Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead

Five freshly decapitated human heads are thrown onto a crowded dance floor in western Mexico. A Mexican drug cartel dismembers the body of a rival and then stitches his face onto a soccer ball. These are the sorts of grisly tales that dominate the media, infiltrate movies and TV shows, and ultimately shape Americans' perception of Mexico as a dangerous and scary place, overrun by brutal drug lords.

Without a doubt, the drug war is real. In the last six years, over 60,000 people have been mu...