Many Mexicanos chuckle at the nativity of some gringos.

Ah then they, as well as you are showing their naïveté, as our nativities are glorious!

When the SFPD released statistics (later complained about being "racist" the percentage of Latinos arrested was a virtual avalanche in statistical numbers.

I cannot help it if Japanese society has three percent of all-types of crimes registered versus Caucasian arrests. Or Norwegians blanch at the high crime rate of the United States. Call a spade a spade. Deal with it. Being part of this society does not mean I hide behind a veil of wishful thinking. Many Mexicanos chuckle at the nativity of some gringos.

The percentage of Mexicanos who rely on sale of gathering up chatarra is perhaps ten times that of Mexico's northern neighbors. An overwhelming percentage are decent hardworking folks. But kristaleros will roll the socks off your feet as you are eating comida.

The shame is, law enforcement in Mexico will pursue a crime like this only so far then abandon it. Same for home burglaries. "Go round up the usual suspects"still prevails. As the use of crystal expands things that grow legs and run down the street will similarly expand. Balconarias and Cererrias will thrive. Chihuahua on the roof and Jealous Husband's windows will similarly blossom. Because of los vecinos I and the kids are immune. Putting a chihuahua on the roof is the best burglar alarm in the business. Some are in high clover like mine, with a fully furnished dog house, tiny grass plot and 360 degree view. The dogs seem to adore this status.

Ethnocentric? I believe you misuse the word. Folks the world over steal valuable metals as they have since the dawn of time. It's what brought Conquistadores to Mexico's shores.

Si Jefe, at least one of the metal plaques commemorating Spanish explorers at Spanish Banks in Vancouver was stolen long ago, appropriate given your observation....

That bronze barrel is not headed for a "Yarda de Chatarra" in Acapulco? In the USA people have died trying to strip 330 MCM aluminum high tension cable right off the towers. Yes, this sadly seems to be an ethnocentric thing. I love the one about 80 missing manhole covers in San Francisco, a cop car ripping off the front end of a Crown Victoria and the cops meeting the non english speaking culprits in a salvage yard in San Jose. Bay Area cops released a report in which it was claimed with something like 92% of metal thefts and arrests were of non english speaking people. My son in law and daughter both Mexicans are amazed at the brazenness of local metal thievery.

To say the statue was harmed for ideological reasons seems to be a rather far stretch. Jesús just finished seeing the image and shook his head "chatarreros" he muttered.

I never said the statue was harmed for ideological reasons. I even made a statement to that effect in the comments section of the article I linked to.

Ethnocentric? I believe you misuse the word. Folks the world over steal valuable metals as they have since the dawn of time. It's what brought Conquistadores to Mexico's shores.

To say the statue was harmed for ideological reasons seems to be a rather far stretch. Jesús just finished seeing the image and shook his head "chatarreros" he muttered.

For on-duty/on-watch Marinos, it would not be anything which would threaten their security. Nor was it vandalism to any of their equipment or buildings. Reporting the act as it was taking place....now that's good laugh!!

The statue was placed there at their behest. It is a statue of a naval officer. The Marinos of the Sector Naval were the first to commemorate its placement and the first to defend it against voices of opposition (the very first voices of opposition being my wife and me when we spoke to them the very first day the statue was placed there). They certainly treated it as if it were a part of their installations with the exception of last Saturday evening when it was vandalized.

It was inevitable. Hard to resist doing something with that, uhm, "gun". I was hoping for a more creative and whimsical act of intervention. But some intervention was inevitable.

It pains me to see the statue vandalized because like many folks I think it is a marvelous work of art by a talented local sculptor, even if it is poorly located. But what truly surprises me is that even with the Marinos right there supposedly on watch throughout the day and night they didn't apparently see anything. That's not how I used to stand a watch!

Rompen ametralladora de estatua de José Azueta