Monday, May 28, 2007

Radars for Rolexes!

Most of the (civilised) world was utterly shocked at the recent university shootings in the state of Virginia. Italians too were shocked, especially those who love to take the U.S. hook, line and sinker (with the latest fads or movies) but at the same time totally abhor America’s philosophy on guns and also the death penalty. I believe some 35 people were killed by a rather deranged student in the Virginia tragedy.

But just how different are things in Italy? Not too different actually. Up to the time of writing, about 50 people have been gunned down so far in the Naples area because of Camorra-gang wars (the Camorra being the 4th mafia in Italy after the ‘Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra and the Sacra Corona Unita). The year isn’t even half over and 50 people, some even innocent, have been mowed down by organised crime members in Naples.


Muggings are also a big thing in Naples. The latest incident occurred to an American gentleman from Connecticut who was going for a walk with his wife and some friends after dinner. Muggers in Naples have radars instead of eyes: a 17 year-old Neapolitan managed to spot the tourists expensive Rolex, and proceeded to obtain it through less-than legal means. A fight ensued as the poor American naturally didn’t want to depart with his watch. The mugger got the best of things as he ran off with the tourist’s watch. The poor American instead fell backwards and hit his head on the rather hard cement. And nearly died with a split skull.

As he was whisked off to a local hospital, young Neapolitan punks, who had nothing to do with the mugging, hurled rocks at the hospital in a show of clear defiance to doctors and police authorities. While this may sound shocking to readers, it’s not as surreal as what happened to cops in Naples just around the same period as the mugging: 200 people stoned police cars as five officers attempted to arrest three drug pushers in a mini urban guerrilla war in a neighbourhood of Naples. Some of the “weapons” used were cans filled with liquids that were taken from home freezers by some of the women who participated in the raid! Rocks were also used during the “bombardment” of the police cars. But it didn’t end there: some of the women also went down into the street to face the cops with bats and steel bars. Four police cars were trashed with five cops injured.
Naples is not new to this kind of violence nor to muggings. In 1999 a 77 year-old Japanese tourist was beaten to death during a mugging. That was followed in 2006 by the death of a Canadian diplomat at the hands of a Nigerian mugger (the Canadian’s body was found in a sewer hole). Another American tourist, again in 2006, had his camera stolen. Police caught the muggers but the crowds instead protected the muggers instead of protecting the poor American. And again in 2006 a Norwegian couple were mugged and beaten, luckily not to death, at the train station in Naples.

I personally have been several times to Naples and luckily have never encountered the same problems, probably because I don’t own a Rolex nor would I go around with one if I ever did own one to begin with. I’ve also been to the port of Naples to take the ferry boat to the isle of Capri, and I’ve never had any problems. Some tourists, especially in Rome, stand out like a sore thumb, merrily swinging their digital cameras and what not. It’s just an open invitation to every Tom, Dick and Antonio to rip them off.

Virginia was shocking? I’d say that 200 people, mostly women, attacking cops who are (trying) to do their jobs by ridding the streets of drug pushers, is probably even MORE shocking. Or isn’t it? And the funny thing is that many Italians in the rest of Italy aren't even all that moved by what happens daily in Naples: it's just become common practise. But what happens in a university campus in the States, now that's REALLY shocking!



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