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Monday, April 02, 2012

Selling Violence vs. Selling Its Absence

Selling Violence vs. Selling Its Absence
April 1, 2012
Osmel Almaguer

HAVANA TIMES, April 1 — On the news, here in Cuba, it was reported that
an American student used a machine gun to shoot five of his classmates –
two of whom later died. Though the incident was unfortunate, so too is
what lies behind the apparent "humanity" of its reporting.

Using tragedies for political ends is disgusting. Overall, violence is
not something endemic in the United States, though it is a highly
marketable product featured in documentaries, films and cartoons there.

However I'm Cuban, so I'm more interested in what's happening here. Yet
never, or almost never, do we see or hear about any violent events that
take place here in Cuba.

I can talk about this from direct experience, since a few weeks ago a
student at my school was stabbed in the head, though fortunately his
injuries weren't life threatening.

The student was trying to defend an underclassman from badgering and
harassment by a bunch of bullies. The knife penetrated his skull half an
inch, but miraculously it didn't reach his brain.

The assailant was expelled from school, but only because this was his
third felony assault against another pupil. The two previous incidents
consisted of hitting one student in the head with a rock and stabbing
another one in the stomach.

Despite all this, no one reported him either of those times. I don't
know if this was out of fear of possible retaliation or simply to avoid
attracting the authorities and thereby affecting "business" (by this I'm
referring to acts of corruption that I've referred to in other diary
entries).

And this isn't an isolated event. Near my house, one or two people die
from stabbing every year. That's still a fairly low rate, but it's
increasing, which is why I consider it essential for our media to give
more in-depth coverage of these issues.

If violence sells abroad, here they're trying to sell its non-existence.

It's time these opportunists stop profiting at the expense of innocent
lives…innocent people who, nevertheless, are fully aware of this problem
when they see blood flowing in the street.

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=66231

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