Media Has Anti-Mexico Bias

Media Has Anti-Mexico Bias

By Ed Kociela

The recent deaths of a handful of Americans in Mexico is sad, distressing.

But there is a caveat to all of the clickbait headlines, and the reality is not so much made on the violence of the crimes, but rather the exaggeration and lack of depth in reporting.

While a handful of dead Americans in a foreign country is alarming over a month’s time, the truth is that, on average, 13 Hispanics a day are killed in the United States, a stat you will not find in the daily reports.

But, as in all things, to get to the truth, you have got to follow the money.

Most of these overblown, sensationalized reports come from media in border towns, particularly San Diego, which competes heavily for tourism dollars with Mexico.

San Diego is filled with top destinations ranging from Balboa Park to the many galleries, fishing charters, beach hotspots, world-class golf courses, and such.

You can find great accommodations, great food, and great things to do.

The downside, of course, if you must deal with a teeming metropolis where every price is exorbitant, the freeways and highways are jammed and confusing, and the sidewalks are filled with stuffy people with their noses in the air. I once spent a lot of time in San Diego, going out on deep-sea fishing boats to chase tuna and albacore. It was a quieter time, a friendlier place, and you actually afford to park near the docks at H&M Landing for a day or so out on the water.

Parking is outrageous now, and the once quaint beaches are loaded up with boutique bistros and eateries that charge a fortune for sashimi and 10 bucks for a coffee.
It is understanding why they would want to fight for every tourist dollar they could grab.

Except, they don’t fight fair and, thus, the exaggerated stories about what happens once you cross the border.

The thing is this: Most of the people who end up in harm’s way in Mexico are responsible for their misfortune, either trying to wheedle out of a low-level drug deal or getting involved with some unsavory characters of another ilk.

The solution is simple: I you don’t want a problem, don’t do something stupid. It is easy as that. Keep your nose clean, don’t rub shoulders with dealers, pimps, or thieves, and you will do just fine. Particularly in the areas where many Americans cross the border for medical procedures, which is drawing many people to Mexico.

A lot of money comes across the border in those places, and nobody really wants to mess with someone coming over to have their breasts enlarged or have the wrinkles removed from around their eyes. Step into the extracurricular activities, however, and you will definitely have a problem, just like you would in the United States. The criminal element has no regard for your station in life and couldn’t care less about your fantasy of being Scarface for a day. They look upon such fools as a threat, and they do not take threats lightly. But not to the extent of what you read in the daily newspapers and see on the evening news reports. I promise you that what is going on in the streets of Mexico is nothing like what is being reported in the media. It is a different lifestyle and a different culture south of the border, to be sure, but it is certainly nothing like the Wild West mentality in the United States, where seemingly everybody wants to be packing heat and is ready to draw down at a moment’s notice.

I have no proof, just a deeply rooted instinct that tells me the San Diego Chamber of Commerce has exerted a lot of influence on the local media, which has encouraged other border towns to do the same, to discourage Americans from heading south for vacations or medical procedures. The almighty dollar, of course, rules supreme in all decisions in the world of business, and, believe me, tourism is an important part of border businesses.

Border towns like San Diego don’t like it that Americans are going south for operations that cost a fraction of the price in the U.S. so they try to downgrade the medicos who, by the way, are usually trained and schooled in the U.S. and actually travel north several times a year to perform surgeries.

They don’t like the idea that drugs and medications are so much cheaper in Mexico because they do not wish to loosen the stranglehold Big Pharma has on the pills and such that keep us upright.

They don’t like the idea that resorts and first-class hotels cost a mere fraction of their northern competitors.

So, when the opportunity to do a smear on Mexico comes up, they jump in with both feet, realizing that the American public is either too stupid or too lazy to seek the truth and, thus, the myths propagate.

I have great affection for Mexico, its people, and its culture. For me, it is idyllic, comforting, and welcoming. I feel more at home in Mexico than in any other place I have ever been. I understand it, and it understands me. I love the pace, the people, the culture, and the breathtaking scenery.

I also truly understand that Mexico is not for everybody and that many crave the socialization, energy, and the buzz of major metropolitan cities with an Olive Garden on every corner and a Starbucks on every block. I don’t want or need that. Crowds make me crazy, and I am simply not going to waste a 10-spot on a latte-frappuccino-mocha-whatever.

But, I also think that it is imperative for those media outlets in border towns to do their homework and present an honest report about what is going on across the border.

It really is quite different than what is being reported by a media being guided by heavy-handed propagandists from the local Chamber of Commerce.

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