We had planned to go into town today, but we can't... along with a large proportion the city. São Paulo's extensive public transport system is 'paralysed' (to quote the reporters). Buses have been burnt, so the bus companies are on an involuntary strike, as they want more security. Who can blame them. The bandits cut the buses off, get on, order everone off the bus and set fire to it. Up to 8am this morning, 44 buses have been burnt. Cops are stopping buses to search. Bank agencies have been held up and burnt. A fire-station has been attacked. The city is a mess. And why??? For 'human rights'.
Off the top of your head, when you think of human rights, who do you think of? Mafia bosses? Not likely. The PCC (a criminal organisation) is creating havoc in the city - to me, it borders on terrorism - because they want their bosses who are in high security lockup to have full cell phone access (so they can run their operations from inside), intimate time during visits, at least 60 television sets to watch the world cup and they want the prison uniforms changed from yellow or orange to grey.... Hello???? Human rights???
Guess what, Mr Esteemed Prisoner, I don't have cell phone access half the time. I don't own a TV at all, much less a whole bank of TV's. As for colour of uniforms? I love yellow and orange, but we all know why they want grey... its so that they can blend easier when they escape. And what is the point of prison if they get privileges? You do wrong, you commit a crime, you get punished. Or have I missed some vital point here?
Sorry, I don't usually like going off on political/contentious issues, but this really got to me. What about the rights of the people in the bank agencies being assaulted and burnt? What about the rights of the people to transport without fear? What about the rights of the people who need the transport to work or they don't get paid? What about the rights of people to protection against crime? Come on... I want someone from human rights organisations to explain this to me.
Update:
ReplyDeleteA cop car was machine-gunned in an exclusive downtown neighbourhood, which I know has a lot of pedestrian traffic. Wonder what's next?
Some business roads in São Paulo were shut off completely to traffic and businesses in high risk areas have closed.
ReplyDeleteThis just showed up on your blog for me today -- but I couldn't agree with you more! Of course the criminals don't deserve those things! And of course, innocent people don't deserve to live in fear! What to do? Good people MUST speak up. And DO something! What? I don't know. I'm not a political activist. Probably the best some people can do is to teach their children to become good, honest people. If everyone did that, the world would be better.
ReplyDeleteI do believe there are still more good people than bad. But if we let things like this go on, if we give in to the "bad boys" -- who knows? We have only to look at history and the rise of Hitler to get an idea. How did THAT happen? Good people did nothing. Or at least, too little too late.