What was this child going through? Would anything have been able to help him as an individual? How many others like him are there?
Stories by Sarah DeVries
Good privacy laws may not withstand more tracking by ‘Big Brother’
But the level of monitoring seen in the US has not yet arrived in Mexico
What makes femicide so special from regular homicide?
For women, femicide is a grim reality that won’t cease if it’s not acknowledged and taken seriously.
Fair pay the best place to start in building professional police forces
With every state police force lacking in numbers and many municipal forces dwindling as well, what we can do to recruit good, qualified officers?
Orizaba is an example of a city that is doing things well
Orizaba shows that most urban planning and maintenance is best done by the people who live in the communities, as they know best their unique needs.
Economically privileged shouldn’t keep getting away with bad behavior
If we’re going to create a more equal and just society, we can’t allow certain people to make their long list of “endless” mistakes consequence-free.
Aversion to breastfeeding in public another questionable cultural import
In the U.S., men and women alike squirm upon seeing an unsolicited breast, and this reaction seems to be spreading to Mexico.
On traditional healing, natural remedies and modern medicine
Non-medical treatments can work but it’s hard to listen to otherwise educated people preach about the dangers of modern medicine.
Allowing children to choose gender is all about respect
A tiny sliver of the population identifying as a gender that doesn’t “match” the sex they were born with poses no threat to anyone.
In water disputes, what to do if authorities can’t be counted on to fix it?
A water crisis can only really be addressed by fixing the issues that make the distribution so problematic in the first place.
Learning Spanish? Don’t be shy or afraid of making mistakes
For the most part, Mexicans are charmed when non-native speakers at least try to speak their language.They’re patient and encouraging and try to be helpful.
Keep the dead alive by remembering them on their special day
Celebrating Day of the Dead keeps the memories of our loved ones alive — how they shaped us, influenced us, taught us and loved us.
Criminals were organized and ready in Culiacán. Security forces were not
The whole operation was a disaster — that’s obvious — but in the face of that disaster, they did what they needed to do to end it.
A perfect storm of factors has created Mexico’s obesity problem
Gender-based division of labor traditionally kept people healthy: there was someone there to make several meals a day with fresh and healthy ingredients.
Forget university entrance exams: work towards better pay instead
The root of opposition to admissions exams seems to be the belief that only those who go to college get jobs with a decent salary. That is the real scandal.
Mexican women are not without defenders of reproductive rights
Unlike some of the various large pro-life organizations active in Mexico, most reproductive rights organizations seem to be homegrown.
That women are in jail for abortions comes as a big surprise
Thousands of women are serving sentences for abortions or suspected abortions, and many are poor and uneducated with few resources.
Kids could benefit from some campaigns teaching safety first (and not third)
In the United States strict traffic laws enforced by an active police force and videos of gruesome deaths in driver education class are pretty effective.
Legalizing pot for pain should be a priority given that many could benefit
If we legalize and regulate its medical use we can prevent those patients from becoming addicted to much stronger and more harmful substances.
Hospital visit points out faults, but treatment was provided in the end
Mexico’s once shining social security system is admittedly in a rickety state but at least everyone can eventually get the medical help they need.
Can the Big Brains that have gotten us in trouble also save us?
Desperate times require desperate measures: some thoughts on what is being or could be done to blunt the impact of greed, apathy and poor decision making.
Decision not to prosecute Mexico City rape protesters shows progress
The more attention crimes receive, the more likely they will be taken seriously by both the justice system and by society at large.
US gun policy led to El Paso shooter responding to Hispanic ‘invasion’
The presence of illegal guns is a direct result of the United States’ lax gun laws and its refusal to track where those guns end up.
The nature of art and intellectual property is both sticky and slippery
Should original artists be flattered that their work is admired and deemed worthy of mass production, or irritated that it’s being copied and then sold?
When a dog attacks someone, blame the owner not the dog
Socialization and training account for most of a dog’s behavior, and ultimately the humans that keep them are responsible for what they do.
