These schools, known as "normales rurales", were established during the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas (1936-1940). There were originally 36 of these schools established around the country. Today I believe only 16 of them remain in operation, 9 here in the state of Guerrero, including the Escuela Normal Rural "Raúl Isidro Burgos" de Ayotzinapa. The schools select their students from among the indigenous populations of the region, the most important requirement simply being having extremely limited economic resources.

Perhaps they once actually fulfilled their established function, but in recent decades the quality of education in Guerrero has become the poorest in the nation, and as most parents in our state know, our children have simply not been receiving anything close to a decent education from the teachers we have, which include among them graduates from these types of schools.

I was not implying the students were to blame for what happened. I would just like to know their grievances. Other posters have helped in that regard. As for the pohleese and gangs allegedly involved, I wouldn't dignify the word 'radical' by applying it to them.

¡Gracias!

Also, we are hopeful the governor is going to resign because he is the one who by acts of omission allowed the criminals to take control and give orders in Iguala where the Mando Único was not implemented.

Today's New York Times has a front page article on this story. You can read it on-line at nytimes.com CNN also has a story, including an account by a survivor from the soccer team. I thought he was incredibly brave to say what he did.

The soccer player who was killed on the way back from playing a game was from Zihuatanejo. His name was Daniel Solís Gallardo. Maybe you saw the demonstration at the Cancha Municipal Saturday before last by his family, friends, neighbors and concerned citizens.

This was when the students were rioting over the government changing the college requirement to graduate. Like in the States getting a liberal arts degree. So many were studying dead native languages and there were no need for that degree.

Paul, that's not quite right. The students did NOT want to learn English but instead wanted to continue studying Nahuatl and Purépecha which are nowhere near being "dead" languages as some descendents of pure Spanish blood would like for them to be.

Guerrero has been under the rule of narco-gangs for way too many years thanks to corrupt officials and inept police forces who have never taken their jobs seriously. The governors and mayors and other "public servants" only simulate their jobs and enrich themselves and serve themselves a heaping helpful of our public funds while being accomplices to the organized criminals against whom they have done nothing. Guerrero is currently the worst state in the nation in this respect. Such a dichotomy! Some of the humblest, warmest friendliest people in the world in such a beautiful setting under the yoke of some of the most unscrupulous, corrupt and morally bereft political leaders and their henchmen this side of the Atlantic.

And we put tourist resorts in it and expect people to come while we smile politely.

I believe most of us in Guerrero are going to be calling for the resignation of the governor whose blatant dereliction of duty has allowed the state to slip into its darkest moment. I also believe most of us expect and hope that the federal government will now finally step in and assume control of public security similar (but hopefully better) to what they did in our neighboring state of Michoacán and impose law and order in our state!