Guess how many drug-related murders in Mexico

When it comes to recreational drugs I'm in the laissez-faire camp. I figure if an adult wants to ingest altering substances--and can be reliably prevented from driving while you're altered--knock yourself out.

But with that said, the fact is that unless drugs are commoditized from the outset--that is, like aspirin, they'd be available from too many sources to count--they'll end up being controlled by the cartels. And that's far too high a price to pay for anything.

I understand the arguments for legalization, but importing more cartel soldiers into the U.S. would be insane. Evidence here: Take a guess at the average number of drug-related murders each month in Mexico over the last 4 years.

According to a site that tracks those stats, in Mexico since December of 2006 there have been over 40,000 drug-related murders, or an average of about 800 murders per month.

This is carnage on the order of U.S. casualties in VietNam during the highest-fatality period. This is what supporters of illegal immigration are inviting to the U.S.--whether intentionally or not--since a flood of illegal immigrants would constitute a much larger conduit for illegal drugs.

Eight hundred murders a month?? That's outrageous.