Brazil’s election results are not unanimous, so I decided to write a short blog to discuss the way Brazil is heading. On the one hand, democracy is the choice Brazilians have, and then on the other the two leading candidates have had deeply disturbing career paths no one can deny.
According to many, Lula is deeply entrenched in corruption that led the country down a perilous road. Bolsonaro mishandled the coronavirus pandemic, bestowing indifference towards his people. As well, he was in theory, “court martialed” from the army which goes to show he isn’t a saint. Nevertheless, both candidates are very close in the first day's voting which will go onto a second stage vote and decision on 30th October when there will be an overall winner who will be elected as President.
Seen on the day of the election, Bolsonaro dressed in a T-shirt of Brazil to show his patriotic posture together with Daniel Silveira wearing a shoot to kill defiant T-shirt makes me wonder how far Bolsonaro will go if he is reelected to power. Known as far-right, he often goes against the main stream though if he wins it would appear clear that the majority of Brazilians believe he will serve better justice for the country to prosper.
Speaking of Justice, Alexandre de Moraes a judge at the Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro investigated for spreading disinformation. Silveira apparently said, "The people need to go to the Supreme Court, grab Moraes by the neck and throw his little egg head in the garbage." Clearly, this isn’t freedom of speech because it incites hatred, something people shouldn’t support in democracy. According to the link above, Silveira whose shaved head and hulking physique have drawn comparisons to American professional wrestler turned actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Hardly though, as his attitude and slandering bad language is no better than pure racism. You cannot talk peace if you are going to slander those who you have a grudge against.
According to a recording, the deputy cursed several Supreme Court justices, sometimes using profanity and making accusations of all kinds, including that some magistrates receive money illegally for the decisions they make, but with no real proof. No wonder he was arrested, tried, and convicted. However, Bolsonaro exonerated him.
At the end of the day the elected president will be democratically chosen, so whichever way it turns out Brazilians will have to accept the reality and work together to make Brazil shine again, if at all possible!
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Unanimous (adj) = common, agreed, undisputed, undivided, united
Entrenched (adj) = rooted, engrained, fixed, deep-rooted, embedded
Bestowing (v) = giving, conferring, bequeathing, presenting
Court martialed = 1: a court consisting of commissioned officers and in some instances enlisted personnel for the trial of members of the armed forces or others within its jurisdiction. 2: a trial by a court-martial. court-martial. transitive verb. court-martialed also court-martialed; court-martialing also court-martialing.
Slander (n) = slur, insult, defamation, smear, libel
Grudge (n) = complaint, dislike, resentment, hatred, antipathy, bitterness
Exonerated (v) = absolved, acquitted, forgave, pardoned, cleared
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