I feel that violence can and will spill over to US if we don’t take precautionary measures. The only sure shot way to stop illegal drug trade and accompanied violence that I see is to allow all drugs to be sold and used in US legally.

But don't you see? Don't you realize that if drugs were legalized, there would only be more crime? The drug traders will get more power; they will control the country. People who might not otherwise use drugs would start. The drug trade would undoubtedly flourish beyond proportion. Thousands will be addicted. They will do anything to get more. They will kill. They will steal. They will spend all their money, and be in ruin. Legalizing will only encourage drug use. People under the influence of drugs are so much more likely to do illegal things! Judgement and perception would be impaired; nobody would be safe anywhere. It would be pure chaos!

Is the chaos you are worried about like the chaos that happened after alcohol was made legal again? It's the same thing. Further, the drug war is primarily a war on marijuana consumers. Every major government study on drugs has concluded marijuana is not addictive and is far less harmful than alcohol.

So stay calm. The sky will not fall. -- John Thomas

That is not true. Legalization would empower the federal, state and local government with millions of dollars to combat the problem where the real battles are. In the homes of Americans who are in of employment, better health care, better education and information to make a decision either way. Liquer has been legal for years and we are not a nation of lushs. The old approach of doing things is not working and its time for a new tactic on the war on drugs.

Yes, concerned. Misguided drug policy, based on moralistic ideology, as opposed to "effective policy" has created a large drug addicted population, a large incarcerated population, a large population of criminal suppliers, and a large policy of drug related law enforcement. These four large "populations" are actively corrupting our society, as well as many others.

The endless repetition of an approach that does not work, albeit with increased vigor, is a signal indicator of the lack of intelligence.

Yes,and I very dissapointed with politics at Mexico we do not have or don't wanted addopted a model row of dedicated young entusiastes with politic skills to do things positive right to the benefit of everybody,what happend in Mexico its like this;if you run with any political party and wins you will have some high rank in some federal agency or goverment office even if you don't have any skills at all,its why we are were we are in Mexico its not control at all many citizen and goverment workers do werever they fill to do,they have no respect for our constitucion and hacienda (SHP).Also now at every Town small or big Kidnapping big deal does't matter who it is longer you have a business or have family relative in USA;They asking for thousand of Dollars,very easy,people its going to run cracy if uncorrupt goverment take hands on the field.Economies will fall down..............what do you thing!!!!!!!!!!!!

To frame the question as "concerned over the drug war" reduces the complexity of the problem. The problem in Mexico right now is insecurity. I am very concerned about the problem of insecurity in Mexico and in Tijuana specifically. The root of this problem is difficult to find. Is it corrupt government, corrupt police, corrupt population, desperate economic conditions, poverty, uneducated population, desintegrating social structure? It is a difficult problem to wrap your hands around. I commute daily back and forth between San Diego and Tijuana and live the problems that the story in the show talked about. This is an issue that the average Tijuana citizen is now worried about. As to what we will be able to do to resolve it, honestly I don't have much hope given our present position.

In response to those who believe this sentiment: "Don't you realize that if drugs were legalized, there would only be more crime? The drug traders will get more power; they will control the country", please study the U.S. experiment with Prohibition (of alcohol) and its effects on crime and alcohol use(think Al Capone), and the effects that legalizing and taxing alcohol had on crime and alcohol use (both decreased). For very logical reasons, Prohibition increases both violent crime and the use of the prohibited substance if that substance is desired by the public. The Drug War has cost us billions of dollars, thousands of lives, and many of our civil rights. The sooner we legalize, control, and tax highly desired substances, the sooner this disasterous situation will end.

No country will ever win against any level of violence that they are not willing to meet or excede in order to defeat it. When a problem is so rampant the channels of individual justice are a profound waste of time. Drugs lords and their minions need to be slaughtered on site until they are all dead, Not simply until there is a lul in their activity. Governments Must Stop being satisfied with a level of control over extreme violence. They must Not stop slaughtering their enemies until the enemy to civil society is dead. They must REsolve to Solve the problem.

Imagine if alcohol prohibition had lasted for 70 years like marijuana prohibition has. The corruption and violence it spawned would have grown to equal our current situation. The question should not be about violence spilling over from Mexico, but the prohibition generated corruption that spills from the U.S. to every corner of the world.

Prohibition is the noose we are hanging ourselves with. Catherine Austin Fitts makes a frightful analysis: http://www...lars1.html --- John Thomas

As a baby boomer who's considering Mexico as a part time home, yes, I'm concerned. I'd like to see Mexico become more stable. The future of both the US and Mexico would seem to be connected, because we are such close neighbors in an increasingly global world, so it seems that our government ought to be partnering with Mexico not only in the "drug war" but also in regard to other issues. The idea of legalizing some or all drugs is an interesting possibility that may need to be seriously considered. I don't believe that meeting violence with violence is at all advisable.

No I'm not
what I am concerned about is a war that has been lost twenty years ago and all the people who have been placed in jail and had there lives destroyed over a illness called addiction
not to mention the huge amounts of illegal money that is pumped into the criminal world
making drugs more tolerable would go a long way in slowing the downward turn in this never ending search for lifes meaning

It already is spilling over into the US. From where do you think the drug lords in our big cities are getting their suppply? We certainly don't make the drugs here. They come from other countries around the globe; especially Mexico and the other coutries South of the US border.

I believe that it is false to assume that if drugs were made legal more crime would be the result. It is far more likely that drug-crime would be reduced as was alcohol-crime after the repeal of prohibition. Whether they are good for you or not, if drugs were legal and well regulated (perhaps like pharmceuticals), I believe that crime would be reduced.

Naturally, we should all be concerned. NOt only for Mexico, but for other countries that are either producers(Afghanistan), transit (Mexico) or consumer nations (US and many European nations). This problem concern us all. The drugs are being made in the US, too. I invite you all to do a wee bit more of research on the subject. For example, crack was invented here in the US, as well as the marijuana pipes and kindred items. So, please do some research before errouneously pointing the finger at one particular country as being a pusher. How about the consumer nations? Remember the old economic axiom, as long as there is demand, there will be supply. So, start doing something locally, as far as eliminating the root cause of it, before blaming it onto others. Thank you.

What concerns me most is a society that continues to fill their bodies with harmful substances, and they don't care that sooner or later it will kill them. Drug trafficers would be out of business if there were not so many addicts in this country. Afghanistan's poppy fields are supplying the world with heroin. The far east has been supplying opium for centuries. South America's drug cartels have spilled into Mexico. It's all about the money. If you could wave a magic wand and cure every addict in America, the problem would be solved. If you are waiting for Washington to do something constructive about it, you will have a long wait. Cigarettes kill too, but the tobacco companys are still making millions and nobody is shutting them down. Maybe there isn't an answer to self destructive human behavior.

Not in particular, because it already has. But the general concesus is that drugs will always find they're way into the country as long as there's a demand. The state governments, financed by a federal program, need to begin a comprehensive rehabilitation program that must met a monthly criteria set by the federal government; education needs to also directly address the dangers to students through their entire student career.

There will always free trade on drug! the supply and demand warrent it. this problem will always be in u.s. from the banker, gun runer & free trade. the war on drug will never end!

I am more concerned with the reactionary results on the part of the American people towards Mexico. I mean more folks will resist going to visit there, and this threat carries fear from both tourist and visiting blood relatives. This war is not just affecting Mexico it carries a deep resentment both from Americans and families as well.

the war is here.it's in every city ,town,and community that I-35 runs threw,from Laredo,Tx to Gainsville Tx. Thats just in my state alone.Read our local papers ask our children.Its everywhere.The dealers no longer ask how much you want to buy,It's how much are you willing to take until I come back on the next round.

I live in Guanajuato, in the geographical center of Mexico. We are constantly bombarded here with the news of the war between rival drug cartels and the police and army fighting with the drug traffickers. A recent news article reported over 200 deaths in Chihuahua alone since the first of 2008. It is imperative that the government take strong measures to destroy the drug cartels or their power will continue to grow until anarchy prevails in the country and the only surviving government or police will be that which submits to the criminal elements. Does the U. S. want a criminal society of 100 million plus on its southern border? If not, our government should do everything possible to support the administration of Pres. Felipe Calderon in his war against the narcos. concerned American living in Gto.