Crime is always a concern for travelers and tourists are repeatedly cautioned to be "street wise" and reminders of what that means are common in the literature.  If one reads USA State Department or foreign equivalent travel advisories it could be frightening if one does not have a broad perspective on the world.  In reality, there are unsafe places in every country and city and we should always be as knowledgeable as we can about our environment and act appropriately.

The press has recently been filled with reports on horrific crimes in Mexico and I, for one, will take note and try to avoid putting myself at risk on any visit there.  However, The Miami Herald 30 August 2010 presents some interesting information in an article by Andres Oppenheimer that I want to share:
- "80  percent of all successfully traced weapons in Mexico come from the United States."  I add that the number for Canada is about the same, if not higher.

- "Mexico's murder rate is rising fast, but as reported ( reference to a previous column), according to the United Nations figures it''s still about five times less than that of Honduras, Jamaica, or Venezuela, and significantly less than that of Washington D.C.

Be careful always; but, don't stop exploring the world.