Football Field in the Killing Fields

From the El Paso Times - JUAREZ -- In this city that averages nine murders a day, talk of the killing fields is common. Now one neighborhood has a different sort of field, one that is lifting the spirits of dozens of kids in a neighborhood still mourning victims of a massacre in January. Others say the field, funded by the Mexican government, is a clumsy move at public relations intended to squelch talk about the mass killings. About 80 children and teens, ranging in age from 5 to 19, spend their evenings playing American-style football on a synthetic turf, courtesy of the Mexican federal government. The field is off Mexican Highway 54 in south Juárez. Players learn how to tackle and to execute running plays. These kids wear used helmets, jerseys and shoulder pads donated by none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Football is a pleasant diversion in Juárez, where about 6,500 murders have occurred since 2008. The homicide total for this year is more than 2,200. Read more here:

Football Field in the Killing Fields