Directly following the July 20th mass killing of 12 persons at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado — Mexican President Felipe Calderon deigns to lecture America about its gun laws.

From Reuters.com:

(Reuters) – Mexican President Felipe Calderon condemned U.S. gun laws as “mistaken” and urged Washington to review them after a shooter killed 12 people and injured more than 50 others at a U.S. movie theater on Friday.

But Mexico’s president, who has repeatedly called on Washington to tighten gun controls to stop weapons flowing from the United States into the hands of Mexican drug cartels, said U.S. weapons policy needed a rethink after the killings.

“Because of the Aurora, Colorado tragedy, the American Congress must review its mistaken legislation on guns. It’s doing damage to us all,” Calderon said.

The presidency of Calderon, who leaves office at the end of November, has been overshadowed by his efforts to crack down on the drug gangs. Fighting among the cartels and their clashes with the state have killed more than 55,000 people since 2007.

Calderon has also urged Washington to revive a ban on assault weapons in the United States that expired in 2004.

My, how that seems to entirely reek of the pot calling the kettle “black.”  Hypocrisy, thy name is Felipe Calderon.

Please allow me to, via this blog, remind President Calderon of a few things, a la a widely-known liberal outlet called Wikipedia — so that my various Trolls won’t accuse me of being nothing more than the Sierra Nevada outlet for Fox News:

– Violent crime against journalistas:  15 journalists have been murdered in Mexico since 2000 alone.^[20] Few of the perpetrators have been brought to justice. One of the more prominent cases was that of syndicated columnist Francisco Arratia Saldierna, a prominent and well-known journalist who wrote a column called Portavoz (or “Spokesman”). The column featured topics such as corruption, organized crime, and drug trafficking.^[21]

Arratia’s murder, which was particularly brutal, and others like it, sparked demands from other journalists that then-President Vicente Fox do more to enforce security and bring those responsible for the murders to justice. In 2004, a group of 215 reporters and editors sent an urgent letter to President Fox and other federal authorities, demanding that they address these concerns. The letter represented a massive communication effort coming from professionals from 19 of the nation’s 31 states. The key demand was that violent crimes against journalists be made federal crimes, so they would be investigated and prosecuted by federal officers and not by local officials whom the letter claims could be the same people who commit the crimes.^[21]

The effect of these crimes has been the self-censorship of many journalists, due to fears of retribution from criminals.^[20] The situation has earned attention from prominent global organizations such as the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET). Amerigo Incalcaterra of the OHCHR advocated the protection of journalists and the preservation of freedom of speech, calling it “essential for the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in this country”.^[20]

Seems to me that a paltry handful of journalists have been killed in this country since its inception.  To wit:

– Chauncey Bailey, a black journalist in Oakland, was killed in 2007 during his investigation of a business called “Your Black Muslim Bakery.”  Three shotgun blasts to the chest usually do it.  Here’s a shocker: “The Mossberg shotgun used in the murder was later identified as one stolen during a liquor store vandalism 2 years prior suspected to have been committed by members of Your Black Muslim Bakery.^[14]  This was a black-on black killing committed for betrayal and cash.

– Don Bolles, whose killing was linked to the Mafia.  He died in a 1976 car bombing.

– Mark Kellogg died in 1876, killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn.  Yes, we’re reaching here, trying to find murdered journalistas in America.

– Anne Presley.  She died in a 2008 home invasion.  This was not politically or fiscally motivated by any semblance of organized crime.  Yes, I am reaching.

– Jennifer Servo.  She was killed by a suspected co-worker. Yes, much reaching here also.

As all of my college professors would say: contrast and compare.  Then contrast and compare the number of cops, judges, politicians and civilians killed by Mexicans in Mexico against those in the US, factoring for overall percentile of population.

Then factor in overall national corruption on the local, state and federal levels between both countries.

Then factor in statistics: ONE in every TEN crimes is actually REPORTED in Mexico.

And let us not forget the age-old concept of La Mordida.  Any American who has traveled by car in Mexico can tell you of this and regale you with multiple tales.

In conclusion, my own little bon mot to President Felipe Calderon: fuck you.  Clean up your own Pampers before you decide to conceptually walk across MY border and try to dribble your shit down MY leg.

I don’t quite think I can make my opinion much more clear and concise than that.

BZ