Spring Break Draws More Concern Than Usual

Every year, college kids from all over the country count down the days until their spring break. The time away from school, the hopes for a change of climate and the desire for a great time stir in kids awaiting the much needed vacation. The top Spring Break spots for 2009 were said to be Costa Rica, Cancun, the Bahamas, Europe, Ski destinations, Acapulco, and Miami/South Beach. The runner-ups were Cabo, Rosarito and Puerto Rico.

Considering the fact that Cabo has been deemed "Convo San Lucas" because of how many LMU kids flock there, it makes you wonder why it is considered to be a runner-up this year. The reason for many students not traveling there is because of the Drug War currently happening in Mexico. Sure, Mexico has always been a corrupt country and has been dangerous, but someone from a small town in Idaho could say the same thing about Los Angeles being dangerous yet we live here and go through our day to day lives with generally little trouble. A couple of my friends were not allowed to go to Cabo this year because parents are very concerned about the potential disaster that could ensue.

On local news Sunday night, Mexico was said to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world right now. This danger isn’t something that the U.S. isn’t experiencing as is evident by recent articles discussing how Americans are being kidnapped, murdered, and held for ransom by these drug cartels. In an article by Tim Gaynor on March 2, he said that “U.S. authorities now fear that violent crime is beginning to bleed over the porous Mexico border and take hold here.” San Diego is one of the cities that is experiencing the horrible results of the drug war because of its proximity to Tijuana. These drug cartels are so powerful; the police can’t even help themselves as is evident by the fact that they are resigning from the force. This makes you wonder that if the police can’t help themselves, how are they going to be able to help an innocent spring breaker? Many campuses around the country share this concern and have urged students to stay away from Mexico this year as violence is on the rise and is about to reach its peak in the past couple of years.

Unfortunately for the U.S., government officials fear that “the crisis has become a full-blown national security concern for the United States.” It is no secret that Mexico is an extremely corrupt country, but one can only wonder about what that means for spring break destinations this year. I think that the rules remain the same but are maybe more serious this year. This war is mainly happening in border towns, but that doesn’t mean Cabo is exempt from anything happening, although I would say it is highly unlikely. I have friends down there now enjoying spring break who say that it is completely fine and they haven’t experienced anything that seemed shady or dangerous. No matter where students go, it is important to exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings. I am leaving for Cabo in less than a week and am not too worried about our safety any more than I was last year. The Drug War is an issue that cannot be ignored but I think we are more likely to experience it in cities close to the border than we are in Cabo. As LMU prepares to embark on spring break ’09, parents can only hope that they make good decisions wherever they go and trust that they haven’t raised someone who is not completely oblivious to the safety standards all around the world, not just in Mexico.

E. O'Neil