Penas sem pena

Carlos Heitor Cony

Em crônica recente, publicada na página 2 da Folha, elogiei como um todo, e com entusiasmo, o Supremo Tribunal Federal, sobretudo o ministro presidente e relator Joaquim Barbosa, que atuou, com dignidade e sabedoria, na apelidada Ação 470, codinome providencial para tentar esconder o escândalo do Mensalão. Contudo, no mesmo texto, questionei as penas de prisão para os numerosos réus, por uma razão muito antiga em minha formação. Acredito que mais cedo ou mais tarde, a sociedade encontrará outra forma, mais humana e eficaz, para condenar criminosos.

A primeira vez que fui conhecer Veneza, como não podia deixar de ser, visitei as prisões ao lado do palácio dos Doges, que é ligado pela Ponte dos Suspiros às masmorras daquela época, não muito diferentes de algumas penitenciárias ainda existentes no século 21. Conheci outras prisões medievais, em Londres, em Perúgia, e até mesmo algumas recentes, do Brasil Colonial. Reconheço que para o instinto primitivo de homens também primitivos, a prisão era alternativa misericordiosa da pena de morte. Retirava o criminoso da sociedade, trancafiava-o como um animal selvagem, como castigo ou (tese bastante furada) como início de uma possível recuperação social.

Nelson Hungria, o grande penalista brasileiro, cunhou uma etiqueta definitiva nas penitenciárias: “São as universidades do crime”. Reconheço que o assunto é complexo, sobretudo quando se aplica aos réus do mensalão que já foram julgados, condenados e penalizados.

É certo que mereciam punições severas, acredito que dois ou três da numerosa quadrilha, pela dinâmica do crime praticado, deveriam ser recolhidos à prisão na forma que o Código Penal em vigor estabelece. Mas a maioria dos mensaleiros podia ser punida com a perda dos direitos políticos por cinco, dez ou mesmo vinte anos, além do ressarcimento dos valores roubados, acrescidos de juros e correção monetária, sem esquecer a multa proporcional ao lucro criminoso que conseguiram. Tal como acontece com os débitos fiscais que os sonegadores do imposto de renda podem pagar até parceladamente, os criminosos, que acima de tudo passariam a ser clientes compulsórios da ficha suja, teriam de se virar em condições precárias para zerar a soma das dívidas e multas. O mercado estatal, que inclui cargos públicos no executivo, legislativo e judiciário, ficaria vedado a todos eles, não apenas pela ostensiva ficha suja como pela perda dos direitos políticos. Mesmo nas empresas privadas teriam dificuldades para arranjar empregos, pois o estrago na imagem de todos eles está feito de forma que parece irreparável. O castigo que receberiam seria no mesmo território em que praticaram o crime: dinheiro. As sentenças levariam em conta o patrimônio de cada um deles para efeito de estabelecer o pagamento integral ou parcelado do débito, digamos de 30% da renda total do criminoso.

Pessoalmente, acredito que todos os réus, mesmo condenados a prisão em seus vários regimes (aberto, semiaberto, fechado) daqui a alguns anos (ou meses) estarão em liberdade condicional ou plena. Dois deles, talvez os principais (Dirceu e Genoíno), não podem ser considerados marinheiros de primeira viagem. Já passaram por muitas e más durante o regime militar. Mas tinham o consolo moral e psicológico de estarem combatendo o bom combate. Voltarem os dois a uma cela, por mais confortável que seja, seria colocar dois homens errados num lugar errado. Na prisão, eles poderiam até se consolar, lendo o tempo todo os grandes teóricos como Gramsci, Lênin, Guevara, Mao, teriam até o consolo de ler a excelente e volumosa biografia de Marighela muito bem escrita por Mauro Magalhães. Creio que sofreriam mais, refletiriam melhor, se purgassem os malfeitos que o Supremo atribuiu a eles, gozando a terrível liberdade de dever ao país e ao povo um dinheiro que terão de arranjar, mas sem assaltar as burras da nação.

http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/carlosheitorcony/1206984- penas-sem-pena.shtml (adaptado)

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTION

TEXTO II

HEADACHES

Some little man is inside your head, pounding your brain with a hammer. Beside him, a rock musician is playing a drum. Your head feels as if it is going to explode. You have a headache, and you think it will never go away.

Doctors say there are several kinds of headaches. Each kind begins in a different place and needs a different treatment.

One kind starts in the arteries in the head. The arteries swell and send pain signals to the brain. Some of these headaches start with a change in vision. The person sees wavy lines, black dots, or bright spots in front of the eyes. This is a warning that a headache is coming. The headache occurs on only one side of the head. The vision is blurred, and the person may vomit from the pain. These headaches, which are called migraine headaches, are more frequent in women than in men. Sleep is the best cure for them.

Cluster headaches, which also start in the arteries, are called cluster headaches because they come in clusters or groups for 2 or 3 months. Then there are no more for several months or even years. A cluster headache lasts up to 2 hours and then goes away. At the beginning of the headache, the eyes are red and watery. There is a steady pain in the head. When the pain finally goes away, the head is sore. Men have more cluster headaches than women do.

The muscle headache, which starts in the muscles in the neck or forehead, is caused by tension. A person works too hard, is nervous about something, or has problems at work, at school, or at home. The neck and head muscles become tense, and the headache starts. A muscle headache usually starts in the morning and gets worse as the hours pass. There is a steady pain, pressure, and a bursting feeling. Usually aspirin doesn’t help a muscle headache very much.

How do doctors treat headaches? If a person has frequent headaches, the doctor first has to decide what kind they are. Medicine can help, but there are other ways to treat them.

The doctor asks the patient to analyze his or her daily living patterns. A change in diet or an increase in exercise might stop the headaches. If the patient realizes that difficulties at home, at work, or at school are causing tension, it might be possible to make changes and decrease these problems. Psychological problems and even medicine for another physical problem can cause headaches. The doctor has to discuss and analyze all these patterns of the patient’s life. A headache can also be a signal of a more serious problem.

Everyone has headaches from time to time. In the United States alone, up to 50 million persons each year go to the doctor because of headaches. If you have a headache, and it continues over several days, or keeps recurring, it is time to talk to a doctor. There is no magic cure for headaches, but doctors can control most of them because of recent research.

Source: Ackert, P. Cause and effect: intermediate reading practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1999.

Mark the option which contains only symptoms of a muscle headache.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTION

TEXTO II

HEADACHES

Some little man is inside your head, pounding your brain with a hammer. Beside him, a rock musician is playing a drum. Your head feels as if it is going to explode. You have a headache, and you think it will never go away.

Doctors say there are several kinds of headaches. Each kind begins in a different place and needs a different treatment.

One kind starts in the arteries in the head. The arteries swell and send pain signals to the brain. Some of these headaches start with a change in vision. The person sees wavy lines, black dots, or bright spots in front of the eyes. This is a warning that a headache is coming. The headache occurs on only one side of the head. The vision is blurred, and the person may vomit from the pain. These headaches, which are called migraine headaches, are more frequent in women than in men. Sleep is the best cure for them.

Cluster headaches, which also start in the arteries, are called cluster headaches because they come in clusters or groups for 2 or 3 months. Then there are no more for several months or even years. A cluster headache lasts up to 2 hours and then goes away. At the beginning of the headache, the eyes are red and watery. There is a steady pain in the head. When the pain finally goes away, the head is sore. Men have more cluster headaches than women do.

The muscle headache, which starts in the muscles in the neck or forehead, is caused by tension. A person works too hard, is nervous about something, or has problems at work, at school, or at home. The neck and head muscles become tense, and the headache starts. A muscle headache usually starts in the morning and gets worse as the hours pass. There is a steady pain, pressure, and a bursting feeling. Usually aspirin doesn’t help a muscle headache very much.

How do doctors treat headaches? If a person has frequent headaches, the doctor first has to decide what kind they are. Medicine can help, but there are other ways to treat them.

The doctor asks the patient to analyze his or her daily living patterns. A change in diet or an increase in exercise might stop the headaches. If the patient realizes that difficulties at home, at work, or at school are causing tension, it might be possible to make changes and decrease these problems. Psychological problems and even medicine for another physical problem can cause headaches. The doctor has to discuss and analyze all these patterns of the patient’s life. A headache can also be a signal of a more serious problem.

Everyone has headaches from time to time. In the United States alone, up to 50 million persons each year go to the doctor because of headaches. If you have a headache, and it continues over several days, or keeps recurring, it is time to talk to a doctor. There is no magic cure for headaches, but doctors can control most of them because of recent research.

Source: Ackert, P. Cause and effect: intermediate reading practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1999.

From the options below, mark the one the does NOT help you to get rid of the pain if you have a muscle headache.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTION

TEXTO II

HEADACHES

Some little man is inside your head, pounding your brain with a hammer. Beside him, a rock musician is playing a drum. Your head feels as if it is going to explode. You have a headache, and you think it will never go away.

Doctors say there are several kinds of headaches. Each kind begins in a different place and needs a different treatment.

One kind starts in the arteries in the head. The arteries swell and send pain signals to the brain. Some of these headaches start with a change in vision. The person sees wavy lines, black dots, or bright spots in front of the eyes. This is a warning that a headache is coming. The headache occurs on only one side of the head. The vision is blurred, and the person may vomit from the pain. These headaches, which are called migraine headaches, are more frequent in women than in men. Sleep is the best cure for them.

Cluster headaches, which also start in the arteries, are called cluster headaches because they come in clusters or groups for 2 or 3 months. Then there are no more for several months or even years. A cluster headache lasts up to 2 hours and then goes away. At the beginning of the headache, the eyes are red and watery. There is a steady pain in the head. When the pain finally goes away, the head is sore. Men have more cluster headaches than women do.

The muscle headache, which starts in the muscles in the neck or forehead, is caused by tension. A person works too hard, is nervous about something, or has problems at work, at school, or at home. The neck and head muscles become tense, and the headache starts. A muscle headache usually starts in the morning and gets worse as the hours pass. There is a steady pain, pressure, and a bursting feeling. Usually aspirin doesn’t help a muscle headache very much.

How do doctors treat headaches? If a person has frequent headaches, the doctor first has to decide what kind they are. Medicine can help, but there are other ways to treat them.

The doctor asks the patient to analyze his or her daily living patterns. A change in diet or an increase in exercise might stop the headaches. If the patient realizes that difficulties at home, at work, or at school are causing tension, it might be possible to make changes and decrease these problems. Psychological problems and even medicine for another physical problem can cause headaches. The doctor has to discuss and analyze all these patterns of the patient’s life. A headache can also be a signal of a more serious problem.

Everyone has headaches from time to time. In the United States alone, up to 50 million persons each year go to the doctor because of headaches. If you have a headache, and it continues over several days, or keeps recurring, it is time to talk to a doctor. There is no magic cure for headaches, but doctors can control most of them because of recent research.

Source: Ackert, P. Cause and effect: intermediate reading practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1999.

Concerning the usage of objective pronouns, observe the pronouns him, them, his or her, and them written in bold over the text. What do these words respectively stand for?