I've been wanting to answer this thread for a few weeks. David and I love Mexico and have travelled extensively in many parts of Mexico, coastal and inland, rural and urban, touristy and not-so-touristy. Mexico is a very safe place to visit and/or live. You just need to be cautious and not do stupid things.
That said, I just heard today that a friend (actually more of an acquaintence) of ours was murdered in Guadalajara this week. It was a tragic event. However he was a huge risk taker that liked to find himself in
dangerous places doing very risky things with people he did not know.
This does make me pause and think. However I must add we are cruising to Mexico 3-28 on the Saphire Princess and have no fears about safety at all. Go figure!