Writing for the last several years about my favorite beach town in Mexico, which lies only 3.5 hours from Phoenix, Arizona or Tucson Arizona, has not been without frustration for the truth. Only 60 miles from the Arizona border, Puerto Penasco, a charming little beach town with brilliant blue water and a slower pace of life, has captured my heart.
For the past two years when mentioning with a joyful smile on my face, “I’m going down for the weekend to the beach”, I’m not surprised by the comments and questions of its safety. It stems from the constant barrage of exaggerated news media reporting, negative and false press and news stores that broadcast any incident that happens in Mexico with a gruesome scare tactic twist, never naming the specific city and to beware of the borders. Crime happens everywhere, this cannot be denied. The negative press stories go viral. The top 10 things to do in Rocky Point get read by a few who love to travel.
Those of us who travel to Puerto Penasco (also known as Rocky Point) and those expats, who live there full time, get tired of defending it. If you have never personally visited Rocky Point and you choose to buy into the negative untruths instead of listening to those who live their full time, vacation their regularly and own beautiful second homes then I’m done trying to convince you, it’s probably not the place for you.
Today, USA Today finally writes a front page article about the truth of reporting about Mexico border and the actual factual statistics. The US people have been blitzed by media to fear Mexico and regard it as unsafe, when in fact, statistics show the crime rate is decreasing and your city most likely has a higher crime statistic than Mexican borders. Click here to read this article and view the graphs and photos. It might just make you think outside the box, if only for a moment.
USA Today quotes, “The analysis found that rates of violent crime along the U.S.-Mexico border have been falling for years — even before the U.S. security buildup that has included thousands of law enforcement officers and expansion of a massive fence along the border. “ and “U.S. border cities were statistically safer on average than other cities in their states. Those border cities, big and small, have maintained lower crime rates than the national average, which itself has been falling.”
The most eye opening statistics in the article and what I have constantly witnessed myself, quoted by USA Today reporters, “The perception of rising violence is so engrained that 83% of Americans said they believe the rate of violence along the southwestern border is higher than national rates, according to a recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 999 adults.”
The last line of the article a quote by San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez ,"When you've got the national rhetoric about illegal immigration, you can never get to a conversation about legal immigration," Alvarez said. "Effective border crossings and better regional economics don't sell newspapers."
I don’t know about you but I’m tired of hearing negative press on the economy and violence in Mexico. It may not sell as well, but perhaps a little positive news and truth about a beautiful little beach town anxious for visitors will trigger the self-fulfilling prophecy for everyone.
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