Brasil & Guns

I'm sure mos tof you have seen movies like City of God.  And have images of children caring and using guns int he streets of brasil's poorest favelas.  And it is a image that scares away most tourist and people from even venturing out to see these poor parts of the city. There are over 16 million guns in brasil, 80% are in civilian hands and are illegally owned and unregistered. 

 Brasil is organizing a hand in your guns program, where no legal action will be taken and money will be given depending on the type of gun turned in(anywere from 60 to 200 dollars).  Last time they did this in 2003 over half a million guns were turned in and destroyed.

With all these guns on the streets and in the hands of civilans, I wonder how these guns ended up in the hands of the poor or the drug dealers.  Are currupt cops selling these guns and profeiteering off the drug trade. Most likely!  It happens everywhere. I think the brasilian government should clean up there police force and provide equal justice to the poor, as well as the rich.  I feel like a dirty police agency hurts cities the most, because people can't stand up to them. they perfer to jsut handle justice by whatever means they can, and its a sad vicious cycle.

Landless in Brasil

I respect that the indigenous peoples are standing up for their rights , and are fighting for there survival both physical and cultural.  I compare it to the migration of south american immgrants into the united states.  I can't blame these oppressed people for standing up for themselves and doing everything in their will power to have a better life.  Infact I respect that and think that all governments should figure a way to help these people instead of turning them back in the case of american borders or give them land to farm in Brasil.  The problem in brasil is large land owners, they do produce large amouts of the countries agriculture but how many native indigenous people have to die, and how much money does a land owner have to make for it to be enough???

I dont think that these working class people want hand outs. And I believe other Brasilians kind of assume that is what is going on.  That the government has a program to hand out land to the poor for free.  Yet, the goal of these poeple and the government is to develope a plan that will generate employment, boost food production and help strengthen the domestic market.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, asked brasil to halt construction of the Belo Monte dam, slated to be the world’s third largest, until it complied with its legal obligations to consult with indigenous groups. Also celebrities from the United states such as James Cameron, Bill Clinton and Governor Arnold have been meeting with indigenous leaders and going to energy conventions in Brasil. They are pleading with brasils government to consult with the Indigenous peoples to prevent the spread of diseases that could result from the population flow during construction. Because Brasils government has already refused to suspend the work of the huge dam in the amazon called Belo Monte. Despite please from human rights organizations and the indigenous peoples themselves. Brasils economy is growing and needs electricity really bad. So the government is going on , through protest and outrage. The only thing preventing the project right now is a decision that needs to be made by the IBAMA, Brasils environmental protection agency. Although it wont be long before the decision is made because of strong persuading by the government. Brasil's new female president Dilma Rouseff, is pro dam. The president of Ibama, Roberto Messias Franco, resigned last year, because he feared making this decision, because the government was pressuring him to approve the environmental licenses for Belo Monte. Hes successor Bayma Azevedo asked for a leave for "personal reasons" days after Rouseff became president. But, I think its a stalling tactic, that wont last much longer, just by the unwavering commitment to the dam. Bill Clinton called on Brasil to show leadership and added,"I want you to lead the rest of the world into the 21st century.
I think its funny that a president of a country that genocides its Native Indians, for our country to prosper and become what it is today, to have the nerve to tell another country to find a new way to bring your country into the world of superpowers and first world economies. Because it seems that screwing over Indigenous people is the key to success, throughout history.