The banner reads: “586 dead police officers - for less than R$ 30 a day”. The daily rates for a police officer in Rio de Janeiro is $17 a day. Photo by Thiago Velloso (click here)
Brazil: Blogging helps the police to mobilize and protest
A cross was placed in Copacabana Beach for every police officer dead within the last five years, on February 1st: all together there are 586. Photo by Thiago Velloso
October 25, 2005
...An estimated 122 million citizens (click title to entry - thank you) took part in the referendum -- the first of its kind in the world -- and preliminary counts showed 64 percent went against the ban while 36 percent backed it. The referendum -- which asked the simple question "Should the commercial sale of guns and ammunition to civilians be prohibited?" -- divided the country, a world leader in gun deaths, into "não" and "sim" camps.
Two months ago, polls showed 60 to 80 percent of Brazilians favored the ban as a way to control the estimated 17 million small arms that are circulating in the country. But as the vote neared, and as both sides of the issue were given free television time, a slick media blitz by the gun lobby appears to have shifted enough voter opinion....
Gun Control in other countries have meet with huge propaganda campaigns that have been successful against any attempt by government or service groups, including police officers, to education the public to much needed changes to stop and prevent crime and deaths.
In Brazil the police officers were pleading for a change to save their own lives. Dead cops are not effective cops. The public acted against their own best interest, even in the face of the pleading of police, due to the propaganda of the NRA. The NRA stated Brazilians citizens would be more safe with their own weapons rather than counting on police for protection from crime.
Like what? Why would a private institution such as the NRA have more CLOUT than any government plea to their own civilians? It occurs when citiznes view their government as burdensome, effective and expensive. Sound familiar? Why would anyone believe having MORE guns on the street would be better than none? But, that is the 'rant' of the NRA in the USA and elsewhere. Basically, the NRA states the governments of any country is against the people for lying to them and asking for more control over weapons. Does that sound appropriate? Seriously. Why would the NRA stand against the pleading of an entire country's police officers?
It is about money. Not safety. Not what is benevolent or best.
This 'top heavy' Millionaire - Billionsaire BLITZ agasint the 'CITIZEN' has to stop. It attacks the very sovereignty of the country, within democracies, for profit. Sovereignty is at stake when law enforcement is weakened and disabled when it was or could be benevolent.
