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Daniel Becerril / Reuters
Catholics pray near windows covered partially with cement blocks inside St. Teresa of Avila church in Monterrey, Mexico, on Feb. 17, 2013.
Daniel Becerril / Reuters
A green light indicates there is no danger as a priest distributes Holy Communion to the congregation inside the church.
A church in the Mexican city of Monterrey has set up extreme security measures to protect worshippers, bricking up its windows and introducing a traffic light system to warn churchgoers if a crime is taking place nearby.
During mass, a green light is activated above a side door of the St. Teresa of Avila church to indicate that there is no sign of danger outside.
When the amber light is lit, it indicates caution, while the red light represents danger from criminal activity, such as a shooting, taking place near the church.
A concrete wall has also been constructed in front of the main facade of the church.
Daniel Becerril / Reuters
A concrete wall has been built in front of St. Teresa of Avila church.
Last week, Mexico's new administration offered the first details of a long-touted shift in the country's war on drugs, saying the government will spend $9.2 billion this year on social programs meant to keep young people from joining criminal organizations in the 251 most violent towns and neighborhoods across the country.
"It's clear that we must put special emphasis on prevention, because we can't only keep employing more sophisticated weapons, better equipment, more police, a higher presence of the armed forces in the country as the only form of combating organized crime," President Enrique Pena Nieto said.
-- Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Your going to tell me gun control wouldn't work in an uncivilized country.
This has little to do with guns but a lot to do with the drug culture here in the USA.
Mexico has no problem producing and selling it and killing their own people to do it.
The entire world is blaming the USA for everything from the common cold to global warming but we're still the A-1 country every damn refugee and immigrant on the globe is trying to park their rear end.
Even the two-faced "it's-all-America's-fault" last-year presidents run here. So kiss my grits and whistle another tune, that one is flat as last season's birthday balloon.
It's unfortunate Mexico's strict anti gun laws prevent them from having any chance of defending themselves. These people are reduced to hiding behind walls hoping the thugs don't decide to enter to see what they could steal, for if they did, it's like sheep to the slaughter.
True, Willy, true.
Right. I Know! BAN GUNS! Ban every kind of gun in the whole country! Oh thats right. They did that decades ago and the only people who have guns are..........
--------------------------------THE BAD GUYS!------------------------------
Chalk up another hair brained idea for the liberals and the democrats. They truly are mentally Ill.
Hummmmmmmmm ... "Anarchy" .... in a nation of strict gun control? ..... How could that be?
The Mexican government has lost control ..... if the "Rebels" were to interrupt the ability to collect revenue .. chaos,....................... and Mexico would end up like Syria .... with us intervening
Lusitania You must be an Obama worshiping, head in the sand ultra liberal to make a statement like that.. As the fine knowledgeable posts above mine point out, guns are completely illegal to possess in Mexico except for police and military and some private security.. Same goes for neighboring Latin and south American countries.. Having been down there several time I can tell you for a fact that 50% of the police carry fully automatic rifles aka assault rifles which for the most part are forbidden for US law enforcement to carry.. The crime in Mexico is nothing new and the same goes for cross border crime from Mexican bandits who rob, hijack, smuggle and burglarize homes in the USA.. Gun control does not work to deter crime at all.. Since we have gang violence and gang murder by gun that is over half the total of all crime in the US and is perpetrated by mostly inner city Black and Hispanic gangs that are 1% of the population you would think that this would be a good place to focus resources.. But once again Obama attacks the rights of all US citizens as part of a Communist agenda applauded by people like George Soros who is a well known friend of Obama and a well known mouthpiece for Communists in the USA..
Ya I know why the cops have them, they're legit !!
well, just take a wild guess where they get the guns!!!
Carol Woodruff, they get them from Eric Holder.
Remember the Alamo.
I still think that Mexico would make a fine addition to the US as the 51st through 55th states.. Since 1/3 of their population is here already I would think that it would not be hard to get a majority to agree to this union.. Those that don't will make a good local war for the government to spend our tax dollars on and support the Military/Industrial complex.. It would solve a lot of problems in one stroke like immigration, smuggling, law enforcement, border security and so on..
The fact that Obama and Holder shipped thousands of guns and millions of rounds of ammunition to Mexico and tried to blame it on US firearms dealers is a crime.. All part of his Communist agenda to sway the population into disarming America.. Socializing large parts of our economy like the medical and health insurance industries and his redistribution of wealth schemes are unconstitutional at their core.. Blocking an investigation by claiming executive privilege is a sure sign that he is guilty.. Why he has not been brought up on charges and Impeached is an indicator of how bad our government has become.. I can't wait till the man portable antiaircraft missiles and explosives that he was giving to the jihad revolutionaries in Libya start popping here in the states.. The Yemeni coast guard caught a shipment of that stuff coming into their country to arm anti government rebels.. Great foreign policy moves Obama, just can't wait for more of the same.. Bet he will blame the downing of passenger jet liners on US firearms owners..
What I find so reprehensible about the Mexico violence....Is that Obama won't allow OUR citizens to protect their land and their assets. Obama wants ALL of Mexicos citizens to come her, but won't allow Americans to protect themselves who live on the borders. Obama and the democrats are interested in only one thing VOTES. America is always second with them. Power and party are first in the liberals mind. Our country isn't!
Actually the only thing first in the average liberals mind is him, her, or itself. Noone else.
How refreshing! A Politico having common sense. Too bad it is in another country and not this one. Prevention through education, job availability to starving people and shelter for them to lay their heads usually works. When someone feels devalued they are tempted to "change the rules"( a maxim I saw in the library of a middle school in one of USA's richest school districts.) "If you are losing the game, change the rules." was the original quote.
All to true. But when do we change the game?
Monterrey used to be a pretty safe city. Drugs are not a victimless crime.
I guess that whole God thing isn't working out. Couldn't they pray for a safer neighborhood or is this one of those situations where God works in "mysterious ways"?
Wayoutthero........hot lead doesn't care if you are a Christian or just an ignorant loudmouth who cannot contain himself, but just has to yell, "Look. I am an Atheist!!" . Big Phucking Deal. No One CARES...azzhole.
Being a Christian doesn't make you bullet proof you atheist filth. Christians still have to use common sense.
Why bother using common sense, Shovelface? Isn't everything that happens "god's will"??
I don't think people like you wouldn't know common sense if it ran you over.
It's more to do with "free will" than God's will. You liberals seem to think your "free will" should be able to run wild all the while trying to control my "free will".
Interesting. What would make you correlate atheism with liberals?? The most conservative people I know are all atheists or at the very least feel the government should stay out of religion. Love to see how the most ardent so-called Christians I see posting here on Newsvine are all about judging others and putting them down. Doesn't seem very Christian to me, lol.
Bricking up the churches is the best idea I've heard in years. Who'd thunk they'd come up with it themselves?
you took the words right out of my mouth - maybe, in order to save bricks, we should just turn the bulldozers loose on all those damn churches
You anti-religious are just sad. I can hear the despiration in your posts. You are so afraid that someone may chink that comfortable armor you have and maybe you start believing, at least a little bit, and you worry your lifestyle would change.
Actually they didn't Dick.....they needed a bunch of ignorant azz anti-religious nutjobs to start selling drugs and carrying assault weapons to SHOW them the "right way".... Good job, douche-bag. The next time we need advice on our spiritual beliefs we will make sure we give you a buzz....just wait for the call. We will find you easily......you self proclaimed "Atheist" pricks are easy to spot.....heads up your azz is a hint.
jbird...better get something bigger than those Tonka Toys you play with to knock down places of worship. We know where YOUR place of worship is...sitting on the "pottie" with your Playkiddie centerfold thumping that little thing you call a peepee.
Funny, Religious wars have killed more people then anything else. Where ever their is religion, there is upheaval and death. Gods Plan?
Looks like a nice place for a family vacation.
Mexico could start by cleaning up the corrupt government. Until that happens, nothing else will change. I feel sorry for people that simply want to go to church and worship only to be thinking violence will happen. I can't imagine living in a society were you don't know the good guys from the bad guys. The police and military can be as corrupt as the drug lords. Desperate conditions require desperate actions.
I agree that their government needs a good clean-out. So many Mexicans are here now, we might as well annex the country and put our own government in. Mexico has enough willing workers and natural resources to be every bit as rich as the U.S., but that'll never happen.
But John...where do you live that you can tell the good guys from the bad guys? Don't say Colorado.
God gave people the World but didn't mean to be cleaning up after them constantly. Time the mexican people clean house and then go pray.
The only thing John knows is.......not a whole hell of a lot.
The Mexican people are some of the most Christian and religious people in the world. Perfect world is not working out well for them so they come here to try again and they are creating exactly what they tried to escape. Religion is funny... it gives people blind faith to be controlled and excuses to justify things done poorly, Badly, hurtful or just down right mean!
Mod in Mad... Your post prove my last point 100%
Disgusting.
Why don't the church goers sneak across the border , our goverment will take care of them.
Jeez, if there was just some way we could get a few more Mexicans here in the good old USA. We're all so "against gun violence", but somehow we need to let in more and more violent people and treat them to all of our politically correct goodness.
Don't those criminals realize they can't own guns in Mexico? (sarcasm)
And people still go to this country for vacations???
Sending your kids to Mexico for spring break?
We are on our way to becoming mexico. I here San Diego is the new capital of mexico.
All coming to a U.S. city near you. Enjoy your gift from the Liberal Democrats!
Someone needs to tell Obama and Holder the cartel needs more guns after taking the guns of law abiding american citizens.
What HAS been reasonably demonstrated is that the "arms race" with the drug cartels cannot be won by the Mexican Government. The cartels can easily afford to arm themselves and train personnel better than the government can do. In addition, the cartels have a compensation advantage. [If you are a "soldier" for the cartel, you get paid if you support and killed if you try to leave - strong "employee loyalty" strategy] So it makes sense for the Mexican Government to shift focus to another approach to the problem. The less Government resources used against the cartels, the less pressure on cartels to recruit youths [less need for manpower].
The US demand for drugs is the market and source of funds. US arms makers and dealers supply the cartels with the most high tech weapons money can buy. Open lucrative market and endless supply of profits. And some of those posting here are unable to see the relevance and centrality of the US in this. It is much easier to take the stupid and bigoted approach of demonizing all Mexicans. Just try to THINK for a moment. If there were no drug market in the US, there would be little or NO organized cartel problem in Mexico or on the border. The violence and guns are a direct byproduct of trying to secure and protect the extraordinarily profitable illicit drug trade market.
If the bigots in this country would turn their effort and hatred away from "illegal immigration" and toward illegal drug trade [whether through legalization -which takes away the excess profits- or serious enforcement- the large traders and not the street users] there would be far more done to curb violence in the US and in Mexico. That would, of course, mean turning against high volume and high profit drug dealers in the US - many of whom happen to be white. So far, that has been something this country has been unwilling to do.
What a complete moron. Ohhh anyone who is against illegal immigration is racist. Go kill yourself faggot.
Were doe's obama get his drugs is he aloud to grow it in the white house.
We need Mexico to do something to defend their border. A two mile buffer zone (DMZ like) on the Mexican side
of the border. Bulldoze the land flat so the Mexican police or military can stop the drugs, etc. from getting near
the border. And as a back-up, have US troops open fire on those that try to cross the border illegally. Why do illegals get treated so well anyway. Illegals should be fined, stripped of any valuables or cash and deported.
If you use illegal drugs, you are SUPPORTING these disgusting drug cartels, the violence of which is spreading into our own country.
Under this rock I shall build my church! Now who is the wiser man?
Actually "you're going to tell me...".
NO. Civilized or not makes no difference.
Did Prohibition prevent people from drinking?! Do people not use drugs because narcotics are illegal?!
Why would it work? The criminals would still have their guns, whether you banned them here or abroad.
They all get fake voter ID's and vote for Democrats. Obama ain't buildin' no fence.
Corruption is so rampant at every level in Mexican society that there is no hope. The average citizen has to be corrupt just to survive. You cannot blame them nor can you expect an unarmed population to be the change. When the government has such total control, change can only come from the top down. Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.