We know that it is a politically delicate topic because Americans truly appreciate their constitutional rights, and particularly those that are part of the Second Amendment.
-President Calderon

Well, the wait is over. Presidents Obama and Calderon had their long anticipated pow-wow. So, what exactly went down in Los Pinos?Let’s have a look:

Acknowledging a Mexican drug war that is “sowing chaos in our communities,” President Barack Obama signaled Thursday he will not seek the reinstatement of a U.S. assault weapons ban but instead step up enforcement of existing laws against taking such weapons across the border.

Despite a campaign promise to see the lapsed ban renewed, Obama was bowing to the reality that to do so would be unpopular in politically key U.S. states and among Republicans as well as some conservative Democrats.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, conducting an aggressive fight against drug cartels, had hoped to persuade Obama to push the reinstatement. -MSNBC

On the upside, President Obama has promised to push Congress to finally act on an Inter-American weapons treaty that has languished in the Senate since 1998 and strictly enforce current gun laws, as well as increase outgoing border traffic in search of American weapon smuggling.

The Justice Department says Mexican drug trafficking organizations represent the greatest organized crime threat to the United States.

The Organization of American States adopted the weapons treaty in 1997 as a way to curtail dealing in illicit firearms throughout Latin America. Since then, 33 countries have signed the treaty, and 24 have ratified it. Former President Bill Clinton signed the treaty on Nov. 14, 1997, one day after it was endorsed by the OAS.

The Clinton administration submitted the 13-page treaty to the Senate for ratification the following year, but it has languished in the Foreign Relations Committee without action since then.

“We are absolutely committed to working in partnership with Mexico to make sure that we are dealing with this scourge on both sides of the border,” Obama said after meeting with Calderon.
“You can’t fight this war with just one hand,” he said. “You can’t have Mexico making an effort and the United States not making an effort.”
-MSNBC

The escalating drug fight in Mexico is spilling into the United States, and confronting Obama with an international crisis much closer than North Korea or Afghanistan. Mexico is the main hub for cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs entering the U.S., and the United States is the primary source of guns used in Mexico’s drug-related killings.

My country is immersed in a historic transformation process. We live a robust democracy, which is also plural. We’re also facing firmly the costs of the struggles in order to turn Mexico into a safer country.”
-President Calderon

President Calderon’s aggressive, iron fisted stand against drug cartels and internal corruption has won him the respect and aid of the United States and the prominent political backing of Obama, was never quite as evident as on Thursday, when President Obama stood with President Calderon in Mexico’s capital city.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters traveling on Air Force One that they shouldn’t expect major announcements, calling the trip primarily one to re-engage the United States with Mexico.

“Re-engaging in the world is not necessarily simply a symbolic act,” he said in response to a reporter’s question. “I think it’s understanding that we have valuable partners and mutual interests, and it’s important that we show and — show that commitment and demonstrate it.” -MSNBC

Obama acknowledged that the United States shares responsibility for bloodshed and kidnappings in Mexico that have spilled across the border into the United States. He said the U.S. must crack down on domestic drug use and the flow of weapons into Mexico.

“I will not pretend this is Mexico’s responsibility alone. We have a responsibility as well, we have to do our part- President Obama

Obama has dispatched hundreds of federal agents, along with high-tech surveillance gear and drug-sniffing dogs, to the Southwest to help Mexico fight drug cartels. He sent Congress a war-spending request that made room for $350 million for security along the U.S.-Mexico border. He added three Mexican organizations to a list of suspected international drug kingpins. He dispatched three Cabinet secretaries to Mexico as well as recently naming a new a “border czar.”

Obama also said the United States and Mexico must work together to stem the problem of illegal immigration. He said he favors a more orderly process for immigrants who want to come to the United States and a pathway to legalization for those already in the U.S. illegally. The effort is likely to start this year but won’t move to the top of his agenda.

My country has been greatly enriched by immigrants from Mexico.
-President Obama

President Obama also sought to put a focus on the more upbeat parts of the U.S.-Mexico relationship, such as shared commerce and culture, and not just the drug violence and immigration debates.

What makes us good neighbors is a simple truth, that our people share so much more than common challenges and common interests. We also share values and ideals.”
-President Obama

All in all, I think the meeting went well, the anticipation is over. We are neighbors, whether we like it or not. It’s time to start working together for the common good of both nations. I’m not saying we need to hold hands and skip gleefully through the tulips, I’m saying we need to respect one another and support the dynamics necessary for the rebuilding, progress, and improvement of the other.

Peace/Paz People.