Thursday, July 16, 2009

A Grisly Genocide

What's on denying important facts of history?

May sounds an stupid thing to say, but normaly, it would be considered an insanity to deny great chapters of history that much, that if we all keep with our mouth shutted or even dare to say something about the holocaust or slavery, could seems to be an heresy. I'm not trying to be the devil facing the reality of these facts but, why we all keep closing our minds instead of accepting controversing opinions? wether living in a democratic country must we all be free and express our point of view?

Regarding the situation which I have been a witness about 7 years ago. A teacher was obviusly denying both slavery and abolition here in Brazil. As an Impact I stay on my own, figuring out why of that. Even for me, being a brazilian and with traces of being from a black and white family, it was such an impressive thing to say, not only because it was a teacher, but it was from a law school, which, supposed to teach us better manners to treat others and get rid of old-habbits. (prejudice mostly)

Brazilian History has such important gaps, Firstly with the idea of the “discovery of Brazil” something that keeps being taugh all around Brazil and it is absolutely untruth. For those who doesn’t know, a settelment made by Portugal and Spain government stabilished limits of possession of Lands for both countries. At the time, It had been known that there wasn’t a hill far away at the sunset. So, in 1500 the Portuguese Crown was in a recognizing mission just to point its mark on the land and leave in a route to India. I wonder at the time in school if it was so.. “amazing” the discovery of Brazil but no teacher could ever answered me why they leave the country an throw it away for almost 50 years.

Another importat figure of Brazils history, “Tiradentes” considered as a hero becuase he had his body ripped up and exposed in a Square in 1791, After the crown pledged payment for sort of tax such as “derrama”. Those who were disapointed with the regime, get together and tried to defeat themselves from the crown. Tiradentes was not the leader of the group not even one of those who leadered some riots at the time. But still, I was just able to figure out that while in college because in school, never heard about it.

Just a couple months a father from the Catholic Church was obligated to apologize for his speeches of denying the holocaust. As I said in the beginning of the text, Im not denying as well. But my question is: Why we shouldn’t say no and not agree, without consider everything as a worldwide true. Controversy is necessary to build strong arguments, When we all accept what it is spreaded all over as the truth, we may get cheated for the little lines..

We must accept history facts, but not agree with all of them.

Cordially
Rafael Gomes