Weary Wretch – Page 2 – "How heavy do I journey on the way, When what I seek, my weary travel's end,…" – William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnets

Fauchi-itis 4, Wrong Question

You’re asking the wrong questions!

Answers to who, what, where, why, when and how presented in the form of questions, form the foundation of journalism. Significantly lacking in “this day and age.” Let’s see how this applies to Fauchi.

A publication subtitled ‘A paper titled The Unnatural [SIC] Origin of SARS and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons suggested that World War Three would be fought with biological weapons… Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses, of which COVID-19 is one example, as presenting a new era of genetic [bio]weapons.’¹ So we have evidence that the Chinese entertain the concept of biological weapons.

Dr. Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, describes how Chinese biowarfare agents stole a sample of coronavirus from a Canadian P-4 (an evaluation of biosafety) level lab and brought it to Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Since the publication of that paper, the majority of the world has come to consider the COID-19 leak to have originated from the WIV lab, either intentionally or accidentally. China continues to disallow investigations.² Now, China has it’s very own ball to play with. And play with they did, at the WIV Bio-Safety level 4 (BSL-4 equivalent to P-4) lab with funds from the USA’s National Institute of Health.² That would be your and my tax dollars at work under the direction of Fauchi and Collins.

But wait a minute, have you heard of the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989? I have. You should go read it, really. It specifically states that federal law will “impose criminal penalties upon anyone who knowingly develops, produces, stockpiles, transfers, acquires, retains, or possesses any biological agent, toxin, or delivery system for use as a weapon or assists a foreign state or any organization to do so. It also provides for extraterritorial Federal jurisdiction over an offense committed by or against a U.S. national.” It was passed, amended, by the 101st Congress of the USA on 11/21/1989. ³ So, under US federal law, Fauchi and Collins should be in jail awaiting trial.

But, let’s not stop there. International laws exist to dissuade and/or punish those that commit crimes against humanity. Remember the Nazis attempts to exterminate the Jews in WWII and the Nuremberg trials? Several international charters, statutes, and tribunals prohibit crimes against large groups of people such as murder, extermination and other inhumane acts.⁴ Wow, Fauchi and Collins just achieved international status, as criminals. I wonder where that goes in the resume of Dr.Science?

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”⁵

What is gain of function (GOF)? In this case, it was to increase the infectivity in humans of a naturally occurring virus that could cause devastating respiratory illness in humans. Why? There is only one answer, to make it more disastrous to mankind. That is weaponizing a biological agent with malicious intent. Period! In 2015, “Subbarao explained that routine virological methods involve experiments that aim to produce a gain of a desired function…”⁶ It was pointed out at this symposium that GOF occurs in the lab and in the wild. In the lab, it may occur intentionally or unintentionally. For vaccine and treatment research, the virus is expected to produce human-like illness in a lab animal. If that research design is then made to be more infectious to humans, one has a real pickle on their hands. The project has risen to a potentially very dangerous level. Like, what if the virus escapes into the wild? Like COVID-19?

We, our government, partially funded this research. In the form of Fauchi and Collins. We, look in the mirror, caused this pandemic and the premature deaths of millions of fellow humans. At the time we may not of known what was being done, but make no mistake, we allowed this to happen under our watch. We did this. We will pay for this. In 2014, the USA put a moratorium on gain of function research in viruses.⁷ A symposium was held in 2014 and again in 2016, organized by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the NIH (Fauchi and Collins), and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (Bill and Melinda Gates, ie Microsoft) to help guide lawmakers in developing laws governing this type of research.⁸

Do you wonder why Fauchi and several congressmen, Senators Cotton and Paul to name the most heated, had their little tiffs during the questioning of Fauchi about his roll in COVID-19? It was because Fauchi has to deny everything to stay out of jail. He lied when he denied that research at WIV was gain-of-function. He lied and tampered with witnesses regarding the source of the COVID-19 virus. He has lied about the usefulness or not of lock-downs, masks and vaccines. In his visions of grandeur (consult the current DSM manual), he is science. And now Fauci exposes either his extreme ignorance of the laws and culture of the USA and/or his true beliefs in socialism and tyranny.⁹ Fauchi is a megalomaniac that needs to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

From your grumpy Uncle Dave.

1. Chinese scientists discussed weaponising [SIC]coronavirus in 2015: Media report. Published 10th May 2021, updated 10th May 2021. The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1/1/22 from https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/may/10/chinese-scientists-discussed-weaponising-coronavirus-in-2015-media-report-2300620.html

2. Coronavirus is a Biological Warfare Weapon. Robert Skopec. 12/31/2020. Journal of Clinical Studies & Medical Case Reports Herold Scolary Open Access. Retrieved 2/19/2022 from https://www.heraldopenaccess.us/openaccess/coronavirus-is-a-biological-warfare-weapon

3. S.993 – Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989. Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Unsure of the date of posting. Retrieved 4/22/22 from https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/senate-bill/993

4. Crimes Against Humanity. TRIAL International staff. Date published unknown. Retrieved 4/22/22 from https://trialinternational.org/topics-post/crimes-against-humanity/

5. Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare.This line – ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’ – is a quotation from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, spoken by Juliet Capulet (Act 2, Scene 2) to herself whilst on her balcony, but overheard by Romeo Montague.

6. Board on Life Sciences; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Committee on Science, Technology, and Law; Policy and Global Affairs; Board on Health Sciences Policy; National Research Council; Institute of Medicine. Potential Risks and Benefits of Gain-of-Function Research: Summary of a Workshop. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2015 Apr 13. 3, Gain-of-Function Research: Background and Alternatives. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285579/

7. Experts debate risks, benefits of gain-of-function research. 11/10/15. Infectious Disease News. Retrieved 2/19/2-22 from https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20151119/experts-debate-risks-benefits-of-gainoffunction-research

8. Gain-of-Function Research Symposium Summary of the Second Symposium 3/11/2016. Published by Global Biodefense Staff 6/23/2016. Supported by Contract No. HHSN263201200074 between National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the NIH and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 4/22/22 from https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/gain-of-function-research-a-second-symposium#sectionSponsors

9. Fauci crushed for saying it’s ‘disturbing’ that a U.S. court can overrule the CDC. Gabriel Hays. Foxnews.com. April 22, 2022. Retrieved 4/22/22 from https://www.foxnews.com/media/fauci-crushed-saying-disturbing-that-u-s-court-can-overrule-cdc

Pop goes the weasel!

I watched President Biden’s first State of the Union speech (I purposefully see it as a speech because Uncle Joe didn’t address anything, he just spoke lies.). I couldn’t get that nursery rhyme out of my brain. Uncle Joe was standing at the podium in Congress and over his shoulder, one sees Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris sitting, or more correctly jumping up and down, presiding over the House of Representatives.

So before I wander too far, remember that child’s toy that when cranked, played a tune to the British nursery rhyme Pop Goes the weasel (also called a Jack in the Box)?

Round and round the Mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey stopped to pull up his socks,
Pop goes the weasel!

And to the child’s surprise, the lid would pop up and a cartoon caricature would pop up and cause the child to cackle in laughter.

I’ll bet Nancy and Kamala jumped up to applaud Uncle Joe about 100 times!

Round and round…

From your grumpy Uncle Dave.

Mexico, Tercero, Irony and Truth

So, what’s the big deal? As with alcohol during prohibition and marijuana today, these are victimless crimes, right? As quoted in the previous post, the Cartel’s are mutating. One branch supports or profits another.¹

Supply and Demand

Arresting and jailing the demand for drug use and drug related crimes such as robbery, theft, assault, battery, rape, and murder (to name a few of the victimless crimes) has not been a successful solution. Our prisons are as bloated as the average citizen’s waistline. Law Enforcement and Justice have given up in many parts of our nation and are turning a blind eye to crime or refusing to prosecute.

Well, then cut off the supply. A brief look at history shows that Prohibition was discarded because it was obvious that it did not deter alcohol consumption. The USA has spent bunch of gazillions trying to combat illicit drug use in the USA. It has been estimated that the 2021 bill will be $1 trillion. We have fought drug cartels in their own country, we have sprayed poppy fields in Afghanistan, we have attempted to interdict drug transportation on all the worlds oceans and seas and we have failed in every attempt. We might not have failed in the little battles but the offenders have succeeded in thwarting our efforts using creativity and persistence.²

So, what to do?

Not long ago, there was a push to repeal laws that required the use of helmets to ride a motorcycle. The No-Helmeters said it was their personal right to be free to choose whether to wear or not. They said they accepted the risks of injury, should an accident occur.

The Helmeters demanded helmet use because of the extreme expense thrust upon society to care for the head injuries of a, now, non-productive citizen-victim.

Then along came the Don’t-Cares. “Let’em die,” they said. Darwin’s evolution as a solution.

One approach to the drug problem is, Let’em die. Legalize all drug use and let the users assume the risk of their choice. The problem I, and others, see with this approach is that it is not a victimless crime turned not criminal. There will be a fair number of people that would not otherwise use drugs (when they were illegal) that now will use drugs and become socially bankrupt. There will be an increase in accidental injury/death to many non-users. There will be a paradigm shift within existing crime cartels to find another use of their infrastructure, probably illegal. It is already being seen that former illegal drug producers are still producing, but blending in with legal entities to distribute their unsanctioned product. There will be a steady corruption to society/culture from which we will not recover.

To me, legalizing all drugs compounds a problem we see, recognize and ignore, overwhelmingly, in this country. We know of the bad side of alcohol consumption. We have passed a few laws to curb the bad effects (DUI, public drunkenness, drinking at work, under age drinking) but have essentially thrown up our hands in defeat when it comes to alcohol. Now, let’s add heroine, cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, marijuana, barbiturates, psychedelics and a cornucopia of designer drugs both current and the future to our bloviated collection of laws.

No, we’ve got enough laws as it is.

I, personally, would like to see a more positive solution to the drug problem.

Then I stumbled across this comedian. Robert Mack.³

I really wish you would go to the YouTube site and watch this because he presents the material much better than I. But, for those lazy bums out there, his plan is to move the USA’s southern border south to the Panama Canal. Its only 50 miles long, and certainly much easier to control than our 1,954 mile border. He reasons that the then entire population between the current southern USA border and the Panama Canal would not want to come north because they’d already be in the USA. Problem solved.

Most of the middle east views the USA as The Great Satan and wants to destroy us. Mexico views us as The Big Sugar-Daddy and wants to suck us dry. One an invasive infection like flesh eating bacteria, one a parasite like a giant tape worm.

Since establishing the current USA borders in 1848, the USA has not fought any wars of acquisition. We have fought to spread the concept of democracy but not land acquisition. We have fought to free people of tyranny and despotism. So Robert Mac’s plan to end illegal immigration just seems anti-American.

But, wait. These people want to come to America, so instead we take America to them.

Unfortunately, the results of America’s attempts to spread democracy have yielded some pretty big failures. European countries that dug their collective heels into communism and socialism, South East Asian despotism, Cuban isolationism. There are countries that have, of their own motivation, come around to the idea of democracy, and it seems that democracy (in one form or another) prevails in world countries.⁴

But see, Mexico is a constitutional republic (an electoral democracy according to Mr. Roser) similar to the USA (which is slightly more free as a liberal democracy). It has a thriving economic potential. It has vast rich resources that are yet undeveloped, or at best poorly developed. It has a rich illegal pharmaceutical empire yet untapped by taxing authorities. It is the southern most country in North America. It’s southern border is 541 miles and encompasses 3 rivers. Longer than the Panama Canal, but much closer and the 3 rivers help lessen the distance needing to be heavily guarded.

So, now that we have pulled out of Afghanistan…

From your grumpy Uncle Dave. Isn’t it ironic how comedy has a bite of truth to it?

First drugs, then oil, now Mexican cartels turn to human trafficking. “A lot of criminal groups are mutating,” says Santigo Nieto, head of Mexico’s financial intelligence unit. Sex trafficking may the country’s third-largest criminal activity. Reuters. April 29, 2020. Retrieved 1/4/2022 from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/first-drugs-then-oil-now-mexican-cartels-turn-human-trafficking-n1195551
War on drugs. Wikipedia contributors. 1/8/2022. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1/11/2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=War_on_drugs&oldid=1064377571
Solving The Immigration Problem Is THIS Simple, Robert Mac. [Video] YouTube.com 5/26/2020. Retrieved 1/11/2022 from YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HrqW4s1D7Y
Democracy. Max Roser. 2013. OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved 1/11/2022 from https://ourworldindata.org/democracy

Kamala, The Party Girl With a Pinocchio Nose

This has been talked to death starting within minutes after Kamala uttered this garbage and continues with this statement and others that followed. But, I haven’t seen this rebuttal, so here it goes.

First, let’s look at the facts, or at least as close to facts as is humanly possible.

Pearl Harbor refers to the Japanese bombing of a US naval station in Hawaii causing the loss of 2,403 American lives, 68 of which were civilian. Nineteen US Navy ships and 8 US battle ships were attacked. Four were sunk and 2 others destroyed. 300 aircraft were destroyed. It is estimated to have cost $2.1 million in 1941 dollars for repairs.¹

2,977 lives were lost and over 6,000 were injured in the September 11, 2001 attack on the USA by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda. About 7,000 US service members have died since, adding greatly to the toll caused by these attacks. Insurance costs have reached $40 billion. Intangible losses include those suffered by the Airlines who were shut down and their subsequent financial loss due to Homeland Security regulations, Tourism revenue loss due to fear and restricted/complicated travel regulation, added security issues for immigration, travel, commerce, two wars subsequent and due to the attacks that are estimated at a loss of $6 trillion.²

January 6, 2022, on the 1 year anniversary, “Vice President Kamala Harris compared [the] January 6 [Capital events] to the 9/11 attack that killed almost 3,000 Americans and the assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941 in her speech at the Capitol on Thursday.”

Kamala Harris compares January 6 [which she calls riots/insurrection/and other dastardly things, but which I prefer to think of as protests by disenfranchised citizens] to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, calls America the ‘greatest and oldest democracy in the world’ and criticizes ‘extremists assaulting’ the country’s ‘ideals’.³

It is convenient to praise the USA when it suits your purpose because Kamala and the squad have been trash talking the USA since the first camera appeared in front of them. So are they proud to be American, or not?

One is a lie! And, I’m having a really hard time equating the January 6, 2021 events with the staggering devastation of Pearl Harbor or 9/11.

In the January 6, 2021 Capital protests, casualties occurred. Two rally participants died of heart failure, one before the capital breach. Both were in their 50s. One was reported to be trampled in the assault but actually died of an accidental overdose (acute amphetamine intoxication). One was by a Capital Police officer. One died of results of 2 strokes after the protest but billed variably as the result of blunt force head trauma or chemical spray exposure. The death certificate listed the cause of death as natural, the stroke. Four suicides, occurring 3 days to 6 months after the protests, one of which was an after-protest curfew enforcer who wasn’t even present at the Capital during the protests.⁴

And so AOC and other leftists list 10 deaths due to the protests.

Again, a lie. And, I’m having a really hard time equating the January 6, 2021 events with the staggering devastation of Pearl Harbor or 9/11.

In my day, it was called Münchhausen syndrome. Now it is called Factitious disorder. The Mayo Clinic web site says, “Factitious disorder is a serious mental disorder in which someone deceives others by appearing sick, by purposely getting sick or by self-injury.”⁵

In other words, lying.

Exaggeration, overstating the truth.⁶

In other words, lying.

Lying, thoughts or words presented containing untrue statements. ⁷

In the same words, lying.

Pathological lying, Pathological liars tell compulsive lies without a clear motive. It may be a sign of an underlying mental health condition, such as a personality disorder.⁸

In other words, lying.

“this is the woman who attacked Joe Biden as a villainous racist and probable sex abuser in Democratic primaries but is now his running mate. She appears utterly without principle save that of self-advancement.”

A lie.

“The president’s mismanagement of the pandemic has plunged us into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,”

A lie by exaggeration.

“… there’s a reason it has hit America worse than any other advanced nation. It’s because of Trump’s failure to take it seriously.”⁹

A lie.

In the medical world, symptom magnification is a real entity. It is an impediment in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of a disorder in a patient that has utter disregard for their own well being. It might be intentional or subconscious. If secondary gains are to be benefited, it may be considered pathological. It was a form of Münchhausen’s syndrome and is now a form of factitious disorder.

Consider for a moment, law enforcement officers may legally lie to a citizen, for any reason and without consequence. But, it is illegal to lie to a law enforcement officer, with charges ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony.

So, why is it perfectly acceptable to repeatedly lie to your constituents?

Me thinks that this party girl, Kamala Harris, has a serious psychological disorder.

From your quite confused grumpy Uncle Dave.

Pearl Harbor. History.com Editors. Updated: Dec 2, 2021. Original: Oct 29, 2009. History.com. Retrieved 1/10/2022 from https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor
September 11 Attacks. History.com Editors. Updated: Aug 24, 2021. Original: Aug 25, 2018. History.com. Retrieved 1/10/2022 from https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks
Kamala Harris compares January 6 to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, calls America the ‘greatest and oldest democracy in the world’ and criticizes ‘extremists assaulting’ the country’s ‘ideals’. Morgan Phillips. 1/6/2022. Daily Mail.com. Retrieved 1/11/2022 from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10375423/Kamala-Harris-compares-January-6-Pearl-Harbor-9-11-criticizes-extremists.html
How Many Died as a Result of Capitol Riot? Robert Farley. 11/1/21. Factcheck.org. Retrieved 1/8/2022 from https://www.factcheck.org/2021/11/how-many-died-as-a-result-of-capitol-riot/
Factitious disorder. Mayo Clinic Staff. Retrieved 1/10/2022 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/factitious-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356028
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggeration
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lying
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pathological-liars
Opinion | Morgan Liddick: Kamala Harris and her lies. Morgan Liddick. 8/17/2020. Summit Daily. Retrieved 1/8/2022 from https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/opinion-morgan-liddick-kamala-harris-and-her-lies/

Mexico, El Segundo. Completely Different But Just The Same

I grew up in West Texas, from 1951 until I left in1970. I was partially raised by Hispanic caretakers, although that term wasn’t in use at the time. My family made frequent trips to the Texas-Mexico border towns for vacation. My first 2 wives were Hispanic, the second couldn’t speak English when she started school in the first grade. I knew and loved the food, the culture and the people of Mexico.

My, how times change and yet, they stay the same

In those early years the Mexican police were almost considered buffoons. Little more than local constables to give tourists traffic tickets and keep drunks in line. Their uniforms were mismatched, tattered and often dirty. If real law enforcement was expected, one went to the Federales, which was a Federal police force. The Mexican border patrol didn’t care who or what came in or left Mexico. No passport was required if one had a Mexican visa (requiring almost nothing to obtain) or US identification (usually a driver’s license sufficed). Food, leather crafts, pottery and textiles were the main attraction. B

Bars, alcohol, prostitution and some types of skilled labor were second on the attraction list. Drugs were present and known to exist, but way down on the list and not remotely organized. Vacation resorts on both coasts and central Mexico were very popular but more exotic because of travel expense. Air travel at that time was the exception rather than the rule. Many of my caretakers taught me some differences in regional cuisine because they would cook according to what they were taught growing up. Prior to this excursion, my only visit to Mexico City or central Mexico, was for a few hours for a plane change, not even leaving the airport grounds. I did spend a couple of weeks off the coast of Veracruz and Cozumel on a ship in the Caribbean while in college, though.

The people are the same and the food is the same, but Mexico is decidedly different in atmosphere and crime compared with my recollections.

Today to me, Mexico looks more like war torn Afghanistan than the Mexico of my memories. Sure, one can reasonably expect modernization and changes in 51 years. The whole world has changed during that time. But let me describe some of those changes through my eyes.

The police now travel in caravans of modern, weaponized, armored vehicles staffed with 4-6 law enforcement officers who appeared to be as well equipped as any swat team one might see on The Shield or Law and Order. The Federales look like an Army Ranger or US Marine platoon in size and equipment. I can’t show pictures because they weren’t allowed.

I recently traveled to Mexico City by air. Our host met us at the airport and took us to a local hotel where we stayed for 2 days. He was a Mexican citizen with several nice cars, but chose to travel by Uber for safety. From there we traveled by bus to Uruapan, Michoacán. We left Uruapan for Paracho, Michoacán, our destination. We stayed 3 days there and returned to Mexico City and the US by a slightly different route.

Mexico City is now the most populous city in the world with 21.9 million people in 573 sq. miles (that is 38,220/sq mile). That is more than double what it was last time I was there and even in the 1970s, smog was a problem. Atmospheric conditions, climate, being located in a mountainous fish bowl and lack of consistent and enforced smog prevention leaves Mexico City plagued with smog. Mexico City is 7,349′ above sea level and Paracho at 7,303′ above sea level, which made breathing very difficult for me that week. Carjacking, mugging, snatch-and-run theft, and kidnapping are very attractive to the poor, disenfranchised and Cartel victims living there. Local citizens are affected as well as tourists, which explains why our host uses buses, Uber and taxi travel as well as taking other security precautions.

Americans are bombarded with news about illegal immigration problems along it’s southern border. We hear the statistics and see the video footage almost daily. But, most Americans do not hear about or see the pervasiveness of Cartels, crime and corruption within Mexico (this discussion started above with mention of the modernization of law enforcement and changes of tactics). There was visual evidence of Cartel presence everywhere we went through out this trip. Military guards and patrols everywhere. Two days before we left for Mexico, Cartel members stormed a tourist beach in Cancun, Mexico to assassinate 2 members of a rival Cartel.¹ While we were there 70 Mormon missionaries were robbed by 2 thugs with knives.² A 12 year old Mexican girl and birthday entourage were stopped and robbed in Michoacán last year on their way to a birthday celebration. Eleven boys/men were killed over Cartel turf battles just before we arrived in Michoacán.³ This is a drop in the bucket of crime in Michoacán, but gives reference with respect to the time frame when we were there.

The food was out of this world, the people are still the warm and affectionate people I remember. One particular dish I remember growing up was pozole. But, the one I remember was made from green chilies instead of the red chilies I found on this trip. Otherwise, the same ingredients. The first 4 days in Mexico I let my host order food for me without questioning what I was eating. I ate a few things I wouldn’t have otherwise ordered, but everything was delicious. I had the pozole several times, head tacos, brain tacos and for breakfast one day I had sheep stew! I had home cooked pork fajitas and one evening a traditional American hamburger and fries. The many different chili salsas were wonderful and despite American perceptions, not all chili salsas are spicy hot. But, it is still advisable to not drink the water.

The 6 hour bus ride from Mexico City to Uruapan was very comfortable. The seating was better than first class on most airlines. There was onboard digital entertainment and the view of the mountains and farms through central Mexico was spectacular. The taxi ride from Uruapan to Paracho was somewhat tense, to say the least. Despite the risk of carjacking, robbery, and kidnapping, the driver tended to drive way too fast for the traffic conditions. Passing on curves and hills when line of sight was just past the front bumper. On reflection, I think the threat of Cartel interference was to blame. Once in a city, though it was a strategy of racing from speed bump to speed bump. Another case in which reflection allowed one to see that this was a method of saving tax dollars (pesos) in requiring less traffic police to control speeding. About midway through this adventure, my travel companion who is now learning to drive told me, “I think I’m a very good driver.”

One day we went to a neighboring town to shop. Our host pointed out that the population was predominantly “Indian”, by which he meant descendants of the native Mayans. He said that they have a hard time getting their needs recognized by the government and under threat of Cartel violence have hired their own security force. Every entrance to the town is staffed by armed guards and a security check point where those entering are required to slow or stop to be interviewed by security.

One afternoon, a group of young teenagers, friends and family of our host, wanted to walk to the town square to have coffee with friends and hang out. Our host gave them a strict curfew requiring them to be home by dark. He explained to me that the threat of young girls being abducted for human trafficking was ever present.⁴

All in all, it was a good visit. No harm came to anyone except my shortness of breath and stomach ulcers from stress and worry. Worry wart, you say? Here are some exerts from U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs.⁵

Country Summary: Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico.
U.S. government employees may not travel between cities after dark, may not hail taxis on the street, and must rely on dispatched vehicles, including app-based services like Uber, and regulated taxi stands.
Do Not Travel To: Michoacan state due to crime and kidnapping.

News from your grumpy Uncle Dave.

Part 1, Mexico, Law & Order
Part 3, Mexico, Tercero

In a beach showdown by luxury hotels near Cancun, 2 people were shot dead. Associated Press. November 5, 2021. Retrieved 1/4/22 from https://www.npr.org/2021/11/05/1052695890/cancun-shootout-mexico-cartel
70 Mormon Missionaries robbed in Mexico. Group Leader and Wife Threatened at Knifepoint[SIC]. Andrea Morris. CBNNews.com. 11/13/21. Retrieved 1/4/2022 from https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2021/november/70-mormon-missionaries-robbed-in-mexico-group-leader-and-wife-threatened-at-knifepoint
Five men, six boys gunned down in western Mexican state of Michoacan. 11/3/2021. Associated Press. KTSM.com. Retrieved 1/4/2021 from https://www.ktsm.com/crime/five-men-six-boys-gunned-down-in-western-mexican-state-of-michoacan/
First drugs, then oil, now Mexican cartels turn to human trafficking. “A lot of criminal groups are mutating,” says Santigo Nieto, head of Mexico’s financial intelligence unit. Sex trafficking may the country’s third-largest criminal activity. Reuters. April 29, 2020. Retrieved 1/4/2022 from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/first-drugs-then-oil-now-mexican-cartels-turn-human-trafficking-n1195551
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html