- Oct 3, 2018
- 2,772
São Paulo, Empire of Brazil
Mônica Maldonado Fernandes walked towards the campus for her morning classes. The sun was hanging overhead as the fall season slowly crept in. The large and expansive campus under the beating sun made it feel like an dessert in the tropical coastline they bordered in the neighboring municipality. Mônica walked to the political section of the university where her morning classes on political and social thought were just beginning. Walking into the elongated halls and the adjoined chairs making up rows. It was nearing class time, and her classmates were only just waddling in. Not that she was any better, joining in the steady stream of young adults. Their Professor, Jake Velho Henriques would come in a few minutes later, the chatter around the room slowly diminishing as the Professor walked down the long stretch of staircases towards the front of the class. The Professor looked much older then them, a source of wisdom and knowledge. Even if the other students did not think so, quietly chatting amongst each other. Many were excited to travel to the new monuments being built by the Imperial Government and others the latest news in the town from the IRC wins to the IRC lows. One of the exchange students boldly remarking how his team were going to win it all and show the Brazilians who were the boss. Leading to a small ruffle amongst them as they argued. She opened her notebook as the Professor began showing different charts and graphs he had written before, trying to open the minds of the student. It was still hot in the building, and the stickiness of the air made her blouse stick to her as she fanned herself with her hand here and there.
Beyond personal discomforts, se tried her best to pay attention and listen even with the rumbling around her. The idea of morality and legality was what the Professor was tried to get them to think and dwell on. He explored the cultural and structural institutions that built us to view an action as moral and immoral, legal and illegal. Whether we admitted it or not, the Professor challenged us all to rethink on our entire foundation. Something even the most attentive in the class would shy away from and merely nod their head. Mônica dwelled on it though. How was she being conditioned by society. Believing one thing as right and one thing as wrong. Why is it illegal to kill, but for legal for State to kill? Why was it illegal to steal from the rich, but legal to hoard and steal from the poor? Was it not truly theft if the society hordes the bread from its community in need? The questions in her mind only grew. It didn't help that a battle ensued in her brain over the simple issue of bread. But, it did open her mind. In an era of employment, good health, lowering crime, and growth it would be hard to find anyone in the public sphere who opposed the Monarchy. Yet, even if one did, one could not openly proclaim themselves against the Monarchy. Though we lived in a free society, we were not truly free to do what we pleased. But, we were free from economic insecurity. We were free from poor healthcare. Would these not be a price for the opportunities we experienced?
After all, it was not merely propaganda. In our time of pain and decline the Imperial Family rose to the mantle and retake power from the elites. Still, did it make any of what we have any more morally right? If we are still unfree to do what we please...should freedom itself be limited for the great good of society? It was something worth considering for the young college student. Life was great for her. She was in a position of privilege that was expanding for many more Brazilians. Still, did it make it right for her to have these things in life while others still waited. She felt helpless in a way. Dwelling further on the idea of what even is morality, the tangent was broken by the sound of students shuffling up and about. Mônica closed her notebook and placed it into her bag as she got up. As her peers trickled out, she joined the sea of students pouring out of the building and back into the open air. She looked out and into the distance seeing the city's skyline. It was beautiful she though. She sat on the slopes connected by staircases. On the patches of grass that was once the hill. Sitting and looking out into the skyline with the wind blowing and cooling the air. She thought about her society at large.
Corruption was both spiritual and governmental in her eyes. Though she had much respect for the Imperial Family and their rule, she began to rethink her thoughts. The power of politics and its corruption has slowly insulated itself as a cancerous cell in our society. She still remembers her dad telling her about the days when he went out and marched against the government, signing up immediately for the Brazilian National Party. They were to him a party of the people. Much more than any other party ever was. Her mother told her of the times when she'd bake bread and hand it to her brother to take to the protestors as they spent long nights, unrelenting in their desire for a better Brazil. The Imperial Family had built the Brazil that is today. When regimes before sold our land and our intellectual geniuses to foreign powers, our people suffered high crime and poverty. As democratically elected officials selling away the hard work and labor of our people continued, we rose up to defend our nation. When we became free from our colonial masters, we merely became re-enslaved by a new one. When they did nothing for women rights or the economy, they continued to delight themselves with a little toss of money to the poor here and there. The Imperial Family has done much more in the few years in power than the decades of military and democratic rule. Being a woman in Brazil today was far better than five years ago. Being a woman in today's Brazil was full of opportunity and adventure. Still, it was not roses and cherries for women. Systemic issues exist and the ambivalence to harmful words and actions continued to proliferate across the country. To destroy the disease of sexism and harassment was not merely a task for women, but for men as well. But, who would listen to a student anyways. She got up, dusting off her skirt and heading towards her next class in a bit of frustration She calmed herself as she looked around the university campus beauty. Although bits of trash were here and there, they did little to obscure the beauty of the campus. A campus which has often been the sight of much obscenity during its early days of being a hub for pro-democracy and anti-military professors and academics. A lot of history was ingrained in the seemingly idle buildings.
She continued across the campus where a group of students were handing out flyers once again. A young man walked forward to Mônica handing her a flyer. She took it and continued onwards, hovering near a trash can nearby. Before throwing it she read it, the People together to build a prosperous Brazil. A unified Brazil were class divisions are overcome and the people were united in a single goal. The progress of the nation. Where elitism and crony capitalism was abolished and the people and their land rightfully ruled and cultivated by the Brazilian people. To achieve this goal we seek the return and re-instating of the Workers' Party. So that the people may hold the government accountable and just. So that the poor are not left behind as the nation progresses. Join us tonight to learn more about our vision. What Professor Henriques said still stuck to her. She looked down at the flyer...reading it once more...pulling it away from the trash bin and folding it neatly into her bag. Continuing her way towards the Economics Section of the University for her next class. She had never been into the political sphere of things. Her parents anyways wanted her to focus on better things than the dirty place of politics. What could it hurt? It was interesting to learn more about this vision. Perhaps learn something. She personally had much dissatisfaction with the banning of leftist parties by the Imperial Government. Although a benign dissatisfaction.
In the birthplace of the movement to restore the Monarchy and the Brazilian National Movement, another vision for Brazil was pickling in the dust. Ambivalent and benign. The Brazilian people had prospered and grown. They were a people with a long history. It was up to every Brazilian to keep the progress of their nation growing. While one vision was that of the National Movement, an attempt to bring dignity to a people indignified by the corrupt elites. Some began to question that vision. Thinking of their own. To be able to do that, they needed to have the right to speak about their vision and the right to assemble their party to speak in the 'house of the people'. It was a symbolic goal, to challenge the idea that the only way forward was with the National Movement and their party.
