In Mexico, Bodyguards Are In Fashion

I so rarely see mainstream American media address Mexico's violent situation, but yesterday the New York Times ran this story about how wealthy families in Mexico are hiring bodyguards, dressing them in designer clothes, and having them escort their children to school.

Unfortunately, the story mostly reads like a style section piece that seems to claim "bodyguards are the new black" which doesn't at all seem the best way to go about reporting the terrifying situation in Mexico today, where loved ones can be kidnapped at any moment. The situation is so bad that many upper class Mexicans are simply leaving the country. But the problem is really those that aren't from the upper crust:

Some security consultants and academics point out that at least the upper crust has options, while other Mexicans must rely on law enforcement agencies, known for their corruption and ineffectiveness, to protect them from the violence. Many families who struggle to make ends meet find their loved ones grabbed for ransom. And shootouts between traffickers and the police and soldiers pursuing them erupt with no regard for the income level of bystanders.

It's hard to imagine living in a world like this, yet it's a reality for many Mexicans today, and it's sort of amazing that it garners so little attention from the American press, since it all happens in America's back yard.