Michoacán attack warrants attention and condemnation

A cowardly, and fatal, Sept. 15 grenade attack on civilians in Morelia, Mexico, doesn't generate the same level of worldwide concern as suicide bombers in Iraq, but it certainly reverberates throughout Central Washington.

We share the anguish and outrage of so many of our friends and neighbors in the Yakima Valley whose roots are in their home state of Michoacán. Morelia is the capital and a close "sister city" to Yakima.

There's a strange contradiction at play here. The war on terrorism in Afghanistan and oil-rich Iraq has long been a focus of worldwide attention and reporting. The same was true when Russia squared off against Georgia, a U.S.-backed country with an important pipeline running through it.

Yet, the attacks in Morelia that killed eight fall below the international radar of condemnation. Yet, if anything, the latter incident should be more visible and vocally condemned, especially in this country, because the root cause for concern is not oil, but drugs.

Simply stated, the capital city and Michoacán itself are being targeted in the ongoing, bloody war against the drug trade in that country. The reason? Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered a crackdown on drug cartels nearly two years ago, and the latest manifestation of outrage is the attack on the capital city of Calderon's home state. For emphasis, it was done during a Mexican Independence Day celebration.

The concern about the stepped-up violence by the cartels -- so similar to the tactics of terrorists in Iraq -- has not unexpectedly reached the Yakima Valley. Eight people were killed in a peaceful city and Mexican state that many of the people in the Yakima Valley are from and where many have visited. Naturally, concern about the safety of families and friends in Morelia would follow.

But the connection doesn't stop there. We share geographic, cultural and economic ties. The attack came as the Mexican president is dealing with issues we want dealt with: a crackdown on the drug trafficking that demonstrably leads as far north as Central Washington.

If the United States is concerned enough about Russia invading Georgia to send $1 billion to the U.S.-backed state, certainly there should be high-level attention paid to the growing drug-inspired violence south of our border with Mexico. We have a direct stake in the outcome.

Closer to home, the ties with our sister city are clearly evident. The Yakima and Morelia sister city bond was formed eight years ago.

An eight-member delegation was in the area for several days, and Michoacán even has a booth at the Central Washington State Fair, which ends today. The sister city relationship is geared toward bringing people together to advance Yakima and Morelia's economy and business prospects. Through mutual exchanges of ideas and experiences come better understanding of the people and cultures of both cities.

Because of that relationship, we in this area are obviously more attuned to the senseless tragedy in Morelia. That attack, just to "show the government," is an attack on common decency and humanity everywhere. Like the cowardly terrorists, they are assassins who preyed on innocent people celebrating an important date in their history.

With a new U.S. presidential administration set to take office in January, let's see the war on drugs receive renewed attention and concern. The devastating impact of drugs on our society certainly demands support for Calderon's efforts to take on cartels more powerful than many armies.

We're sympathetic and paying attention to what's going on there, but there is a pressing need for a wider scope. If the senseless killing of eight innocents doesn't create a stir, what does it take to outrage our leaders and those of Mexico's other neighbors?

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

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