“We have to give them back their names, their history”

Javier Sicilia erects the first of the names of the victims of Mexico's drug war (Photo from The Field: Al Giordano)

Javier Sicilia, who made the call for Mexicans to take to the streets last week in protest against Mexico’s continuing war on drugs, this week is asking people to remember the names of drug war victims in cities across Mexico.

Al Giordano writes:

Javier Sicilia today called on citizens throughout Mexico to erect such plaques on every municipal and state government hall on every town and city square, so that the 40,000 Mexicans killed in Calderón’s war will not be forgotten. “We have to give them back their names, their history, and also to their families who have been criminalized. At every Zócalo, put up their names, put up a plaque, so that their deaths will never be repeated.”

A story in the Washington Post last week drew attention to the number of children who are victims of violence in Mexico (1,180 in 2009). According to the DEA, “the unfortunate level of violence is a sign of success in the fight against drugs,”

I seriously hope the civil protests in Mexico can change the frame of this debate, because I don’t know what else will.  Unfortunate???? Cocktards.

Source: Narcosphere: Narco News- The Field, The Washington Post

Thanks Jamie!

This is your face on meth

Drugs are bad

via This isn’t happiness

Bath salts: the next drugs menace?

When I saw the headlines for this story, I thought it was an article from the Daily Mash or the Onion. But apparently not. Kids are now smoking bath salts to get high. Amongst the descriptions of 3-day binges, hallucinations and self-harm is this tidbit:

In northern Mississippi’s Itawamba County, Sheriff Chris Dickinson said his office has handled about 30 encounters with bath-salts users in the past two months alone. He said the problem grew last year in his rural area after a Mississippi law began restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in making methamphetamine.

I remember when I used to hear about new drugs from friends, long before I’d read the scare stories in the news.  I’m getting old.

Officials fear bath salts becoming the next big drug menace– The Washington Post