I WAS ROBBED! THEY TOOK MY CELL PHONE!

I WAS ROBBED! THEY TOOK MY CELL PHONE!

This morning, on my way to work, as I was passing through Manguinhos (Rio de Janeiro/Brazil), a motorcycle passed by and stole the cell phone of a man in work clothes who was on the sidewalk. The man was speechless. He looked at the motorcycle and 'simply' stood still. What can you do? In moments like this, there's nothing you can do. Excuse the term I'll use, but I was very angry. I felt helpless. What does someone who steals a worker's cell phone deserve? A bum.

 

Our country, especially in Rio de Janeiro, is in chaos, but we've grown accustomed to it. It's part of our daily lives to deal with barbarity, and we, good citizens, pretend everything is fine. It's unacceptable to go to a concert in Copacabana, for example, and see several young people lined up trying to steal cell phones. And the most incredible thing is that they pass by so slowly, because they know nothing will happen.

 

Our politicians are doing some things "for show", especially because if someone really goes after Rio de Janeiro's criminals, they'll probably be killed. Unfortunately, there are countless criminals infiltrated within public institutions. Within politics, within the police force.

 

Unfortunately, the "culture of criminality" has been attracting young people for years. "Being a criminal" brings prestige, fame, women (or men), and money. "Being a criminal" means having your masculinity, your manhood, recognized. And our current culture and art have encouraged this. As the ‘poem’ performed by the ‘singer’ Oruam says:

I'm not afraid

I'm the owner's son

Biggest responsibility of a man

In a beastly car, I made her go crazy

And today, wherever I go, everyone wants to hit me

 

There's another ‘poem’, but this time performed by the ‘singer’ MC Poze do Rodo:

Hey, on VK, the smaller ones hit you

Only a good soldier in war

Who aims at you and doesn't miss

Only AKzão in the favela

With several reserve officers

Wherever you enter, you'll get

...

It's a bullet in the three asses, it's a bullet in the three asses

With a .62, it's just a punch, and the Germans here don't even try

With a Glock and a radin, smoking a joint

Unlock the G3zão, because if he peeps, we'll break it

 

The solution, I have no idea. However, I believe that if our Penal Code were revised, they could add harsher penalties to give these criminals an initial shock. Someone had to enter the State and Federal Government who wasn't afraid to stand up to the public. However, [1] the person must have an unblemished reputation, and [2] the person can't be afraid of what might happen, and the person can't be afraid to challenge the system. After all, a bum on the street stealing a worker's cell phone is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Rio de Janeiro, September 26th, 2025

Raphael Paiva