“Does anyone know how to write?”

That simple line from the end of the movie, when “The Runts” took over the City of God, could pretty much summarize my perspective on most events. It is clear from the very beginning of the film, The City of God, that the only reason Rocket (AKA Wilson Rodriguez, photographer) was able to escape the pull of the gang wars was the constant pressure to stay on top of his school work and the fear of being killed from involvement. One could even argue that if it wasn’t for the ties to his deceased brother, he would have eventually wound up in a gang himself. However, he was pushed to devote himself to school and obtaining an education in order to obtain a better life — the better life everyone was striving for. In a place where access to education meant not having enough food to eat, because it took away time from making a living, and the lack of mobility in social class without education, you had to pick very early on what your future was to be. You could struggle to make a daily living or join a gang and be part of the action. The people portrayed living in these Brazilian slums were simply thrown away and forgotten along with all the problems they brought with them. If someone had taken notice of the safety issues and corruption within their small society earlier on, many of the violence issues could have been prevented. All anyone wanted was the hope of moving up in society, and without being educated, violence was the medium through which they all obtained power.

For those of us who do not have to make a choice between survival and education, the choice is a lot simpler.