In Camping World today a shopper remarked about my t-shirt with it's colorful depiction of a bird and asked me where I got it. "Palenque, Mexico", I answered. "I see that on it", he said, "but where did you buy it"? "In Palanque" I answered. "You didn't drive there", he said. "Yes, in the motorhome. We have spent six full winters RVing in Mexico", I said. He was flabbergasted and asked why we went there with "all the killings". I gave him my standard, "It is all one drug gang killing off another drug gang and does not affect us RV'ers" answer.
"But", he said. "just last year three missionaries in a motorhome were stopped in Mexico by bandits and they were all murdered"! I asked him where on earth he had heard that. He said it was on the news and he heard it in church. I told him that we and all other Mexico RV'ers keep a very close watch on the news and if that had in fact happened, we would know about it. I assured him it never happened and that he should quit watching Faux News, that they were just trying to make Americans afraid of everyone. He gave me one of those looks and wandered off, now convinced that I was either crazy or in league with the Mexican Bandit Missionary Killers.
It is amazing how many people here question our traveling in Mexico. The worst part is, most of the folks telling us they would never go there are of Mexican heritage. Unfortunately, whoever is trying to scare Americans about the "Boogie Man" across the Rio Bravo is doing a good job.
We've been in Mazatlan almost two weeks.
56 minutes ago
Yep, it's amazing isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWe only spent 3 months in Mexico rving and just loved it. No problems, no issues just a great time. That news is really something else.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Shock Fox Network' continues to see large increases in viewership. Bu_l Sh_t news seems to appeal to the ignorant....and, sadly, we see the results everywhere. Sad, very sad!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that guy heard the story about 26 young children being gunned down in their Elementary School in Newton? Probably not - because it's a true story!!
ReplyDeleteGood point Rick! I never think of these repartee's until after the fact!
DeleteI take a rather dim view on "Missionaries" to start with. The good news was, they weren't off in some poor African country, spreading disease and petulance the way their predecessors did here in the Americas. This is what I usually explain to any "seventh days" or "Jehovahs" who have the misguided notion that they'd like to show up at my door. That is, right before I tell them quietly how they have roughly 20 seconds to get themselves off my front porch.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's a couple missionaries killed every year *somewhere* in the world, and nobody pays any attention at all. But if it's Mexico? Oh dear.
I never understood why missionaries bothered with Mexico anyway. 99% of the population is catholic so what are they trying to convert them to? Maybe Mormon like Romney's grandfather who fled to Mexico with his six wives to escape "persecution".
ReplyDeleteThe think with this issue is, it never happened! No RV'ers, missionary or otherwise have ever been killed in Mexico. Period!
What can I add except for the fact that those missionaries use trade their "book" for food and clothes trying to lure people who religion already failed. I won't go any further.
ReplyDeleteAs for the man at Camping World, there must be about 300 million of him running around.