The irony of the whole this is that Mexico has the better record when it comes to birth control, and has been the pioneer in the field (the "pill" was based on Huastaca Indian herbal remedies, according to its credited discoverer, Dr. John Rock).

By the way, condoms are free at sex clubs and any health clinic in the country. Farmacias Similares sells their own brand at 3 for 10 pesos.

The Mexican birthrate is below "replacement" level now... and dropping faster than the infant mortality rate is declining (both very good news)but you can't expect some Congress-critter from Illinois to bother reading things like the Mex Files or the Unapologetic Mexican or... say the newspaper.

yup. it just never ceases to amaze me that we think of these men as "representatives." in so many cases, they are representative of...sheer ignorance.

well. maybe it works out.

Richard beat me, but contraception is readily available and cheap or free in Mexico. There is so much ignorance about Mexico, which actually has fairly decent public health service and the new plan Seguro Popular, which is available at low cost or free will cover every Mexican. Mexican children actually are immunized at a higher rate than their counterparts in the US, for example..it's free and required. My husband is a Class II diabetic and he gets his meds for free at the Centro de Salud.

Even foreigners can sign up for IMSS insurance and it is quite reasonable, I think it is about 800 pesos a month.

hey mariachi mama. i appreciate you (and richard) bringing fact into the midst of the hype. what a bunch of crazy cats run stuff up in here, so much disinfo. can he really believe what he is saying? or is it pure deception?

Foreigners can sign up for IMSS? Hey, that gives me an idea!

This fan of Dr. Hugh Jenics has a masters from the London School of Economics, which has been taken over by free market cult members (O'Reilly's wht xtn pwr strktr), so I apologise for his ignorance and sheer moronity. Tis a silly place.

Fun factoid I ran across. Congressman Kirk has been in Congress since 2001 but has NEVER introduced a bill that made it into law. He's... ahem... impotent (legislatively speaking, that is).

jeje. nice one.

Yeah, IMSS may be 800 a month, which sounds cheap, but not when you're surviving on 900 pesos a week (like my family of three happens to be.) Not to mention, I wouldn't be caught dead at IMSS. Actually, if I were there, I may not be close to dead but the shear fact of being there would increase my chances of dying. That place has the worst doctors in the world (ok, I have no stats to back that up) but it certainly feels like the epitome of the term "Godforsaken." I have been in Mexico for a year and a half and know two people who have died there - way too young to be dying over simple things.

There is something to be said about family planning here though. People have too many children, too young - so many and so young that they will never be able to send them to college or keep them safe from things that it's easy to keep them safe from in the US - healthwise. It is very sad seeing teen mothers on the streets with two or three children, all begging for money or food.

If every gringo A-hole would come and spend a week with me, I'll show them why los Mexicanos head north.

Nezua, you are doing a great service with your blog writing things that aren't written, or at least not often enough!

You know, it just occurred to me that many Mexicans are Catholic (which makes them Christian) and don't believe in abortion. I would think that would make them very appealing on at least those levels to right-wing, "moral majority" governmental types who purport to hold those same views and seem concerned that so many U.S. citizens don't. I mean, maybe they ought to be encouraging Mexicans to come here...? What could be better than millions and millions of more Christians? I guess they just haven't thought of it like that.

no, i think the GOP does try to play that when it's opportune. i've read about their thinking on that before. but i think the problem is (aside from the fact that they''ve really let their racism get the better of them lately, and nobody's missed it), that's a bit overrated...the religiousity of Mexicans. i mean historically, it's true, look at the cultural icons and traditions. but today i'm not sure that every person or most persons coming from Mexico necessarily comes as a devout christian or against abortion.

This is a topic that I try to address all the time. The man has obviously not come up with the best solution but I have to say that I'm happy he has at least decided to think outside of the box and try to combat some of the conditions that force people to leave in the first place. That's the only real way to stop immigration. Birth control is a little scary but there are a lot of good ideas out there, one being the fledgling program Tres Por Uno, in which every remittance dollar sent home is supplemented by a dollar from the county, the state, and the federal government in Mexico for public works projects. It's a good idea in the sense that it get's at exactly the places that people are leaving from. Another huge problem is the way the U.S. has exported gangs from Los Angeles all over the western hemisphere with its prison policies. Violent acts have gotten so bad because of these international criminal hydra that people are dying at a higher rate than they did in the civil war in places like Guatemala and El Salvador. The issues go on and on to include things like NAFTA and CAFTA but I'm happy this politician is at least considering the countries that these migrants are coming from.

"i'm not sure that every person or most persons coming from Mexico necessarily comes as a devout christian or against abortion."

You know I know that, Nez. Most of the gov'mint pundits aren't really "Christians" either OR against abortion (as their wives, daughters, and girlfriends need 'em). But they SAY they are. It was a bad stab at satire. Which is what I get for being up at all hours. Sorry for perpetratin' that foolishness over here.

ah, okay.

and you are so right about the faux-christianity of todays political talkers.

thanks for your words, moreliana.

I have been in Mexico for a year and a half and know two people who have died there - way too young to be dying over simple things.

yes...i understand your frustration. i have been in the USA for all my life, and know of many people who have died there (in the USA) from "simple things." It happens all the time, if you are looking in the right areas. There is so much division here, so much poverty here, too many ghettos, too many people forced to suffer due to lack of insurance/health coverage, getting looked at and treated shitty by those who judge a person's worth by their wallet. i'm sure this happens everywhere.

If every gringo A-hole would come and spend a week with me, I'll show them why los Mexicanos head north.

i'm curious, from where did you go to mexico? why did you go there? and with a family of three?

There is something to be said about family planning here though. People have too many children, too young - so many and so young that they will never be able to send them to college or keep them safe from things that it's easy to keep them safe from in the US - healthwise.

If you think people having too many kids and too young is exclusive to méxico, or that poor people and children are safe from a college-less fate or discrimination or health problems just because they are in the USA, I have to bust your bubble. It's not true at all. Have you ever lived in the USA? (Michael Moore has a film called Sicko that is blowing the lid off of some USA illusions; you may wanna watch for it/Google it.)

Thanks again for sharing your hands-on experience, amiga.

I came to Mexico because la migra wouldn't let mi esposo Mexicano live in my home country, the great US of A legally. So we're trying to do it "the right way." HAHAHAHAHA That way means my hubby had to go back to Mexico and wait, and I chose to wait with him. The US government likes to seperate families when it comes to immigration and I didn't want that to happen. In the meantime of waiting, our little chaparito was born here in Mexico. So I know all about the healthcare system SOB now and have lots of crazy views on both sides of the border. Being forced to be an expat has made a patriot out of me, but I know I'll get slapped in the face when I return to the US.
The grass is always greener on the other side. I have trouble writing my views and experiences as intelligently as you do, so I thank you for your ability.

On the topic of young girls having babies... it is true that it happens in the US as well, but not like here. And at least in the US there is government assistance to ensure the kids are eating well and being educated. That is not the way it is in Mexico where everyone fends for themselves. Yes, people take advantage of the system in the US, but at least there is a system to be taken advantage of - for the sake of kids.

who cares if mexicans have "too many" children. A US citizen uses much more resources than the average mx family anyway.

and, yes, health care in mx sucks. other countries have robbed mx blind and, what is there, is only available to certain members of the population (like Nezua pointed out, it works the same in US ghettos and such). I remember reading that a woman in Chiapas has to walk for four hours to get to the nearest hospital.

"(the "pill" was based on Huastaca Indian herbal remedies, according to its credited discoverer, Dr. John Rock)"--i didn't know this, very interesting info.

lots of crazy views, eh? at least you know your mind and speak it. sorry you're having a hard time, and being forced to live in mexico. i hesitate to generalize by agreeing with some of your points, but i thank you for writing them. and i can see how being forced to do anything would make someone resentful. that's how i feel about a few things here, like the fact that my govt is always making war somewhere and am forced to support it with taxes. just to name one.

i just wanted to add that i bought that book "First World, ha ha ha!: The Zapatista Challenge" after reading your posts on it and it is awesome! I kept thinking of the Marcondoms advertisement picture in it as I looked over these comments.... :)

yeah! i'm so glad you got that. i love that book, was glad to find it, someone turned me on to it. so, yeah. glad to pass it on.

jeje...marcondoms. i'll have to go back to the book to refresh my memory! that sounds good.

man...i used to spend hours typing in those stories in "under the fifth sun" category. i wish i had that time again. maybe soon. quizas, quizas.

I wouldn't be surprised if these bastards attempted to add in a tube-tying provision to any immigration laws they try to pass. These people in political office nowadays are no better their predecessors 100 or even 200 years ago.