A memory just dawned on me.

[michaelb]

Thirty-two years ago tonight, I was standing in the Zocolo with about a million Mexicans cheering while we watched President Echeverria ring the bell and give the shout. I bought some homemade fireworks (that the police confiscated) and a straw hat. I still have the hat.   

[Dave H]

Hey michael,

You are a brave man! It's a good thing you didn't get the chance to light those firecrackers! The police or military probably would have thought you were a sniper and started shooting everyone! 

Dave

[michaelb]

Actually, people were selling them and shooting them all over town. I'm not sure if it was legal or just too much trouble to enforce, the police were always 'looking to other way' and letting the people have a little fun, as long as they just tossed them on the pavement and didn't throw them at cars or buildings or people. But to get onto the Zocolo itself, they were searching people and confiscating them, not just mine but from a bunch of Mexicans as well.

Did you see the news about what happened in Morelia, Michoacan last night? Terrible. In case you (or others) didn't see it, somebody threw 2 (or 3, reports vary) hand grenades into the Independence Day celebration crowd there last night. 8 dead and over 100 injured.

[Jeff S]

Heard about Morelia. I've been to the square where that happened and have friends from there. The cartels are pushing back against the government crackdowns. It'll probably hget worse before it gets better.

The decapitated guys found in a car in Mazatlan last week were left about a block from my father's house.

[Bear]

Senator Poe was in town last week for a border situation conference.  He said that there have been 25 decapitations in less than a month.  The USA just gave Mexico 1.4 billion and didn't give a penny to the law enforcement on this side.  Since the law enforcement on hat side is probably controlled my the cartels we just gave the bad guys a big boast against the good guys.

The Bear Family