Awareness and self defense

[rdonovan1]

I was wondering if anyone might have some ideas relating to self defense in the El Paso, Texas area and in Mexico as my mother and I are discussing the possibility of me going down there to have some dental work done and we both know as to how dangerous it really is down there, especially on the Mexican side.

We are also very aware that the Mexican's do not like Americans at all and will not hesitate to kill an American with little to no reason at all as we have both been to Mexico in the past.

 

[still learning]

Hello, If your are aware of the dangers in Mexico....THAN DON'T GO!

This is one of the main rules of awareness..is avoid the danger places...

Even if you win a fight? ...what is going to stop the guys from coming back with guns/knives/and more of them?

and trying to learn self-defense...can take years...to be proficent...

and to be physcial fit? ....are you and mother able to run away together?

One of the purpose of martial arts...is Prevention...being prepare...building self-confidents...etc...
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Most time the Mexico crimials will be arm....are you willing to get into a gun battle?

In martial arts...one of the keys when fighting back...are you are prepare to die also...willing to fight to the end! (killer instincts must be develop if you do not have it)...
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You may need to be arm and train...if you decide to take any kind of weapons....Remember Mexico has laws regarding carrying? ...learn about them first..
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Lastly many people go to Mexico WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS ALSO...and arrive back home with many great memories of Mexico...too!!!

NO matter where you are at..always trust your instincts....READ the Book: The Gift of FEAR.....

Aloha,

PS: We have Dental services in Hawaii...cost more than Mexico...but safer....?

 

[blindsage]

I don't know specifically about the El Paso area and the Mexican side of the border there, but my mother lives and teaches college in McAllen and doesn't have any problems with Mexicans there. She has never been the victim of a crime on either side of the border, and she's been across numerous times. She has a number of Mexican students (that are Mexican citizens and live in Mexico, but cross the border everyday to go to the college) and none of them have tried to assault or kill her. I think you have inflated danger perception here. Mexicans do not hate Americans, especially near the border where Americans spend mucho dinero. There are some areas where the drug affiliated violence has gotten out of control, and you may want to check into that in your area. In general though, you need to have the same situational awareness you would have anywhere you go, and then go and enjoy the cheap dental work and the nice people.

 

[rdonovan1]

My mother is in her 60's and she is on oxygen so she couldn't run away from anything if her life depended upon it.

This came up because my mother and her boyfriend have both been to Mexico on multiple occasions to have dental work done there as it is at least 5 times cheaper to have the work done there than it is to have the work done in the United States.

We were discussing this because of the fact that I am currently having a lot of problems with my teeth in which they are basically killing me. Last night the pain from one of my teeth was so bad that I just wanted to bang my head against the wall so that I would not feel the pain in my mouth.

I don't have dental insurance at all and that along with the fact that my dead beat father should have taken care of a lot of this stuff when I was growing up, but unfortunately my father is for a lack of a better work an a**hole as he tends to believe like a lot of people that the world revolves around him and that he has no responsibility for anything that he does or says.

This is not unsual as me and my mother have had to deal with this most of my life and it is because of my father and the fact that I was always being bullied by other kids when I was in school that I became interested in the martial arts and apparently I am not alone in that regards as Chuck Norris according to his book 'Against all odds' felt the same way towards his father and towards a lot of other people that he knew when he was growing up. The only real difference between me and Chuck Norris is that Chuck got his ideas about how to be a man and as to how to live his life with honor and integrity from the old west movies while I got my ideas from the martial arts.

I guess you could say that I have been having this same old argument with my father for a long time and whether I like it or not he is so hard headed that he like a lot of other people that I have met in the past cannot be honest with either himself or with others and that is something that I have been trying to deal with for a long time. Me and him just do not get along very well nor do we have the kind of relationship that I wish I could have with him as well as the rest of my family.

 

[blindsage]

I just did some quick checking on Juarez, the city across the border from El Paso, there is indeed a lot of problems there. You may want to consider going to a different city if you are set on going to Mexico to get your teeth done.

 

[rdonovan1]

I don't know specifically about the El Paso area and the Mexican side of the border there, but my mother lives and teaches college in McAllen and doesn't have any problems with Mexicans there. She has never been the victim of a crime on either side of the border, and she's been across numerous times. She has a number of Mexican students (that are Mexican citizens and live in Mexico, but cross the border everyday to go to the college) and none of them have tried to assault or kill her. I think you have inflated danger perception here. Mexicans do not hate Americans, especially near the border where Americans spend mucho dinero. There are some areas where the drug affiliated violence has gotten out of control, and you may want to check into that in your area. In general though, you need to have the same situational awareness you would have anywhere you go, and then go and enjoy the cheap dental work and the nice people.

From what you describe it sounds as though your mother has so far been lucky.

I know that Mexicans do not like Americans because I have been told my actual Mexicans that live in Mexico that they do not like Americans at all and that if they were to see you walking down the street alone in Mexico then they would not hestitate to jump you or to even kill you.

I heard this not only from this guy, but also from a security officer in L.A. when I was driving truck. He told me that in L.A. the Mexicans are going around and killing Americans without hesitation because they want the areas back that once belonged to Mexico.

I have also heard this from another security guard in Denver, Colorado as well.

I also know that Mexican law forbids guns in Mexico as I have seen them and they are very serious about that.

Mexico is a very lawless country and is for the most part run by the drug cartels there and that is a known fact to the United States Government as there have been numerous instances in either Law Enforcement in the United States have run across that or in which Mexican officials have been killed shortly after taking office in Mexico.

Dental work in Mexico is 5 times cheaper than the United States and that is why my mother and I are discussing this whole issue. We are also trying to see if we can get my dead beat father to help with the financial aspect of the dental work as I don't have any kind of insurance at all.

 

[rdonovan1]

I just did some quick checking on Juarez, the city across the border from El Paso, there is indeed a lot of problems there. You may want to consider going to a different city if you are set on going to Mexico to get your teeth done.

The place the my mother is telling me about is in Juarez, but the problems in Mexico are not just in Juarez they are all over.

Whether we like it or not Mexico is still a third world country and once you step outside of the borders of the United States it is time to protect your Chonies because whether we like it or not there is a lot of anti-American seminism going on all over the world as a lot of countries tend to find Americans as being extremely rude and without decent morals and values.

This is part of what contributed to what happened on September 11, 2001 when the terrorists hijacked the airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. The United States Government knew that it would happen just like they did with Pearl Harbor, yet they took no action to prevent it from happening until after the fact because they like a lot of people did not want to hear the truth and as a result a lot of innocent Americans died because of their ignorance and foolishness.

They also knew about the space shuttle Challenger and that it had mechanical problems because it was reported to them by a couple of engineers before the accident happened, but they still allowed the shuttle to fly and as a result the shuttle blew up. I remember that because I saw it happen on television in the 1980's when it happened.

I don't know if anyone has heard this or not, but just last night I was watching some show on T.V. which was hosted by Jonathan Frakes in which he was saying that the United States Government is now trying to develop mind control weapons that they can use on the battlefield against enemy troops. From what I caught and understood about it is that one of their hopes is to make the enemy so fearful that they drop their weapons and give up without even a shot being fired.

I don't know if they can do that or not, but what I do know is that the United States Govenment does possess the ability to see and to tell you when and where you used the restroom anywhere in the world. This is a proven fact and it is the basis for many of our laser guided missiles as it all tends to work on your body heat. It was developed by the United States Government with the intention of wiping out enemy troops and in being able to see into places like enemy troop tent facilities out in the deserts or Iran and Iraq.

I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to think that what the United States Government does tends to be pretty outrageous and outlandish.

 

[Carol]

I have a large number of customers in Mexico. I would strongly urge against going across the border at El Paso. Ciudad Juarez is probably the most violent city in the world at the moment. It is an ugly blood bath with the drugs, gangs, and other assorted crap going on.

The lucky ones just get shot or stabbed.. The unlucky ones get kidnapped and worse. It is so dangerous that even the Mexican businessmen that have lived there for their whole life are trying to move across the border in to El Paso. I have a site in Juarez right now that desperately needs some field work, I can't even send people to it. The risk is too great that my guys won't return home to their families.

If you want to have dental work done in Mexico, consider a safer border town such as Nogales, Chihuahua, which is about 90 minutes south of Tucson. Or, offer cash to a local dentist and try negotiating down the price.

 

[rdonovan1]

I have a large number of customers in Mexico. I would strongly urge against going across the border at El Paso. Ciudad Juarez is probably the most violent city in the world at the moment. It is an ugly blood bath with the drugs, gangs, and other assorted crap going on.

The lucky ones just get shot or stabbed.. The unlucky ones get kidnapped and worse. It is so dangerous that even the Mexican businessmen that have lived there for their whole life are trying to move across the border in to El Paso. I have a site in Juarez right now that desperately needs some field work, I can't even send people to it. The risk is too great that my guys won't return home to their families.

If you want to have dental work done in Mexico, consider a safer border town such as Nogales, Chihuahua, which is about 90 minutes south of Tucson. Or, offer cash to a local dentist and try negotiating down the price.

I don't know if negotiating with a local dentist will work as many of them tend to be pretty inflexible in their prices.

Nogales is probably a better choice, but at the moment neither me nor my mother know of any places that are as cheap and as good as the one that my mother and her boyfriend have been going to in Juarez.

From what I know most of the border towns in Mexico are pretty much the same way. I've heard that it tends to get better the deeper that you go into Mexico.

All that I know for sure is that I need to do something because the pain from at least one tooth is driving me crazy. I don't know if anyone else has ever had problems with their teeth, but it definitely can be very, very painful to deal with.

I'm not sure, but I think that one of my teeth is what they call absessed.

I've been taking Ibuprophen to help control the pain, sucking on things like ice cubes and I have even tried warm saltwater to deal with it better.

 

[rdonovan1]

I have a large number of customers in Mexico. I would strongly urge against going across the border at El Paso. Ciudad Juarez is probably the most violent city in the world at the moment. It is an ugly blood bath with the drugs, gangs, and other assorted crap going on.

The lucky ones just get shot or stabbed.. The unlucky ones get kidnapped and worse. It is so dangerous that even the Mexican businessmen that have lived there for their whole life are trying to move across the border in to El Paso. I have a site in Juarez right now that desperately needs some field work, I can't even send people to it. The risk is too great that my guys won't return home to their families.

If you want to have dental work done in Mexico, consider a safer border town such as Nogales, Chihuahua, which is about 90 minutes south of Tucson. Or, offer cash to a local dentist and try negotiating down the price.

I've heard that about Mexico, but it is not just in Mexico as it is also in other parts of the world and for some reason the Mexican's are taking that kind of stuff and spreading across the border into cities like El Paso and Laredo, Texas.

I don't know if you have heard this before, but not too long ago a girl got killed at a Denny's restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She was working there when four masked gunmen came in and robbed the place and while they were there they shot this girl.

According to the police it was members of a gang from El Salvador that did it.

 

[jks9199]

Look for a dental school in your area. You can often obtain a surprising range of services at a lower cost as students work under the supervision of their instructors. Especially for routine cleanings and exams -- this might be a much better option than traveling to another country (do you speak Spanish? are you sure the dentist will speak English? or even be qualified? You don't want to see some of what I've seen pass for "dentists" working un licensed, under the table and behind closed doors in the Latino community...) hoping to get decent care. Especially a place with rampant kidnappings and a 3-front drug cartel war going on.

 

[jks9199]

I've heard that about Mexico, but it is not just in Mexico as it is also in other parts of the world and for some reason the Mexican's are taking that kind of stuff and spreading across the border into cities like El Paso and Laredo, Texas.

I don't know if you have heard this before, but not too long ago a girl got killed at a Denny's restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She was working there when four masked gunmen came in and robbed the place and while they were there they shot this girl.

According to the police it was members of a gang from El Salvador that did it.

OK... Quick lesson on gangs.

MS-13. Mara Salvatrucha. Deservedly, the current "boogieman" of gangs. A very, very violent, transnational gang that originated among Salvadoran refugees IN LOS ANGELES in the 80s. It was exported back to El Salvador as we deported some of these criminals, and now runs entire jails, collects "taxes" and "rents", and more in parts of El Salvador. And there's more that I can't say in this forum.

18th Street. Another so-called Latin American gang that really originated here in the US. (Again, in Los Angeles.) Also exported back to El Salvador. Pretty much the same "lines of business" as MS.

Both have very strong presence across the US. Both are very violent; like Avis, since they were smaller than Bloods and Crips -- they try harder.

But... traveling in the US/Mexico border area, they probably aren't your main concern. You need to worry about the drug cartels, the local criminals who have made a real business of kidnapping and Las Zetas. The Zetas are the scariest, to me. They were trained much like (and by) our Special Forces... and then they went and decided to become criminals. (By the way... they're moving around in the US, too.) They're ultra-violent, ultra-nasty...and just plain scary.

Bottom line: Stay in the freaking US of A. There are lots of ways to get dental care if you bother to look.

 

[rdonovan1]

OK... Quick lesson on gangs.

MS-13. Mara Salvatrucha. Deservedly, the current "boogieman" of gangs. A very, very violent, transnational gang that originated among Salvadoran refugees IN LOS ANGELES in the 80s. It was exported back to El Salvador as we deported some of these criminals, and now runs entire jails, collects "taxes" and "rents", and more in parts of El Salvador. And there's more that I can't say in this forum.

18th Street. Another so-called Latin American gang that really originated here in the US. (Again, in Los Angeles.) Also exported back to El Salvador. Pretty much the same "lines of business" as MS.

Both have very strong presence across the US. Both are very violent; like Avis, since they were smaller than Bloods and Crips -- they try harder.

But... traveling in the US/Mexico border area, they probably aren't your main concern. You need to worry about the drug cartels, the local criminals who have made a real business of kidnapping and Las Zetas. The Zetas are the scariest, to me. They were trained much like (and by) our Special Forces... and then they went and decided to become criminals. (By the way... they're moving around in the US, too.) They're ultra-violent, ultra-nasty...and just plain scary.

Bottom line: Stay in the freaking US of A. There are lots of ways to get dental care if you bother to look.

I don't know if there is any place in the United States that hasn't been touched by gangs except maybe the small rural communities like where my mother grew up and where I spent a lot of time at when I was a child.

I guess that you could say that when I was growing up I was either on my grandparents farm in the Jeffers, Minnesota area or up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

For the most part as I was growing up there really wasn't much of a problem with gangs. For the most part it was just your average run of the mill bullies who for some reason had nothing better to do with their time than to attack you and to try to find ways of ridiculing and humiliting you as that is how they tended to boost their own ego.

I started to become somewhat familiar with gangs in the late 80's, but it was not until I started to drive truck over the road that my eyes were really opened as I got to see a lot of stuff out there on the road both with truck drivers and non truck drivers alike.

Sitting at truckstops listening to other truck drivers talk a lot of crap on the CB was sometimes interesting and entertaining to say the least. I think that the best conversation that I heard was when I was sitting at the Iowa 80 truckstop in Walcott, Iowa one night.

I don't know what really started the rivalry, but during the conversation I heard one truck driver tell the other that he was ex special forces and a black belt and that he was going to go over the other guys truck, pull him out of his truck and kick his butt.

I thought it was kind of funny as it sounded so juvenile to me. This was not the first or the last time that I heard stuff like that and it is because of stuff like that and because of what I have seen and experienced not only before I started to drive truck, but even while I was in Mexico that helped to prompt me into wanting to buy Richard Van Donk's Black Belt Home Study Ninjutsu Course.

I've got everything for it going up to 1st degree black belt, but I don't have the stuff beyond that which will take you beyond that point. To the best of my knowledge the furthest that you can go with his stuff is up to 4th degree black belt at least through home study. The rest has to be done in person and from what I understand you can only test for 5th degree and above in Japan and that is one of the reasons that I got interested in the Import/Export business.

 

[MJS]

I was wondering if anyone might have some ideas relating to self defense in the El Paso, Texas area and in Mexico as my mother and I are discussing the possibility of me going down there to have some dental work done and we both know as to how dangerous it really is down there, especially on the Mexican side.

We are also very aware that the Mexican's do not like Americans at all and will not hesitate to kill an American with little to no reason at all as we have both been to Mexico in the past.

So, basically, you're stereotyping every Mexican? You're saying that all Mexicans hate Americans? Thats interesting, because my wifes cousin is married to one, and he's a very nice person. His mother also comes to visit his family and she lives in Mexico, and she too, is also very nice. While she doesn't speak very much English, she still is polite and acknowledges everyone that she meets.

As for the rest of your post....if you're that concerned about going to a particular area, its pretty simple...dont go. Foreign country, in the states, it doesnt matter, you need to be aware everywhere you go. Walk out your front door in the morning or at night to go to work, and you should be aware.

 

[rdonovan1]

So, basically, you're stereotyping every Mexican? You're saying that all Mexicans hate Americans? Thats interesting, because my wifes cousin is married to one, and he's a very nice person. His mother also comes to visit his family and she lives in Mexico, and she too, is also very nice. While she doesn't speak very much English, she still is polite and acknowledges everyone that she meets.

As for the rest of your post....if you're that concerned about going to a particular area, its pretty simple...dont go. Foreign country, in the states, it doesnt matter, you need to be aware everywhere you go. Walk out your front door in the morning or at night to go to work, and you should be aware.

I'm not stereotyping anyone for any reason. I'm just going by what I have been told and by what I have seen.

I don't know about anyone else, but I personally do not believe in stereotyping anyone for any reason and in my book people that stereotype are stupid.

Maybe I might be a little naive on this, but I personally believe that a person should give another person a fair and adequate chance to prove themselve's before they go off the deep end and judge them.

The way that I figure things is to let someone demonstrate and prove themselve's by their overall attitude and behavior. If they act like a jerk and they prove themselve's as being untrustworthy then that is their choice and their problem and not yours. If however they prove that they are honest, trustworthy and of impeccable character then that is great.

Perhaps I am the only one who tends to believe this, but I generally like to think of people being innocent until they are proven guilty either by their own attitudes and actions or by other people.

That's just my take and perception of it and if someone chooses to have a different opinion other than me on the subject then that is fine with me, just as long as they do not try to be obsessive or controlling about it and that they can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

[MJS]

I'm not stereotyping anyone for any reason. I'm just going by what I have been told and by what I have seen.

I don't know about anyone else, but I personally do not believe in stereotyping anyone for any reason and in my book people that stereotype are stupid.

Maybe I might be a little naive on this, but I personally believe that a person should give another person a fair and adequate chance to prove themselve's before they go off the deep end and judge them.

The way that I figure things is to let someone demonstrate and prove themselve's by their overall attitude and behavior. If they act like a jerk and they prove themselve's as being untrustworthy then that is their choice and their problem and not yours. If however they prove that they are honest, trustworthy and of impeccable character then that is great.

Perhaps I am the only one who tends to believe this, but I generally like to think of people being innocent until they are proven guilty either by their own attitudes and actions or by other people.

That's just my take and perception of it and if someone chooses to have a different opinion other than me on the subject then that is fine with me, just as long as they do not try to be obsessive or controlling about it and that they can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

This line:

"We are also very aware that the Mexican's do not like Americans at all and will not hesitate to kill an American with little to no reason at all as we have both been to Mexico in the past."

was taken directly from your post. Reading this, it comes across that you're saying that all Mexicans are bad and will kill Americans. Thats like saying that all Italians are mobsters, all that are Hispanic are part of the Latin Kings.

There are going to be bad and good in every group.

BTW, why are you going to Mexico to have dental work done? Are there no dentists where you live?

 

[theletch1]

From the "rules"
4.2.5 Hate Speech

Hate speech is not allowed. Posts that contain material that is racist, sexist, homophobic, bigoted, or otherwise offensive, are not allowed. While discussion of certain social and political issues may require the use of sensitive or potentially offensive terms, outside of those limited contexts the use of such terms is not allowed on this board.

Any statement that categorizes an entire race of individuals under one negative blanket will fall into this category. Think carefully before you post. It is often wise to use quantifying words such as "some" or "many" in these situations.

 

[BLACK LION]

Go with someone you trust that speaks espanol...
put a fixed blade on your hip and dont walk around like cattle, dont show your money or credit cards, dont use the atm and stay away from the hootie bars...dont wear any jewlery either...
Use a fanny pack or money belt and put a folding knife in there with your money....

 

[still learning]

Hello, Looks like we are looking at the cost here?

Cost of saving on dental work?
and the cost of protental to lost of lives if going to Mexico..

If you have fears of going to Mexico...because of the "some or many" dangers?

One should consider..finding a part-time jobs or ways to make extra money? ...cutting grass...washing cars..etc unlimited ways to raise extra money...and DO the dental work in America!

Doing it yourself is highly NOT recommended.....

Will the Dentist in Mexico be just as qualifiy?

Aloha, ...those that brush teeth 3 times a day and floss just as much..usually have lower cost?

PS: Prevention is better than cure.....

 

[rdonovan1]

This line:

"We are also very aware that the Mexican's do not like Americans at all and will not hesitate to kill an American with little to no reason at all as we have both been to Mexico in the past."

was taken directly from your post. Reading this, it comes across that you're saying that all Mexicans are bad and will kill Americans. Thats like saying that all Italians are mobsters, all that are Hispanic are part of the Latin Kings.

There are going to be bad and good in every group.

BTW, why are you going to Mexico to have dental work done? Are there no dentists where you live?

You are right, there are going to be good and bad in every group and to me it really does not matter what race, religion, creed, gender, or anything else a person is as I don't discriminate against anyone so that is or at least should not be the issue at all.

The issue should be as to whether a person is honest or not and as to whether they intend to do you harm. It is or at least it should be about intent and motive as that what really the matters most.

In my book it really doesn't matter at all if you are black, white, green, or even pink with purple polka dots nor does it matter what your religion or gender is. If your intent is to harm me then you can expect that I will not only take defensive measures to protect both myself, my property and those that I care about, but I will also take offensive action to ensure that you do not do it again either.

For me it is all about self defense and self preservation and none of that racism or sexism stuff matters to me. For me it's also about being firm, but fair.

Mexico is cheaper than the United States when it comes to dental work and most anything as else for that matter.