Spotlight Fallacy and Crime in Mexico

In a column I wrote in August of 2005, titled,brutal) makes all of Mexico a dangerous place to live
Kidnapping Americans in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, I saidor visit is like saying that when the last L.A. riots
this about the American press and their coverage ofoccurred then no one should have come to visit or
the events then taking place in the border city:live in Kansas City. Statistically, roaming the streets of
"The "Spotlight Fallacy" is simply this: "This line ofsouth L.A. is far more dangerous than it is walking
reasoning is fallacious since the mere fact thatdown the street in Overland Park, Kansas. The truth
someone or something attracts the most attentionis that you are more likely to become a homicide
or coverage in the media does not mean that itstatistic in America than you are in Mexico.
automatically represents the whole population. ForRead this quote from our book, GUANAJUATO,
example, suppose a mass murderer from Old Town,MÉXICO Your Expat, Study Abroad, and
Maine received a great deal of attention in the media.Vacation Survival Manual in The Land of Frogs:[vi]
It would hardly follow that everyone from the town"In the year 2003, in Mexico, there were 13 murders
is a mass murderer. The Spotlight fallacy derives itsfor every 100,000 inhabitants in the entire country. In
name from the fact that receiving a great deal ofthat same year, in the United States, that was the
attention or coverage is often referred to as being insame homicide statistic for the state of Louisiana.
the spotlight."[i]These stats come from the FBI Uniform Crime
Once again, the American press, this time NPRReports for the year 2003. "Another conclusion that
News[ii], is spotlighting the events now taking place incan be drawn from the State Department report,
Michoacan.which some in the U.S. government might find
In the article, Mexico's Drug Wars Leave Rising Deathshocking, is that Mexico appears to be a safer place
Toll, author Lourdes Garcia-Navarro writes:to be for U.S. citizens than their own homeland. The
"Mexican and U.S. officials are meeting Thursday inState Department figures show that a total of 77
Laredo, Texas, to discuss concerns about growingU.S. citizens were murdered in Mexico during the
drug violence in Mexico. U.S. Ambassador Tony Garzatwo-year period ending Dec. 31, 2004. That's for the
has advised U.S. citizens to exercise extreme cautionwhole country. By comparison, according to the FBI
when traveling in Mexico because of "the rising levelUniform Crime Reports, in 2003 alone, 109 people
of brutal violence.""[iii]were murdered in the mid-sized city of Milwaukee. In
The author goes on to mention the hideous fact theWashington, D.C., where State Department officials
level of violence is becoming even more brutal:cook up their policies, a total of 248 people were
"More than 1,500 people have died in narcotics-relatedmurdered in 2003, the FBI report shows. New York
killings this year alone. In recent months, dozens ofCity weighed in with 597 murders that year." -Bill
people have been beheaded and tortured as cartelsConroy NarcoNews.""[vii]
across Mexico fight for the lucrative drug-traffickingMurder is horrible but somehow we are even more
routes into the United States."[iv]repulsed when the murder victim's heads are
I chose to bring this issue of Crime in Mexico back toremoved and displayed for the entire world to see.
my column writing because it is once again affectingThe drug lords who are killing those associated with
the decisions of potential expats and in some casesthe drug trade, have learned well from the Islamic
tourists to come to Mexico for retirement or even aterrorist how the terror effect is effectively
visit. I understand Americans being afraid of comingachieved in chopping someone's head off and
here when the American press spends an unbalancedthrowing them onto a dance floor-which happened
amount of time and print in spotlighting these eventsrecently in Mexico.
without reporting the "rest of the story."Three points Americans seem never to notice:
When I wrote my article on the kidnapping of1. The beheadings in Mexico are those who have
Americans in Nuevo Laredo, I contacted one of theassociations with the drug trade. They are not
authors of the Texas press who had written theinnocent American expats or tourists.
article. Living in Mexico City, the most crime-ridden2. Americans forget their own violent history with
city in the country, she agreed with me that much oforganized crime and those murdered by Mob Bosses
her article and what she had contributed to thefor much of the same reasons Mexican Mobsters are
reporting of this news had been horribly twisted outmurdering those who worked for them: botched
of context. She told me that her reporting had beendeals, cheating their bosses, suspected of ratting to
spotlighted to create the impression that, "Wethe feds-cops who have the gall to confront them.
American expats have to dodge bullets every time3. The drug trafficking violence is the competing for
we walk out our front doors."the profitable drug market driven directly by
As an American expat living in Mexico now for morethousands of American drug addiction. Americans
than three years, let me just say: We are not havingnever want to acknowledge their part in all of this
to dodge bullets each time we leave the house normess. If Americans didn't provide the demand then
are we in danger of having our heads whacked offthere would be no drug traffic marketing. But,
by murderous drug lords.somehow, it is all Mexico's fault and Americans are
Look, I get that Americans considering coming toinnocent victims. The criminals in Mexico would not be
Mexico to visit or expatriate are at the mercy of awasting their time if there weren't money to be
press in America that has for all practical purposesmade off Americans addicts.
gone a bit loony. I realize that if you had to dependIf statistics mean anything, let me leave you with this
on the press for whether not it is safe to ventureone. This is from the book, THE PLAIN TRUTH
out of your house then you would never walk outABOUT LIVING IN MEXICO:
the front door. You would, in fact, think that to live in" Americans must take a long, hard look at the
the United States was the most dangerous place onso-called dangers in Mexico. For example, Mexico is
the earth from what the press reports each day.not one of the most dangerous countries in the
In the May of 2006, the American press reportedworld. According to online almanac website, the
more than ten events that ranged from parentsUnited States of America is in the top 16[viii] most
offering their adolescent children heroine to some guydangerous countries in which to live. Mexico is not
in Oklahoma plotting and partial carrying out theeven on the list."[ix]
cannibalistic murder of his ten year-old neighbor.###
Another guy in Pennsylvania got mad at his brother[i] Kidnapping Americans in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico;
so he beat him to death with a tire iron then[ii]
chopped him up and threw the body parts out the[iii] IBID
car window all over the county.[iv] IBID
You would think, as do many Latinos and Europeans,[v] The fact is that America breeds about 75% of
that America is not the Land of the Free and thethe world's Serial Killers according to the FBI.
Home of the Brave, but rather the Land of the Mass[vi] GUANAJUATO, MÉXICO Your Expat,
Murderers and the home of the Serial Killers.[v]Study Abroad, and Vacation Survival Manual in The
And why does the rest of the world see America inLand of Frogs.
this light? Partly it is due to the spotlight fallacy inCopyright © 2006 Doug & Cindi Bower; All
which the whole is judged according to the few whorights reserved; Universal Publishers; Boca Raton,
are spotlighted by the press. Partly it is because it isFlorida
true.USA o 2006
America is a violent place.[vii] IBID
But, not all of America is a violent place.[viii] It is now # 12.
Do you get that?[ix] THE PLAIN TRUTH ABOUT LIVING IN MEXICO
Saying that the drug-trafficking violence happening inCopyright © 2006 Doug & Cindi Bower; All
one part of the country (and it is horribly violent andrights reserved.