj.ca.gov/cjsc_stats/prof09/00/1.htm BAJA CALIFORNIA: 2010: 1,539 Homicides, http://eleconomista.com.mx/seguridad-publica/2011… RAPE 2009 OR 2010: CALIFORNIA: 2009: 8,698 Rapes, http://stats.doj.ca.gov/cjsc_stats/prof09/00/1.htm BAJA CALIFORNIA: 2010: 565 Rapes, http://www.icesi.org.mx/documentos/estadisticas/e… In Forcible Rape, in 2009 California had 22.6 Rapes per 100k people Vs Baja's 17 Rapes/100k people, actually putting California very close to Chihuahua state's rate. Chihuahua of course is where Ciudad Juarez is located, which is known as a very violent city. Evidently, the homicide rate is higher per 100k persons in Baja, but nowhere near the numbers you'd imagine based on the alarmist tones of many of our US-based media outlets. Add that to the reality that most of Baja's homicides are drug-related, and you end up asking yourself what the mainstream media's real motivations are. Another thing that comes to mind is that timeless and always humbling quote, "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?..."
— August 14, 2011 3:01 p.m.