64 Years withOUT a MILITARY - Happy Anniversary COSTA RICA

So today (December 1) marks 46 years (1948) since former Costa Rican President Jose Figueres Ferrer abolished their military!!!  CONGRATS Costa Rica!!!

BUT . . . when I just read that - it "triggered" something within.  Made me take a step back and reflect on what is happening in the world today - but more importantly - what is happening in my own backyard (not literally) - Costa Rica TODAY!!!


Can you say that in the past 5 years you have known NO ONE that has had a run-in with a gunman, bandito, thief employee - or even a neighbor/local person??

If you can TRULY say "NO!" (and you're not living in a bubble somewhere removed from all in the jungle or such - than YEAHHH for you and PLEASE count your blessings!! 

But SADLY - it's becoming rarer and rarer. 

Heck - recently a survey was conducted that said that LESS than 1/2 of the people bothered to even report the crimes done to/against them!

LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2012/11/12-crimes-in-costa-rica-un-reported.html

So I started wondering - MAYBE if they HAD a military, a large % of the population might not have had some sort of run-in with a gunman•bandito•theft????   I wonder then if most houses wouldn't HAVE to be behind bars on the windows/doors (heck - you do NOT have much of those things in the parts of Nicaragua or Panama I've seen) and/or guards/gates/alarms/dogs/guns???  And MAYBE Costa Rica would have decent highways and wouldn't have bridges collapsing or seriously damaged and sink holes on THE major highway cutting off traffic between THE MAIN city and the airport???  (of course they'd have to fix all the politicians that have become criminals to route the money to where it's SUPPOSED to go to fix some of those problems).

I'm NORMALLY VERY VERY ANTI-military (and I grew UP IN it so I know something from where I speak) - BUT - living in Costa Rica now for 7-1/2 years and with how SERIOUS the crime has gotten (it MUST be pretty darn serious if they're saying less than 1/2 the crimes are even bothered to be reported [and based on people I KNOW that have had problems - I'd say it's more like less than 10% are even bothered to report of theirs) - with the polices hands often tied because they don't have the equipment (OR THEY'RE part of the problem) . . . it might cause someone TO wonder eh???


Here's some more factual information on this law, etc.:

InsideCostaRica.com/2012/12/01/costa-rica-celebrates-64-years-without-a-military-today

So HAPPY Anniversary Costa Rica!!!
May you have MANY MORE "peaceful" years!!!

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