Guillermo Paxton's Blog, page 3
September 6, 2012
US/Mexico Governments aided Sinaloa Cartel?
When I lived in Tijuana, in 2006-2007, Calderon came to power and shortly thereafter things changed in Tijuana and all of Baja California. The Mexican Army moved in and in a combined effort with the newest police chief Julian Leyzaola ousted the Arellano-Felix Cartel. But it wasn't done just by them. The United States also pitched in with numerous arrests and extraditions. The end result? The Sinaloa Cartel owns Tijuana.
Leyzaola is from Culiacan, Sinaloa. He was a military officer (Lt. Col.) and when he took office in Tijuana, his "mission" was to clean up corruption and the border violence. He is largely credited with having done just that.
However, the facts are very different than what the government would like for the citizens to believe. All that really occurred in Tijuana is a change of hands of the Tijuana plaza, from the Arellano-Felix to the Sinaloa Cartel. The border violence calmed down there because El Chapo won, hands down, and with the military and later the police force behind him, how was that not going to happen.
Julian Leyzaola even made a statement about how he had "rejected" a bribe from El Chapo. This may be possible. He may not be working directly for El Chapo. He might actually be naive enough to believe that he is in a frontal war on drugs and is working for a government that has rejected the Cartels. But the facts point to a very different conclusion. He was sent to Juarez to do the same thing. The Sinaloa Cartel has had a difficult time ridding the plaza of the Juarez Cartel, and the first thing he did when he arrived was to arrest top dogs in the Juarez Cartel.
Investigative reporter Bill Conroy wrote an article on wiki leaks recently exposing a plan by the Mexican and US governments to side with the Sinaloa Cartel in order to take down the others. The logic behind that was that it would be easier to control and contain. People in Mexico have been saying that Calderon's government had sided with El Chapo for years and has always been dismissed as rumors. But if anyone looks at the number of arrests of other cartels and compares them to the lack of numbers of arrests of the Sinaloa Cartel (which has arguably been the biggest and most powerful in the last few years), one can plainly see that the concentration of forces has been very one sided indeed in favor of El Chapo's organization.
Now the governments are rallying against the Zetas. Suddenly they have become the real enemy while the Sinaloa Cartel sits in the background and remains relatively untouched. The government would have you believe that the level of violence and murder that Mexico is now living is the fault of the Zetas. I can assure you, from someone who witnessed what the Sinaloa Cartel did in Chihuahua (Juarez and the entire state), they are just as violent and dangerous.
There is no better or worse cartel. They all have the same purpose and the same lack of morality. They are all murderers.
Favoring one cartel over another is simply wrong. There is no ends justifying the means. To recognize that eradicating the cartels is an impossible task and instead trying to contain one single cartel makes no sense. The people that make the drug war policy either have another agenda or are using drugs themselves. It is time to stop this madness. Whatever side of the border that you are on, you are touched by the drug war, whether it is economically, morally, or emotionally, and it is detrimental to you. Over 80,000 lives have been lost in Mexico alone since 2006 as a direct result of the drug war violence. Billions of dollars are spent on weapons, training, manpower, and prison. Only a tiny portion of that is spent on rehabilitation or prevention. Police DARE programs' funding is weak at best, and the program shows it. It is far past time to reevaluate the drug policy and shift our funding and thinking to prevent drug use and change strategy, whether it is legalization or otherwise. As long as a demand for illegal drugs exist, people will be ready to supply them, no matter what the risks are.
Leyzaola is from Culiacan, Sinaloa. He was a military officer (Lt. Col.) and when he took office in Tijuana, his "mission" was to clean up corruption and the border violence. He is largely credited with having done just that.
However, the facts are very different than what the government would like for the citizens to believe. All that really occurred in Tijuana is a change of hands of the Tijuana plaza, from the Arellano-Felix to the Sinaloa Cartel. The border violence calmed down there because El Chapo won, hands down, and with the military and later the police force behind him, how was that not going to happen.
Julian Leyzaola even made a statement about how he had "rejected" a bribe from El Chapo. This may be possible. He may not be working directly for El Chapo. He might actually be naive enough to believe that he is in a frontal war on drugs and is working for a government that has rejected the Cartels. But the facts point to a very different conclusion. He was sent to Juarez to do the same thing. The Sinaloa Cartel has had a difficult time ridding the plaza of the Juarez Cartel, and the first thing he did when he arrived was to arrest top dogs in the Juarez Cartel.
Investigative reporter Bill Conroy wrote an article on wiki leaks recently exposing a plan by the Mexican and US governments to side with the Sinaloa Cartel in order to take down the others. The logic behind that was that it would be easier to control and contain. People in Mexico have been saying that Calderon's government had sided with El Chapo for years and has always been dismissed as rumors. But if anyone looks at the number of arrests of other cartels and compares them to the lack of numbers of arrests of the Sinaloa Cartel (which has arguably been the biggest and most powerful in the last few years), one can plainly see that the concentration of forces has been very one sided indeed in favor of El Chapo's organization.
Now the governments are rallying against the Zetas. Suddenly they have become the real enemy while the Sinaloa Cartel sits in the background and remains relatively untouched. The government would have you believe that the level of violence and murder that Mexico is now living is the fault of the Zetas. I can assure you, from someone who witnessed what the Sinaloa Cartel did in Chihuahua (Juarez and the entire state), they are just as violent and dangerous.
There is no better or worse cartel. They all have the same purpose and the same lack of morality. They are all murderers.
Favoring one cartel over another is simply wrong. There is no ends justifying the means. To recognize that eradicating the cartels is an impossible task and instead trying to contain one single cartel makes no sense. The people that make the drug war policy either have another agenda or are using drugs themselves. It is time to stop this madness. Whatever side of the border that you are on, you are touched by the drug war, whether it is economically, morally, or emotionally, and it is detrimental to you. Over 80,000 lives have been lost in Mexico alone since 2006 as a direct result of the drug war violence. Billions of dollars are spent on weapons, training, manpower, and prison. Only a tiny portion of that is spent on rehabilitation or prevention. Police DARE programs' funding is weak at best, and the program shows it. It is far past time to reevaluate the drug policy and shift our funding and thinking to prevent drug use and change strategy, whether it is legalization or otherwise. As long as a demand for illegal drugs exist, people will be ready to supply them, no matter what the risks are.
September 4, 2012
Valle De Juarez- Mexican military accused of aiding criminals
In chapter twenty-five of THE PLAZA, Saul Saavedra (crime reporter for the Juarez Daily) interviews a resident of the Valle De Guadalupe, Juarez, Mexico. In the interview the old man accuses the military of aiding the Sinaloa Cartel in ridding the area of all of its residents.
In an article done by the Los Angeles Press, Olga Reyes Salazar, former Valley resident and now exile in the US, talks about what happened.
Olga's nephew was shot to death in the Valley and residents who witnessed the shooting told them that a military convoy was close by and did nothing to stop it. In fact, the military had been known to rob the residents and other acts of aggression. My sources when I lived in Juarez had told me that their "mission" was to rid the Valley of all residents not in direct connection to the Sinaloa Cartel by harrassment and when that did not work they were told to allow the "Sicarios" to take care of it. This is something I talk about in THE PLAZA.
Josefina, Olga's sister, officially denounced the many abuses by the military presence in the Valley and became an activist until she was murdered in 2010. All of Olga's family have since been murdered or are in hiding.
The Valley is an important and strategic point for drug smuggling. The area has been used for years to smuggle huge amounts of drugs and while it is frequently patrolled, few drug "loads" are taken down in that area. And it is virtually lawless on the Mexican side.
Here is the article in Spanish:http://www.losangelespress.org/milita...
Here is some more information in English: http://southnotes.org/2011/11/documen...
In an article done by the Los Angeles Press, Olga Reyes Salazar, former Valley resident and now exile in the US, talks about what happened.
Olga's nephew was shot to death in the Valley and residents who witnessed the shooting told them that a military convoy was close by and did nothing to stop it. In fact, the military had been known to rob the residents and other acts of aggression. My sources when I lived in Juarez had told me that their "mission" was to rid the Valley of all residents not in direct connection to the Sinaloa Cartel by harrassment and when that did not work they were told to allow the "Sicarios" to take care of it. This is something I talk about in THE PLAZA.
Josefina, Olga's sister, officially denounced the many abuses by the military presence in the Valley and became an activist until she was murdered in 2010. All of Olga's family have since been murdered or are in hiding.
The Valley is an important and strategic point for drug smuggling. The area has been used for years to smuggle huge amounts of drugs and while it is frequently patrolled, few drug "loads" are taken down in that area. And it is virtually lawless on the Mexican side.
Here is the article in Spanish:http://www.losangelespress.org/milita...
Here is some more information in English: http://southnotes.org/2011/11/documen...
September 1, 2012
The organized thugs of Mexico-Federal Police
My interest in the Mexican federales was truly sparked when thousands of them were sent to my home city, Juarez, to "clean up" the cartel violence. Within a few months of their arrival, crime became rampant and the city of Juarez became the most dangerous city in North America and arguably the world.
I took several pictures of federal police "guarding" a Walmart parking lot. They would spend hours in the parking area on their cell phones, smoking, and generally just doing nothing, meanwhile homicides were occurring literally around the corner. I posted these pictures, along with times and dates on apestan.com (translated to stinks.com) and my posts were removed several times. I would just repost them. I received many anonymous threats from supposed federal agents that when they caught me taking pictures that they would cut off my head and post that to apestan.com.
I investigated several incidents of homicide and extorsion where the federales were implicated while I lived in Juarez and after I was picked up by the federales and tortured and let go I put it all aside until we could get out and I could make sure my family was safe.
I still have family in Mexico. I plan to go back and visit. But I will be posting reports here and there, and I will try not to make a huge fuss of it. But people need to know what the main and most powerful law enforcement corporation in Mexico is capable of. These same criminals that carry a badge and a gun and have federal government backing are also the lead in the fight against the drug cartels. Imagine if FBI and DEA were as infamous as the federales. Would you trust them to lead law enforcement in the drug war?
The following link is a recent article where federales are at a local business in Mexico city with an arrest warrant. They are demanding a large sum of money so that the warrant can "go away" and it is all on camera. The federales are not smart. They are well-organized, well-funded and well-armed thugs. And the top law enforcement agency in Mexico.
http://www.diario.com.mx/notas.php?f=...
I took several pictures of federal police "guarding" a Walmart parking lot. They would spend hours in the parking area on their cell phones, smoking, and generally just doing nothing, meanwhile homicides were occurring literally around the corner. I posted these pictures, along with times and dates on apestan.com (translated to stinks.com) and my posts were removed several times. I would just repost them. I received many anonymous threats from supposed federal agents that when they caught me taking pictures that they would cut off my head and post that to apestan.com.
I investigated several incidents of homicide and extorsion where the federales were implicated while I lived in Juarez and after I was picked up by the federales and tortured and let go I put it all aside until we could get out and I could make sure my family was safe.
I still have family in Mexico. I plan to go back and visit. But I will be posting reports here and there, and I will try not to make a huge fuss of it. But people need to know what the main and most powerful law enforcement corporation in Mexico is capable of. These same criminals that carry a badge and a gun and have federal government backing are also the lead in the fight against the drug cartels. Imagine if FBI and DEA were as infamous as the federales. Would you trust them to lead law enforcement in the drug war?
The following link is a recent article where federales are at a local business in Mexico city with an arrest warrant. They are demanding a large sum of money so that the warrant can "go away" and it is all on camera. The federales are not smart. They are well-organized, well-funded and well-armed thugs. And the top law enforcement agency in Mexico.
http://www.diario.com.mx/notas.php?f=...
August 25, 2012
Assassination attempt by federal police in Mexico
A diplomatic car with two DEA agents and a Mexican marine captain was attacked on Friday morning by Mexican federal police. Witnesses say about six federal police vehicles surrounded the car and opened fire. The marine captain requested backup and the military repelled the attack and twelve police have been detained. http://www.diario.com.mx/notas.php?f=...
August 17, 2012
Why narcos are not going away
This is a very simplified explanation, and is only one factor, but it clearly demonstrates the social imbalance in Mexico.Average yearly salary-federal delegate in Mexico- $270,000 dollars(conversion from pesos at going rate)avg salary for unskilled worker $2770/yr.
A federal delegate makes roughly 97 times that of the average unskilled worker.
Worse yet, the average federal delegate in Mexico only works seven months a year. And does not work on holidays and weekends. By my calculations, they roughly work 240 hours a year, and I rounded up.
The standard work week for a Mexican worker is 48 hours. They too have holidays. A conservative number of hours in one year, believe it or not, is 2400.
A federal delegate works 10% of the time that an unskilled worker in Mexico does per year. And makes 97 times what the worker does.
This is not an excuse for people to join cartels and be killers, sell drugs, etc. But it clearly demonstrates a root factor of the rampant crime in Mexico. Drug war? Let's start with fixing the disparity.
A federal delegate makes roughly 97 times that of the average unskilled worker.
Worse yet, the average federal delegate in Mexico only works seven months a year. And does not work on holidays and weekends. By my calculations, they roughly work 240 hours a year, and I rounded up.
The standard work week for a Mexican worker is 48 hours. They too have holidays. A conservative number of hours in one year, believe it or not, is 2400.
A federal delegate works 10% of the time that an unskilled worker in Mexico does per year. And makes 97 times what the worker does.
This is not an excuse for people to join cartels and be killers, sell drugs, etc. But it clearly demonstrates a root factor of the rampant crime in Mexico. Drug war? Let's start with fixing the disparity.
August 8, 2012
Making victims criminals
In Juarez, a group of wealthy businessmen have pushed for a new law that will penalize those people that pay extortion money. The Chihuahua state congress is currently evaluating the proposition, however ridiculous it may be.
Very wealthy businessmen probably don't pay extortioners because they have armed security for themselves and their family, and their businesses may not even be those targeted, like import/export businesses, hospitals, etc. The people that are the primary targets of extortion have smaller businesses, like Mom and Pop shops, food stands, bars, and other "walk-in" types.
The reason these people choose to pay is because they fear for their lives and law enforcement in Mexico is not only corrupt and ineffective, but often times they are the very ones that are involved in the extortion. There have been many cases where a person has gone to the police for help and is found dead shortly thereafter.
This law, if approved, will only compound the problem by adding economic sanctions to those who are found guilty of paying extortion money.
Gerardo D. is a friend of mine that had a small store that sold school supplies and stationary (papeleria) on the corner of the street where I lived in Juarez. On one single day he had to pay two different groups AND the Federal police that were assigned to "protect" us in Juarez from the drug war violence. His son was kidnapped. He was kidnapped. His business is now closed.
What these rich businessmen should really do is propose ways to end the corruption within the police force. With a working police force, full of well-trained officers that believe in their country and their people, Juarez' citizens could feel confident in reporting extortioners and other crimes.
Very wealthy businessmen probably don't pay extortioners because they have armed security for themselves and their family, and their businesses may not even be those targeted, like import/export businesses, hospitals, etc. The people that are the primary targets of extortion have smaller businesses, like Mom and Pop shops, food stands, bars, and other "walk-in" types.
The reason these people choose to pay is because they fear for their lives and law enforcement in Mexico is not only corrupt and ineffective, but often times they are the very ones that are involved in the extortion. There have been many cases where a person has gone to the police for help and is found dead shortly thereafter.
This law, if approved, will only compound the problem by adding economic sanctions to those who are found guilty of paying extortion money.
Gerardo D. is a friend of mine that had a small store that sold school supplies and stationary (papeleria) on the corner of the street where I lived in Juarez. On one single day he had to pay two different groups AND the Federal police that were assigned to "protect" us in Juarez from the drug war violence. His son was kidnapped. He was kidnapped. His business is now closed.
What these rich businessmen should really do is propose ways to end the corruption within the police force. With a working police force, full of well-trained officers that believe in their country and their people, Juarez' citizens could feel confident in reporting extortioners and other crimes.
August 7, 2012
Armando "El Choco" Rodriguez
All of the scenes in THE PLAZA are based on actual events. The majority of the characters are based on real people I met or researched, and some are a conglomerate of several. Saul Saavedra is based on Armando (El Choco) Rodriguez, a man I admire very much.
He reported on the widespread corruption within the government in Chihuahua and had information in his possession that linked many high-ranking officials with the mafia when he was assassinated.
One can only imagine being threatened, and worse, one's family, constantly by dirty cops, assassins and government officials. Armando's last days must have been horrifying, and I did my best to portray that in THE PLAZA.
Sadly, Armando's crime goes unresolved, as well as dozen's of other reporters that have gone missing or been killed.
Regards,
GP
http://newspapertree.com/features/312...
He reported on the widespread corruption within the government in Chihuahua and had information in his possession that linked many high-ranking officials with the mafia when he was assassinated.
One can only imagine being threatened, and worse, one's family, constantly by dirty cops, assassins and government officials. Armando's last days must have been horrifying, and I did my best to portray that in THE PLAZA.
Sadly, Armando's crime goes unresolved, as well as dozen's of other reporters that have gone missing or been killed.
Regards,
GP
http://newspapertree.com/features/312...
August 1, 2012
E L James, James Patterson, Stephen King and contributing to the arts
Yes, even if you do not read them, you know who they are. These three authors are now household names due to the incredible publicity machine behind them, talent and hard work aside.
Have you ever left a tip to a waitress or waiter that was mediocre at best? You did it anyway because you know they need it. Or because we are made to feel obligated to do so. Either way, you were making a contribution to them and their families. How many times have you paid for a cruddy haircut and still tipped them? Whether they deserved it or not isn’t what this blog is about. It is about the way we spend our money and on what.
I see many bloggers dedicating entire blogs and sites to finding free ebooks to be had. I see E L James selling humongous amounts of books at the “going” rate. And yet many authors with at least as legitimate of works and good reviews sell few or no books. People have no problem spending ten to twenty US dollars on an ebook or hard copy of Fifty Shades with over three thousand one star reviews but will balk on buying a one to five dollar ebook from an independent author or a small publishing house that has nothing but good reviews. There is only one reason that makes sense to this author for this type of behavior- that we the consumer are almost completely driven by the media when it comes to making purchases of anything.
Some people have started to shop at the small place on the corner as opposed to the mega stores like Walmart. Yeah, it costs fifty cents more. But Bob is a neighbor and a friend and we should help him and his wife. I wish that we all would do that more. While the focus is on saving money, jobs are sent overseas and Walmart becomes richer by the second- and Bob loses his house.
Why can’t we do something like this at a global level? Have you read a good book by an author that is not well-known? Did you recommend him/her to others? Have you balked on a purchase of a book by an unknown, despite the good reviews, just because they were not published by Simon and Schuster or Random House? I say if a book has good reviews for the most part it really doesn’t matter that they were not published by some major outfit. What really matters is if it seems like something you might want to read or not. Just because something is not widely known and publicly acknowledged does it mean it isn’t worth those three to five dollars? Why wait for it to be free? Help the author out and you are doing more for the arts than most charities can prove that they have done. Tweet them. Facebook them. Tell your friends about them. Get off your wallet and make the purchase and wait for Fifty Shades to be free.
Have you ever left a tip to a waitress or waiter that was mediocre at best? You did it anyway because you know they need it. Or because we are made to feel obligated to do so. Either way, you were making a contribution to them and their families. How many times have you paid for a cruddy haircut and still tipped them? Whether they deserved it or not isn’t what this blog is about. It is about the way we spend our money and on what.
I see many bloggers dedicating entire blogs and sites to finding free ebooks to be had. I see E L James selling humongous amounts of books at the “going” rate. And yet many authors with at least as legitimate of works and good reviews sell few or no books. People have no problem spending ten to twenty US dollars on an ebook or hard copy of Fifty Shades with over three thousand one star reviews but will balk on buying a one to five dollar ebook from an independent author or a small publishing house that has nothing but good reviews. There is only one reason that makes sense to this author for this type of behavior- that we the consumer are almost completely driven by the media when it comes to making purchases of anything.
Some people have started to shop at the small place on the corner as opposed to the mega stores like Walmart. Yeah, it costs fifty cents more. But Bob is a neighbor and a friend and we should help him and his wife. I wish that we all would do that more. While the focus is on saving money, jobs are sent overseas and Walmart becomes richer by the second- and Bob loses his house.
Why can’t we do something like this at a global level? Have you read a good book by an author that is not well-known? Did you recommend him/her to others? Have you balked on a purchase of a book by an unknown, despite the good reviews, just because they were not published by Simon and Schuster or Random House? I say if a book has good reviews for the most part it really doesn’t matter that they were not published by some major outfit. What really matters is if it seems like something you might want to read or not. Just because something is not widely known and publicly acknowledged does it mean it isn’t worth those three to five dollars? Why wait for it to be free? Help the author out and you are doing more for the arts than most charities can prove that they have done. Tweet them. Facebook them. Tell your friends about them. Get off your wallet and make the purchase and wait for Fifty Shades to be free.
July 27, 2012
Nogales, Sonora trip
It was my first time to Nogales. The first thing I noticed about this sleepy border town is that there are very few Americans visiting. Not surprising, with all of the drug war press in the media, and any "gringos" that go are immediately accosted by English speaking Mexicans eager to find them drugs and girls.
Trucks cruised the strip with music blaring, corridos that praise the Sinaloa cartel. People from Sinaloa own many a business in Nogales. Many of these businesses have been funded by drug money. Casas de cambio, where dollars and pesos are exchanged, are fundamental for laundering Chapo's money, and there is a ton of it to launder at that.
We stayed at a nice hotel. It had an hydraulic lift in the parking area. Don't all hotels have them? And it is right in front of the border, almost in plain sight of the border patrol.
I was offered every kind of drug five different times by five different people. There is no fear there of cops or rival cartels because the Chapo owns it all.
Trucks cruised the strip with music blaring, corridos that praise the Sinaloa cartel. People from Sinaloa own many a business in Nogales. Many of these businesses have been funded by drug money. Casas de cambio, where dollars and pesos are exchanged, are fundamental for laundering Chapo's money, and there is a ton of it to launder at that.
We stayed at a nice hotel. It had an hydraulic lift in the parking area. Don't all hotels have them? And it is right in front of the border, almost in plain sight of the border patrol.
I was offered every kind of drug five different times by five different people. There is no fear there of cops or rival cartels because the Chapo owns it all.
July 17, 2012
I hate self promotion
I am not one of the "cup half full" people. It is true. I am afraid that my negativity is the same part of my nature that enables me to mingle with drug dealers, pimps and other types that are at the fringe of society, and quite frankly, I am there with them as it is. To self-promote for me is right along with going to the dentist for teeth extraction.
Yet this is what must be done in order for books to be put into the hands of potential readers. No one is going to have pity on me and begin promoting THE PLAZA. Cormac McCarthy isn't going to "put in a good word" for me with agents or traditional publishing companies (No Frills Buffalo is a small publisher and is considered an Indie publisher). I will have to promote myself to others in any form that I can and will have to swallow the bitter pill of rejection that inevitably comes with that. Books and other forms of art are subjective to the opinion and personal tastes of the person that is "appreciating" them. THE PLAZA, while it has an important message, is not for everyone. It is gruesome, horrific, and portrays the reality of a failed drug war and government in Juarez, Mexico. It is not a "feel good" book nor was it intended to be so. It does not offer a message of hope or provide a solution. It is my portrayal of a gritty and harsh life in Juarez during some of the most difficult years of Calderon's supposed drug war. The scenes of killings are all from factual events, most of which I investigated thoroughly despite the risks involved.
During my investigations I met awful people that were as amoral as some of my characters. I also met heroes. Selfless people who love their country and their people and were willing to die for their beliefs. They inspired me to write THE PLAZA and try to bring to light the reality of the consequences of continuing the harsh, rigid stance that we have with drug policies instead of really looking at ways to be effective and battle the root of the problem instead of the effects.
If you read THE PLAZA and genuinely enjoy it, or find it to be of some value, please do let your friends know about it. I cannot hope to repay anyone for doing that, except a sincere thank you.
Yet this is what must be done in order for books to be put into the hands of potential readers. No one is going to have pity on me and begin promoting THE PLAZA. Cormac McCarthy isn't going to "put in a good word" for me with agents or traditional publishing companies (No Frills Buffalo is a small publisher and is considered an Indie publisher). I will have to promote myself to others in any form that I can and will have to swallow the bitter pill of rejection that inevitably comes with that. Books and other forms of art are subjective to the opinion and personal tastes of the person that is "appreciating" them. THE PLAZA, while it has an important message, is not for everyone. It is gruesome, horrific, and portrays the reality of a failed drug war and government in Juarez, Mexico. It is not a "feel good" book nor was it intended to be so. It does not offer a message of hope or provide a solution. It is my portrayal of a gritty and harsh life in Juarez during some of the most difficult years of Calderon's supposed drug war. The scenes of killings are all from factual events, most of which I investigated thoroughly despite the risks involved.
During my investigations I met awful people that were as amoral as some of my characters. I also met heroes. Selfless people who love their country and their people and were willing to die for their beliefs. They inspired me to write THE PLAZA and try to bring to light the reality of the consequences of continuing the harsh, rigid stance that we have with drug policies instead of really looking at ways to be effective and battle the root of the problem instead of the effects.
If you read THE PLAZA and genuinely enjoy it, or find it to be of some value, please do let your friends know about it. I cannot hope to repay anyone for doing that, except a sincere thank you.
