I read an article regarding the Brazilian drug dealing system before the World Cup this past summer. Many different parts of the article really struck me and made me aware of the fact that the life I know, in terms of violence and the underground economy, is completely different from the life that these people live. It’s not that before I thought there was no difference, but I am more awake now to this reality.

The article discussed a man on the streets selling drugs while claiming that he did not choose this life, he was born into it. The man said that if he could have his way, he would be a fire fighter or a doctor. These are great goals to have but there was a very slim chance he would ever even have the opportunity to accomplish these under the circumstances of his life. This made me think back to T. Bone from Venkatesh’s book. T. Bone was only in the gang for the short term benefits and he planned on getting out as soon as he could. He was attending a local college and doing very well there and more importantly, he could see the days of making money illegitimately coming to an end. Ultimately, he never got this opportunity as he was arrested and killed in jail before he could make it out. I think T. Bone and this man from the article are very similar. They both grew up without the opportunities to accomplish their legitimate goals legally. Their circumstances forced them to turn to a world that they had no interest in joining originally.

I was also pretty shocked when one of the drug dealers from this article said that if more law enforcement were present in this area, it would be worse for the community. I grew up always thinking that the police were around for my own protection and that they were only there for my own good. It just goes to show the differences in culture in the world we live in today. The police are supposed to make people feel safe, not even more scared than they were before. This just bothers me because law enforcement should be taken care of by the government, not by the gangs or by people not associated with the government for that matter. Citizens of a particular place should not feel the need to protect themselves when there are people employed who have that in their job description. I understand that it is a tricky situation, much like the one in Chicago in Venkatesh’s book, but I just think that people shouldn’t be scared when someone who is supposed to be protecting them drives by.