As if from nowhere the police helicopter roared into the skies over the Morro da Pedreira shantytown, darting erratically from side to side with two snipers leaning out from either side.
Seconds later the unmistakable sound of gunfire rang out above the conflict-ridden area of suburban Rio de Janeiro. First, the hollow thud of four shots. Then another five. Then a rattle of six, in quick succession.
At the foot of the hill, Severino Silva, a 48-year-old photographer from the Rio newspaper O Dia, thrust his gaze skywards and raised his camera. For Silva, one of the city’s most respected conflict photographers, it was another day at work in an increasingly violent home city.
Life as a crime correspondent in Rio de Janeiro is probably more dangerous now than ever before.
Click and watch the video. Reflect upon living somewhere we can have “objective” discussions about guns and crime.
2 July 2004: A law to ban the carrying of guns in public and control illegal ownership has come into effect in Brazil. The law, passed in December [2003], came into force on Friday after being signed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It will tighten[ed] rules on gun permits and create[d] a national firearms register, with strict penalties for owning an unregistered gun.
Sounds like gun control is working well in Brazil.
Oh… For a minute I thought this was Los Angeles. Then I read the article and realized there was far too little violence in the story for it to be happening in Los Angeles.
He’s shooting in sunlight yet has his lens’s sunshade on backwards. I wonder if that’s to make his camera look less like a gun.
Not especially bright sunshine for Brasil, Joe – stick the sunshade on backwards so it’s available if you need it.
If he needs the flash, the sunshade would be in the way – if close in and the sunshade on properly.
I hope this guy gets paid a lot of money to pass along to his next of kin.
If the gun nuts were right, Morro da Pedreira should be the safest place on Earth!
Bears repeating:
“Sounds like gun control is working well in Brazil.”
I am patiently awaiting the gun-contol advocates’ arrival on the scene to explain this away. I’m sure some incisive and well-reasoned answers are on their way Real Soon Now; my guess is, they must’ve all coïncidentally decided to wash their dreads or take the family pangolin for walkies at the same time… yeah, that’s the ticket. 🙂
I’ve been to Rio three times. It’s a magical city, but it’s two different worlds: the slums and the rest of it. If you ever get a chance to go there, don’t pass it up. The security and safety issues are highly overblown, even (maybe especially) by Brazilians.
# 2 Steve S said, on February 15th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Oh… For a minute I thought this was Los Angeles. Then I read the article and realized there was far too little violence in the story for it to be happening in Los Angeles.
Last year the police in Rio Killed more than 1.200! I Think you don´t kmow what you are talking about.
Three headed cat:
I don’t know the specifics of Brazil, but I’m guessing they have gun control laws on the books but they don’t have the resources to effectively enforce it.
It goes without saying that we gun-control guys want enforced laws.
We also want comprehensive laws without glaring loopholes like the gun show loophole.
I’d like to ask you: how do you propose that we end the pandemic of gun violence in the USA? I’m not just taking about the half a dozen high profile shooting IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE but all the other killing: criminal, accidental and otherwise.
I’m a reasonable guy and have no personal vendetta against guns. I grew up with them and have shot them countless times. If you have a real solution, I’ll listen. (MORE guns is not a reasonable solution.)
But it’s pretty clear that America has pretty-much done thins the NRA’s way and all we got was a daily bloodbath. This simply has to change.
#11, pedro,
Still an effen troll. I’m becoming more and more sure that the Republican Party would support your citizenship application to the US as long as you became an operative for them. They love asshats like you.
Aqua Velva Man, violent crime has marginally diminished in Brazil in the last years, for the first time in many many years. I’m not saying it’s BECAUSE of the harsher gun control laws of 2004, just telling you the numbers.
Rio is no worst then ever (when I say ever, I mean the last 15-20 years), it’s a sad situation with no easy solution. It’s a magical city, but I’m glad I don’t live there.
What makes a city crime-ridden is poverty, overcrowding, the rich/poor barrier, disenfranchisement and the lack of a strong middle class.
Essentially what the GOP called their “paradise”, where the rich run everything and the poor and few middle class that exist can go suck it.
#7, THC,
It looks like this blows the pro-gun nut crowd out of the water. If everyone has a gun, why is there no mutual respect and a lowering of crime?
I would really like to see the pro-gun nut crowd explain how that works again.
Funny; I thought that if you make it illegal to have a gun, that no one will have one, and peace, happiness & good-will-to-all-men will then reign supreme.
Apparently I was mistaken… 🙂
oh, yeah… pedro…
“Taking away the extreme right dictatorships, latin american is a leftist paradise, seasoned with a well developed ability to blame everyone else for their mistakes”
Well, of course the fascists’ policies automatically make any alternatives offered by the Reds look attractive to the sheeple…
The way the Reds get their foot in the door is that irresistible appeal to sheeple vanity and avoidance of personal responsibility – “your own choice of actions has nothing to do with the situation you’re in, you’re just a victim…” Works great with the “oppressed” here, too. “Not enough female scientists? It can’t possibly because fewer females than males choose to pursue that career path, no – it’s those oppressive sexist men!” “Too many minorities in prison? It can’t be because they commit most of the crimes, no – it’s those racist white people!” Standard self-serving Marxist horseshit. Rope ’em in with shifting the blame onto someone else. Works every time.
Oops. Don’t get me started……….. 😉
18,
yes that very true, but what does that say about Politicians, and they having POWEr over the military and police force, AND YOU AINT GOT A GUN.
What i think funny…
Just got an advert…
For the next few days, leading to Presidents day.
A sale on guns and ammo.