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Are We?
Re: "We Are Paying for This War" —
www.brazzil.com/p102apr03.htm, Comrade Stédile should be institutionalized. He lost it, definitely! He is the guy who firmly believes the U.S. throws rats in parachute in Iraq! The man really lost it
and it surprises me that Brazzil publishes anything this lunatic writes. I thought this was a serious magazine...
Milla Kette
Ohio, USA
I had lunch
Well fed people can write very interesting articles. See "Sweat of Your Brow? No, Government Coupons -
www.brazzil.com/p142feb03.htm. I agree that people
should work for their food, But should the poor and hungry have to go years waiting for jobs to be created for them and the economy to get better? In the United States we have
created a class of beggars on welfare.
However, we have many more jobs to offer in most cities than in Brazil. When they get off of welfare, at least many of them can survive. I do not totally disagree with
your article. However, it seems to suffer from the same simplistic thinking in which it attacks. I do know that I am hungry now and going to lunch. Nice to be able to eat, would
not you agree?
Via Internet
Red Lula
Calling Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a communist is not "rhetoric". It's the plain expression of a simple fact. Mr. da Silva was the founder and president of the Foro
de São Paulo (São Paulo Forum), the Latin American coordination of communist parties and revolutionary armed organizations, including Colombian narcoguerrilla. No
word puzzle or intellectual game can change the significance of this fact.
Olavo de Carvalho
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Etiquette Kiss
Very interesting and a sensible advice in your article "When in Brazil..." -
www.brazzil.com/p141mar03.htm. But I have one objection. You say that "Shaking hands
is customary, but friends or closer acquaintances kiss once on each cheek."
Kissing once on each cheek is a very usual way to say hello or goodbye between two women or between a man and a woman. However, two heterosexual men
will not kiss each other the way women do all the time, unless they are father and son, brothers or have some similar exquisitely close relationship. The etiquette requires
men who are not quite so sure about the appropriateness of that kiss to wait for the woman's first move. When in doubt, don't kiss. Cheers
Sergio Costa
Via Internet
Work Issues
I am a law student and along with a group of students, am currently researching the issue of unregistered workers in Brazil
(sem registro) and more generally, the Brazilian underground economy. We will be examining the effect of the informal economy on Brazil's formal economy, and whether Lula da Silva has proposed any
solutions to deal with the problem. We will be traveling to Brazil from March 16-March 28. When we return to the United States, we will use the information gathered during our
stay to prepare a project for a course at the University. While in Brazil, we will be staying in Rio de Janeiro, but will be able to travel.
We would like to set up several interviews/meetings with either government officials, academics, reporters or other persons knowledgeable about the subject of the
sem registro. If you are available to meet with us (whether in person or by telephone) or if you have any contacts here in Chicago or in Brazil that you could refer us to, we
would greatly appreciate any help you might provide us.
Larris Hutton
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois
Me Too
Oh, my goodness! This is in response to your article "How Brazil Wooed Me" —
www.brazzil.com/p105feb03.htm. I am about to go to Rio for a year this summer on a
foreign exchange program and have been studying Brazil for 4 months now and just now learning Portuguese, which I love. Everyone thinks I'm crazy for choosing to go...why
not Europe? they all ask me.... Well, everything this article said is exactly how I feel. You only live once and you should go where your heart takes you, you can always
change your mind!
Amanda Martin
Via Internet
Real Black
I am an African-American who will be visiting Rio. However, I am very well aware that crime in the African community does happen like in America. I would like to
take pictures while I'm there to expose the Brazilian community to many African-Americans. If I could meet someone who lives in Brazil who speaks English to come with me
while I'm taking pictures will help me a great deal. You see, I don't want pictures of women on the beach. I want to take pictures of true Afro-Brazilan people.
A. L.
New York, New York
Time to Forget and Forgive
I read your article on the Portuguese Language. Although it was interesting, it also upset me. Why is it that the Spanish speaking countries in Latin America don't
show the same antipathy toward Spain, that the Brazilians do toward Portugal? The colonial policies and practices of the Spaniards were far more repressive and ruthless
that those of the Portuguese.
The Portuguese were not perfect, but neither were any of the other European colonial powers. The Portuguese talk with tears in their eyes, when they speak of
Brazil; they are always ready to support the Brazilian soccer team in the World Cup, and they talk highly about Brazilian music etc. In their hearts, Brazil is Number 1.
You may say that this is all great, from the perspective of a Portuguese colonialist mentality, but the fact of the matter is—at least in my experience here in
Canada—that the Portuguese that I know always put Brazil on a pedestal. Unfortunately, some Brazilians don't have the same attitude about the Portuguese.
We cannot undo the mistakes of the past, but don't expect any Portuguese to apologize for the fact that Brazil was at one time Portugal's most adored colony. Sure,
the Portuguese took diamonds and gold to the motherland, but so did all of the other major European powers.
You say that it is too late to standardize the Portuguese language, but I say that first you need goodwill on both sides of the ocean. If Brazilians showed this
goodwill, I am sure that the Portuguese would meet the Brazilians half way—and it just might be enough!
You might also say that this is not realistic. Would Portuguese speakers all over the world not be better served by one standard version of Portuguese? Better yet,
why don't we adopt "Angolan Portuguese" as the standard—it is a far purer Portuguese than many others!
I must say however, that your attitude is by no means what I typically hear from other Brazilians. They say that far too much is made of the differences between
European and Brazilian Portuguese.
Here in Canada we read antiquated English books that contain archaic English vocabulary, but you don't hear us complaining about it. The language of England
is our "mother tongue"—should we deny this reality on the basis of the differences between Canadian English and British English? Make no mistake...there are
many differences. More so with American English. But we don't go around saying, "we speak Canadian!" We acknowledge and embrace our particular brand of English, but
we always say that we speak English nevertheless!
Is is too difficult for you to acknowledge that the mother tongue of Brazilians is Portuguese? So there have been changes, what else is new? Why don't we focus on
the things that unite us, instead of the things that separate us? Nationalism? You can be proud of your country, but still respect the roots of your linguistic heritage.
As I said, your view contrasts sharply with that of the many Brazilians that I have spoken with concerning this issue.
George Pimentel
Canada, Via Internet
Portuguese, Italians and Filth
Dear John Fitzpatrick,
Interesting articles you wrote recently. I would imagine that the main reason, and this is a statement of the obvious, we have Portuguese as our official language
is because the native Indian languages such as Guarani and Tupi, were not consider acceptable by the earlier Europeans immigrants. However, Italian could also
have predominated since we had as many Italians as Portuguese immigrants. And if you read the history of Brazil, in the south we could have German as the predominant
language.
Unquestionably, Brazil would be different, but how good would it be?
Personally, I am glad though that Portuguese ended up being our national language. German, for example, would bring us "more respect" from the Europeans
and Americans, as some people in Brazil like to say, but all these speculations are just too silly. Portuguese is a powerful language. To all intents and purposes, we do not
need to import any words from English, for example. We could create our own vocabulary for whatever reasons.
The reality is that we love to copy Americans and Europeans; possibly, a strong evidence that we Brazilians are suffering a lack of national self-confidence.
However, if I had to give up Portuguese in Brazil for any reason I would definitely select Italian as the national language, but that is also a mere romantic idea of mine of course.
I agree with you about the lack of proximity between Brazilians and Portuguese. I strongly believe we should improve by all means our relationship with the
Portuguese and Italians in particular. The Portuguese because they were the people that bravely conquered Brazil and kept it politically united (unlike the Spaniards that allowed
the South America to split in different nations) and Italians because they came in great hordes and brought us their passion for life and their industrious spirit that prevails in
the south. There is a historical reason for Brazilians to despise Spanish because of many centuries of hatred between Spain and Portugal.
By the way, about your article regarding the city of Sao Paulo, you would be in dismay if you could witness the things I have seen in Los Angeles, maybe these are
the signs of the times we are living. But, of course, that is not an excuse for Sao Paulo.
Sergio Tunes
San Diego, California
A Matter of Respect
Dear John Roscoe,
I read your article "Begging for a Job," -
www.brazzil.com/p111mar03.htm - and man...You have a problem... I never read that amount of BS in one page. Maybe you
are working in a bad company or in a wrong position, but you made a series of generalizations and showed prejudices that makes me feel sorry for you. For you, not for
Brazil because I know that 99 percent of what you wrote is a lie and prejudice.
I'll not waste my time trying to make you understand the difference of cultures. History shows us that the America people have no respect whatsoever for different
people and different "ways of life". I'm not saying that culture A, B or C is better than the American way of life or vice-versa, only different. So, when you compare the Brazilian
people with the American people is BS. They are different, only different, not better or worse.
I could write 10 pages of what I could think that is stupid in American culture and way of life (e.g. guns obsession, prejudice, racism, prepotency etc...), but since I'm
living in this country (USA) as a Brazilian I should try to understand and respect your way of life.
Man, you should look for a good job. There is plenty of jobs in Brazil for qualified people, and by the way as everywhere in the world, in Brazil qualified people
don't need to beg for a job. They get it! I wish you success in your next job application.
PS: By the way, sorry about any english mistake. My English teacher in Brazil was not that qualified.
Mauricio L. Nogueira, MD, Ph.D.
Bethesda, Maryland
The author responds:
Gee Mauricio,
I notice you're not working in the land of your birth. Why is that? By the way, I didn't choose the title for the article, the editor did. I suggested "Living in a Neo Feudal Society." Perhaps if you had stayed here to live the Brazilian-life,
instead of opting for dollars, social organization, less pervasive corruption, and relative security (relative to using military troops to police your major cities), then you would have
more empathy for your fellow Brasileiros.
Of all the articles I've written about Brazil, this has received the greatest amount of feedback, with the vast majority of
Brasileiros concurring and confirming my experience.
My Brazilian co-workers at the English course I currently work at have clapped me on the back for describing the situation so aptly. Of course it was printed just after the owner of
the school informed us that we would have to pay for our own books TO TEACH, and that the pay rate would be cut to finance the redecoration of the school.
At my primary job at the Escola Americana de Brasília, my Brazilian co-workers are extremely grateful to work at a place where payday always arrives as promised and
employee rights are spelled out instead of trying to guess the whims of some Brazilian fat-cat.
I find it ludicrous to be taken to task by someone who is living abroad earning a comfortable salary, while I pay taxes and support the economy here daily. By your
ignoring the famed elitist mind-set that has held this society in thrall since the colonization, I am amazed that someone with your
alleged education could be so oblivious. But then
from your presumed social and professional mobility, its a safe bet you are descended from that noble elite that continues to concentrate the wealth and opportunities in its own
ruthless hands.
So, you Brazilian Patriot, pack your bags, return to your countrymen and find a professional situation equal to the one you have now. My next article will be on Noble Brazilian hypocrisy.
P.S. I've always managed to stay well-employed here. I currently earn $R 3,000 per month (about $US 850), which puts me in about the top-ten percent of all wage earners.
Get a grip,
John Roscoe
Folly Pining
I have lived in America for six and a half years. It has been five years that I haven't been to Carnaval. Every year I look at the pictures on the internet to feel like I
am participating in some way. Today, Saturday of Carnaval, I started my ritual when I saw your article "The Winds of Delight" - www.brazzil.com/p41jan02.htm. I have to say
that reading that maide me feel so nostalgic. You really experienced Recife and Carnaval. The way you described it was very accurate. Rosana did a good job as a
Recifense. Thank you for sharing.
Luciana
Via Internet
Banana Split
My daughter has to make a Brazilian dish for a school project and they seem to think that chocolate covered bananas is a Brazilian desert. Can you please let me
know if this is true and if so, is there anything different in preparing this dish other than the obvious?
L. G.
Via Internet
Amazing Journey
On June 15th of 1996, my father received a call from the US. On August 9th of the same year, we were leaving our country to lead a new era in the United States. All
of our lives, we would never have thought such thing would come to pass, but it did. My parents, Josué and Fátima, respectively, provided a comfortable life in Rio de
Janeiro for me, Raphael Tito, and my sisters, Bianca and Talita. My dad worked for the National Bank of Brasil for more than 20 years, as one of the managers there. At the same
time, he was always involved in music, in particular, church music. By that, I mean, he directed choirs, conducted choirs, led and directed a Gospel Jazz band, that would
travel and play all over the state of Rio. Inevitably, my sisters and I grew up in that environment, in which we would wake up on Saturday mornings listening to the sound of
the instruments being tuned.
The call my dad received on June 15th, was from Pr. Fernando Carvalho, from California. He was and is the Pastor of a Brazilian church located in the Bay Area. At
the time, the church needed to expand its vision of music and called my dad to do it. So, we came. Arriving here, we had to face some of the stereotypes that we had
accumulated over the years, like for example that "in the US, everybody is rich", and "there are no crimes there". I really thought those beliefs held true. But, the first real shock was
at the social level, because of course that with the language barrier, we wouldn't have ease to nourish relationships.
In Brazil, we were used to going out with our galera, or our group all the time and just hang out. To make it short, the first year in America was really tough, because
there was a lot of adapting and letting go involved. But, it was also in that year, that both my sister and I graduated from the English Language Center, and moved on to
studying full time with Americans. That was a challenge that we had to face, but it was thrilling at the same time. It was also in that year that I started to play the drums and was
making
progress by playing with my dad at church.
My sister, Talita, always sang, and she didn't stop once in the US, rather intensified her singing abilities. It was also in that year that we bought our home in
Fremont, CA. From then on, life in the US, has really been uphill, since we've engaged in so many projects, including our first CD, featuring "Talita and Tito", or my sister and I,
with our own songs both in Portuguese and in English. The title of the CD is Redimido, which is Redeemed in English.
It talks about our experience with God and the importance of our salvation in Christ, bathed in the most exciting Brazilian rhythms, like
pagode, Olodum, and
others. Today, both my sister and I study full time in college, and I plan on going to Med School, and she plans to study music. Check us out at our home page:
http://talitaetito.josuebalbino.com . Also, our CDs are available at Brazil Express, a
Brazilian-oriented store located on 1770 Lombard St., in San Francisco, or you can write to
us and we'll figure something out.
As far as our experience in this country, I wouldn't change a thing. We really do learn a lot about family when we're away from them. Well, this is how we got here
and have handled life in America.
Raphael Tito P. Balbino
Fremont, California
Beware Those Asians
Dear Mr. John Fitzpatrick, I have read your recent article "Feijoada with Soy Sauce" -
www.brazzil.com/p146feb03.htm - with great surprise. Actually, Malaysia will
come to term where we might get a Chinese or Indian Prime Minister. It is difficult to predict when but the kind of culture club that we have at the moment simply scared the
Malays very much indeed. Politically, the Malays still maintain the majority votes but nobody knows for how long it will last. The other two races seem to be controlling
Malaysia's economy at the largest scale.
The government of Malaysia under Dr. M at the moment consists of three parties, which represent these three races, UMNO, MIC and MCA. However, I am not trying
to be racist here but the truth is that economically, the Malays are well behind the other two races in all aspects of life. I am not too eager to work with them since I am a
Malay. Sincerely speaking, even if my name is quite close to sound like Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima, still I don't think that I am really safe living here in my very own beloved country.
I love Malaysia and there is no way for me to give up my citizenship like most of my friends. The Malays simply respect the word Nazar because it simply means the
hope of giving more fortune to the poors. Unfortunately I don't see any hope for my very own fortune and not even the hope to give any to the poor when these two races
simply control the whole economic aspect of my beloved country.
I just hope the Malay leadership will realize that only the rich Malays who can help to generate more income to the poor Malays. They must not ask for money from
the other two races because it will only deteriorate the future of the young Malays generation. I hope you will write out more about this immigrants studies. You should warn
the people of Brazil to be careful with these immigrants. You might lose your sovereignty rights just like the Malays in Singapore and Malaysia.
Lina
Via Internet
Why Do We Talk Like This?
I am Canadian and a descendent of Portuguese immigrants and take great pride in the Portuguese language and culture. One thing bothers me though, I'm
wondering if you can tell me why Portuguese is pronounced so crisp compared to Brazilian? Brazilian has made the effort to soften the language, mainly with the letters "S" and
"Z", and stresses vowels at the end of words like the "E" and the "O".
I have been looking for the information for the past two years and the only thing that I can come up with is that the linguistics of Portuguese comes from the Celts
who occupied Portugal before the Romans and that they pronounced certain letters this way when they adopted Latin. Could you please tell me why Portuguese is not
considered one of the preferred languages of people like Italian, French and Spanish are to be. If you can give me some information regarding anything as to why things are the
way they are and why hasn't the language revolutionized like Brazilian has, concerning pronunciation.
Paul Sousa Lopes
Ontario, Canada
Playing a Trick
I've been trying to connect with some Brazilians who live in Canada so I found this site. I tried to talk to someone but it seems to me as a "dead city," nobody
answers. Is this site closed? I've been in Canada some years ago and I felt in love. Since then I read everything about it. I'd like to chat with Brazilian citizens who live there or
Canadians who like Brazil. Is someone there? Would you keep in touch? I'm from Rio de Janeiro and I intend to come back to visit Canada. I've been in the East but I'd love to
know Vancouver, Banff etc.
Now I'd like to cheat some friends with an e-mail sent from Canada to Brazil as if it was me. I said I would be there this month and they said I wouldn't. Would
someone help? I'm 13 years old and my name is Liz .Please write me someone to xavier2@urbi.com.br
Liz
Rio, Brazil
Hunger and God
I find strong exception to your point in "Sweat of your Brow? No, Government Coupons" -
www.brazzil.com/p142feb03.htm - that hunger is the will of God. As
someone who has done a little more than hear about or read excerpts from the Bible a few times in my life, and as a teacher of the Scriptures I find your theology to be erroneous.
This is a excerpt of what I wrote in a article about what I thought is wrong with the U.S. Christian Right.
What does God hate?
Let's look at the Bible, and see what the messengers of God consistently spoke out of against. What is what they repeatedly revealed was what God hated. What
did they keep saying and keep emphasizing that made Him angry.
The best place to begin is the prophets. Both the major and the minor prophets wrote their messages at a time when God was angry with Israel and was bringing
judgment to them. I want to mention specific acts that they mentioned that God hated, and was why He was bringing judgment to them.
Isaiah speaking the word of the Lord in Isaiah 1:15b-17: "You hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop
doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow."
In 1:23 he said: "Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's
case does not come before them."
3:14-15: "The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: It is you who have ruined my vineyards; the plunder from the poor is in your
house. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the face of the poor? declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty."
10:1-2: "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of
my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
32:7: "The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the need of the many are just."
Jeremiah in Jeremiah 2:34: "On you clothes men find the lifeblood of the innocent poor."
5:28: "They have grown fat and sleek , their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor." 6:12: "From the least to the greatest, they are all greedy for unjust gain."
7:6: "if you do not oppress the alien (foreigner), the fatherless or the widows and do not shed innocent blood in this place."
19:4b: "because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocents."
21:12: "Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robed, or my wrath will break out like fire and burn like fire."
22:3: "Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been wronged. Do no wrong to the alien (foreigner), the fatherless, the
widow, do not shed innocent blood in this place.
22:13: "Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor."
22:15-17: "Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with
him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well with him. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord. But your eyes are set on dishonest
gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion."
God says to Ezekiel says in Ezekiel 9:9: "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice."
16:49: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned, they did not help the poor and needy. They
were haughty and did detestable things before me."
In 18:5 he describes what a righteous man is, he: "who does what is just and right" In verse 7 "He does not oppress anyone, but returns what is taking in pledge
for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing to the naked. He does not lend at usury of take excessive interest."
22:7: "In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow."
22:29: "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery, they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice."
34:4-5 he said to the leaders of Israel: "Woe to the shepherds who take care of themselves! Should not the shepherds take care of the flock? You eat curds and
clothe yourselves with wool and slaughter and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthen the weak or healed the sick or
bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally."
Amos in Amos3:4 says of Samaria: "see the great unrest within her and the oppression among her people. They do not know how to do right, declares the Lord,
who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses. Therefore this what the Sovereign Lord says: An enemy will overrun the land."
In 5:11: "You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them."
8:4-7: "Hear this, you who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the
Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat? skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair
of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat. The Lord says by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done."
Micah in Micah 2:1-2 says: "Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they perform it because it is in their power.
They covet fields and seize them away; they oppress and crush a man and his house, a man and his inheritance."
3:1-3: "Listen, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin
from my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones to pieces; and chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?"
6:10-12: "O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the false measure of grain, which is accursed? Shall I acquit a man of dishonest scales, with a bag of
false weights? Her rich men are violent; her people are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. Therefore, I have begin to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins."
Nahum in Nahum 3:1-3: "Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! The crack of the whips, the clatter of the wheels, galloping horses
and jolting chariots1 Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many causalities, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses."
Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3:6-13:
Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble.
Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples that are left will plunder you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed
land and cites and everyone in them. Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high. to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of my
peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your own life. The stones will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a house by crime. Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations only exhaust themselves for nothing.
Zechariah in Zechariah 7:9-10: "Execute true judgment, show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor."
11:4-6 "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, Praise the Lord, I am rich!"
Malachi in Malachi 3:6 "So I will come near you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their
wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the aliens of justice, but do not fear me."
Solomon in Proverbs 6:16-18 states actually what God hates. "There are six thing the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: a haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension."
The Message of Jesus
Jesus in Matthew 22:37 summed up the message of the law and the prophets by saying that the greatest commandment is to love God and to love your neighbor
as yourself. He in essence was saying that by loving your neighbor this was how you fulfilled the first command of loving God. Later, in Luke 10:29 a teacher of the law
asked him "And who is my neighbor" In verses 30-37 he replies:
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hand of a robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him
half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and
saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged
his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to the inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave
them to the innkeeper. `Look after him' he said, `and I will reimburse you for any extra expanse you may have.'
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hand of robbers? The expert in the law said. `The one who had mercy on him.'
Jesus told him, `Go and do likewise.
It is interesting to note that Samaritans and Jews had animosity toward one another. A modern comparison to their relationship in Jesus time, would be the
present relationship between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The Samaritan helped a Jew, a natural enemy. He not only took pity on him, he went to him and bandaged his
wounds, he took him to the inn and took care of him, and he gave enough money to the innkeeper to take care of him after he left. In other words, he did everything that was in
his power to help him.
Jesus made it clear that in order to follow the message of the law and the prophets we would need to "go and do likewise." Go and help those who have been
robbed, beaten, and oppressed, whether that be literal or a figurative. Even help those who are your natural enemies. If you are Israeli, help the Palestinian. If you are from
India, help the Pakistani. If you are from the US, help the Iraqi, the Afghani, the Iranian, the Vietnamese, the North Koreans, the Lebanese, the Sudanese, the Libyans, the
Russians, the Grenadines, the Cubans, the Panamanians, (actually it might have been easier to say most the nations in the world) etc.. Do whatever is in your power to help. This
is the ultimate test to see if you truly have a hold of the teachings of Christ, the Law, and the Prophets.
Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46 defined the difference between those who follow his message and those who don't.
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he
will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put his sheep on the right and the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on his right `Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the
world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and
clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit to me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger
and invite you in, or need clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did to these brothers of mine, you did for me.
Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave
me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and did not invite me in. I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in
prison and you did not look after me.'
They will also answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you?
He will reply, `I tell you the truth, what you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Then they will go to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
He like Jeremiah revealed that to know the Lord is to defend the cause of the poor and needy. This is his message. As he said in Luke 4:18-19:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery
of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
It should be noted that to help the poor and the oppressed is more than just charity, as the prophets showed it is primarily justice. Susan George explains this in
the
Yale University Press 1978 (page 85)
At this point you are entitled to ask whether every case of hunger truly implies a willful violation of the right to food. It's true that acts of God, like drought and flood
or population pressures can aggravate hunger. But climatic extremes and environmental destruction can be traced to human action or inaction. Pushing this statement to
the limits, I will even say that there are no ecological problems, only the social and political problems that invariable underlie and cause ecological damage wherever
and whenever hunger occurs. I'm convinced that human agencies and agents are at work; that hunger is basically a reflection of inequality at the local, national, and
international levels. This is why ethically speaking, the correct response to hunger and the cardinal virtue, we need to respond to it. Is justice not charity.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, in Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or
Community>(Harper & Row, 1967). A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. We are called to play the good
Samaritan on life's roadside; but...one day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through
life....A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth....There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying
an adequate wage to every American citizen whether he be a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid or day laborer. There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us
from guaranteeing an annual minimum and livable income for every American family. There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from reordering our
priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war.
In light of these Scriptures, please explain to me how you can you say that hunger is the will of God. That Lula is wrong to feed the poor. As written above, I do
agree that charity is not the primary response to hunger. That ultimately justice that would allow person to have access to work to pay a living wage is the cure for hunger. But
in Brazil, as in my country the U.S., many work hard, but are not paid a living wage, and still live in poverty as a result.
If I am not mistaken this has been Lula's goal. Not only to give charity, but to provide jobs that pay a living wage.
Jeromy Ray
Via Internet
Work Issues
I am a law student and along with a group of students, am currently researching the issue of unregistered workers in Brazil (sem registro) and more generally,
the Brazilian underground economy. We will be examining the effect of the informal economy on Brazil's formal economy, and whether Lula da Silva has proposed any
solutions to deal with the problem. We will be traveling to Brazil from March 16-March 28. When we return to the United States, we will use the information gathered during our
stay to prepare a project for a course at the University. While in Brazil, we will be staying in Rio de Janeiro, but will be able to travel.
We would like to set up several interviews/meetings with either government officials, academics, reporters or other persons knowledgeable about the subject of the
sem registro. If you are available to meet with us (whether in person or by telephone) or if you have any contacts here in Chicago or in Brazil that you could refer us to, we
would greatly appreciate any help you might provide us.
Larris Hutton
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois
Brazilian Cajun
I just moved to New Orleans about 4 weeks ago. I live in the Metairie area and I was searching the web trying to find out what New Orleans had to offer to native
Brazilians. You've got a new listener to your WWOZ-FM 90.7 radio program on Saturdays! Now...If I could only get some more info about what other Brazilian activities, events,
restaurants, social clubs, etc, there are in New Orleans, then I would be muito feliz.
Rosemary Ferreira Veitel
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Way It Is
Dear John Fitzpatrick, I'm a reader of your articles for one year I guess. I like the way you show ours "mazelas". Your latest, "Brazil's Five-Star Jail" -
http://www.brazzil.com/p115mar03.htm - was a bit of sadism, but
the big problem is: It is the truth. Finding a job today after finishing University, is really tough.
So, at least one of the advantages of a higher education is to have a special place to stay in jail. Your opinions should be translated into Portuguese, I would
believe in a better country for my daughter, when one day I open a page in O Estado
de S. Paulo and read there half of the things you write here.
Lucia Fagundes
Curitiba, Brazil
Greetings from India
Dear John, I really enjoyed your article - "Feijoada with Soy Sauce" -
www.brazzil.com/p146feb03.htm. It was delightful informative. As an Indian and a Unificationist, I am not agreeing
with some mentions of the article. I think Indians are not just money lending Shylocks - they do try to develop the local economy and the country they are in,
though they are not enthusiastic about that in India! One of the biggest concern in the government of India is having is the brain drain, as many skilled and scientific minds
immigrating to other countries. It might be true that they try to adhere with their own customs and cultural values and that is often giving the impression that they care nothing but themselves.
As a Unificationist, I was really surprised what "controversial" leader Rev. Moon is? Why concern about Unification Church activities? If you know any of the
members you'll be glad there are UC activities. BTW, your article was excellent. You've got a beautiful style of writing. I guess you are a fine and busy journalist. Oh, I forgot to
introduce myself.
C T
Kerala, India
Change Needed, But...
I'm a Brazilian journalist and I agreed with what has been said about the life quality and torture and the corruptive system we heard about in Brazilian's prison. The
matter is really deep and in order to change this situation it's going to take sometime. I don't know if you have heard about a Brazilian documentary called
Ônibus 174 (Bus
174) . It's a movie about a kidnap in a urban bus in Rio, which action was taken at this bus number in the year 2000. The author of the kidnapping was an ex Candelária
kids' slaughter witness, the only one who survived after the murder of many street kids at Candelária. I was living in London at this occasion, but this was an
unforgettable international news that shocked the planet.
This guy, I don't remember his name right now, was actually a victim from the society and again, died by the hands of the police. I don't think this documentary will
have the international dimension, but it should. If, by any chance, you could have access to the producer and director of this film - José Pádua - you will understand what is
going on in Brazil. It's quite shocking for Brazilians too. The fact is, we don't know how to begin a change. I'm worried to be able to eat by the and of the month and control the
money for the basic things in my life. How and when start doing something?
There is no unemployment benefit in Brazil, we don't get extra money for working more hours than we should and you pray by the end of the month that the job is
still going to be yours! The employers are contracting people who are able to work for 3. You have to write, report edit and review, when not making the web design of a
page. This is just an example of my profession. If you complain, "I'm sorry, this job is not meant for you. There are thousands out there who are able to do anything to get your position!"
Anyway, I don't know how far this is going, but this new president seems to be very sensitive toward s the poor in Brazil, which are 80% of the population. Only 10%
of Brazilians tax payers earn the equivalent of 400 English pounds a month. Don't thing Brazil is cheap! Food is getting really expensive now.
Karla de Oliveira Sodré
Via Internet
Give It a Break
Having lived in Espírito Santo for two years, I take exception to the dim view your writer has about this state in your article. "Not
Too Inspiring Espírito Santo."-
www.brazzil.com/traapr01.htm. I loved
Espírito Santo especialmente Guacui e Aracruz, onde eu morei! Gostei muito de Vitoria tambem. De fato, vou fazer turismo no estado em julho com um grupo pequeno e vamos
para Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Camburi e Vitória. Realmente eu acho que Espirito Santo tem muitas coisas boas...e talvez o autor precise dar uma outra olhada!
Patrícia
Via Internet
Hopeful
Em primeiro lugar, eu gostaria de me apresentar. Meu nome é Luciana, eu tenho 23 anos, moro nos EUA
já faz algum tempo.
Em todo esse tempo que ando longe do Brasil, muitas vezes parei para pensar e para sonhar com o país que gostaria de ver e viver. Se hoje eu moro aqui nos
EUA nao é porque eu não gosto do "meu" país, é porque lá não tive oportunidades.
Desde pequena eu sempre escutei meus pais reclamarem e muitas vezes não terem dinheiro. E você sabe o que é isso?
Nao ter liberdade de ir para uma universidade, de tirar férias, de ter o que se precisa, para uma vida confortável, de morar num lugar decente e ter segurança, de
ter uma vida sadia, etc.
Eu tenho orgulho de ser brasileira e todas as pessoas que vivem ao meu redor sabem disso.Sempre falo das coisas lindas que nós temos, da personalidade
das pessoas, da alegria, da beleza tropical, da música, do folclore, do futebol, de como a gente vê a vida, mas eu também falo da criminalidade, da injustiça, dos corrupção,
das favelas e da desilusão das pessoas. É incrível, mas todas as pessoas com quem eu falo adorariam conhecer o meu país e isso me deixa feliz, pois os americanos
gostam do Brasil (cada um com a sua razão) e geralmente me perguntam o que eu acho que o Brasil precisa para crescer.
Boa pergunta! Acredito eu que nós precisamos de pessoas inteligentes, sérias e que realmente façam algo para e pelo país. É difícil pois há muito ladrão no
poder. É aquela velha história: enquanto um puxa para frente, os outros puxam para trás.
Muita coisa precisa ser feita, mas para se fazer algo precisa-se dinheiro e inteligência, e bom caráter, e competência, e boa visão de negócios, ajuda dos
companheiros e muito mais.
Eu estou apenas colocando alguns dos meus sentimentos, a minha frustração sobre a vida das pessoas, e minha esperança que um dia alguém dará dignidade
de vidas para as boas pessoas e punição para quem merece.
Luciana
Via Internet
In Defense of Portuguese
Eu sou um italiano que fez questão de aprender português (ainda por cima sozinho) embora nunca tenha viajado ao Brasil, isto é, única e simplesmente por
gostar do idioma. A meu ver, mais do que com o uso excessivo de palavras estrangeiras na linguagem cotidiana, os que querem defender a língua nacional deveriam se
preocupar com a atitude das autoridades brasileiras, que nos últimos anos têm impulsado constantemente o ensino do espanhol nas escolas sem, contudo, exigirem
reciprocidade dos seus homólogos do Mercosul e muito em particular da Argentina, os quais não estão apoiando suficientemente a inclusão do português nos currículos escolares
do seu país apesar do grande interesse que os alunos dali têm manifestado pelo idioma.
Rebelo, embora recitando o papel de defensor da língua portuguesa, não só não denunciou o caráter em boa parte unilateral da política governamental de
difusão
do castelhano, mas antes qualificou essa
última de tardia! Orabém, isso vem
comprovar que na base da polêmica e da
cruzada linguística por ele desencadeadas
estão motivações
demagógicas, mais do que o amor à língua.
A meu ver, o fato de muita gente recorrer
frequentemente a estrangeirismos não deve
ser visto, em si só, como um fenômeno
prejudicial pela língua; os brasileiros que
se preocupam com a defesa de seu idioma deveriam
antes dirigir suas ações e
denúncias contra exemplos muito
mais graves de submissão linguística e cultural, como é o caso do filme de Babenco
Brincando nos campos do Senhor , o qual inclui uma cena em que um padre
brasileiro responde, em inglês "Por sorte minha, eu não falo apenas português" à tentativa desajeitada dum missionário estadounidense, recém-chegado ao Brasil, para se lhe
dirigir em português. Como pôde ser autorizada a rodagem no território brasileiro dum filme cujo guião contém uma frase desse tipo? Como puderam ser permitidas sua
dublagem e difusão no país cujo idioma ele tão gratuita e descaradamente ofende?
Lorenzo Salvioni
Itália
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