UNaomi Wadler, esinye sezona zithethi zincinci ngoMatshi kuBomi Bethu, uneminyaka elishumi elinanye ubudala wase-Alexandria, eVirginia. Yena nomhlobo wakhe uCarter bakhokele uhambo lokuhambahamba esikolweni sabo, kodwa bongeze umzuzu kwimizuzu eli-17 kumaxhoba ali-17 eParkland ukuze bahloniphe i-Courtlin Arrington, intombazana emnyama emnyama eyabulawa kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo emva kokudubula eParkland. Intetho kaWadler yaqaqambisa ukungangqinelani okujamelene nabasetyhini bebala, abasengozini yokufumana ubundlobongela bemipu kodwa kunqabile ukuba babhubhe kwaye amagama abo apapashwe kumajelo eendaba.
Ndilapha namhlanje ukwazisa kunye nokumela amantombazana ase-Afrika-aseMelika anamabali angawenzi iphepha eliphambili lephephandaba ngalinye lesizwe, utshilo uWadler, onamabali angakhokeleli kwiindaba zangokuhlwa. Ndimele abasetyhini base-Afrika nabamaMerika abangamaxhoba obundlobongela bemipu, abangamanani nje endaweni yamantombazana aqaqambileyo, amnandi agcwele amandla.
Kuyinyhweba kum ukuba lapha namhlanje, uqhubeke. Ndizele nyhani lilungelo. Ilizwi lam liviwe. Ndilapha ukuvuma amabali abo, ukuba bathi babalulekile, bathethe amagama abo, kuba ndiyakwazi, kwaye ndacelwa ukuba ndibekho. Kude kakhulu, la magama, amantombazana amnyama kunye nabafazi, ibingamanani nje. Ndilapha ukuza kuthi, 'Ungaze uphinde' kulawo mantombazana, nawo. Ndilapha ukutsho ukuba wonke umntu kufuneka awaxabise loo mantombazana, nawo.
Abantu bathe ndimncinci kakhulu ukuba ndinganazo ezi ngcinga ndedwa. Abantu baye bathi ndisisixhobo somntu othile ongenagama. Akuyonyani. Abahlobo bam kunye nam sisenokuba neshumi elinanye, kwaye sisenokuba sisesesikolweni sokuqala, kodwa siyazi. Siyazi ukuba ubomi abulingani wonke umntu, kwaye siyazi ukuba yintoni elungileyo nengalunganga. Siyazi nokuba simi emthunzini we-capitol, kwaye siyazi ukuba sineminyaka esixhenxe emfutshane de nathi sinelungelo lokuvota. Ke ngoku ndilapha ukuzukisa amazwi kaToni Morrison: 'Ukuba kukho incwadi ofuna ukuyifunda kodwa ingekabhalwa, kufuneka ubhale yona.' Ndikhuthaza wonke umntu olapha nabo bonke kuva ilizwi lam ukuba andijoyine ekuchazeni amabali angaxelwanga, ukuhlonipha amantombazana, abafazi bebala ababulawa ngamazinga angalinganiyo kolu hlanga. Ndiyabongoza ngamnye kuni ukuba andincede ndibhale ingxelo yeli hlabathi kwaye ndiqonde, ukuze la mantombazana nabafazi bangaze balibaleke.
Le yintetho ekungafuneki ukuba umntwana oneminyaka elishumi elinanye ayenze, kwaye kuyanyanyisa kwaye kuyintloni kakhulu ukuba iMelika luhlobo lwelizwe apho kufuneka enze khona. Kodwa iintetho kunye nematshi enje ikwasikhumbuza ukuba amawaka amaMelika acelwa ukuba enze izinto ezoyikekayo, ezingenakwenzeka — izinto ezifana nokulwela ukhathalelo lwempilo, ukhuseleko, kunye namalungelo oluntu ekufanele ukuba wonke umntu abe nelungelo lalo — ngesiqhelo nangokuphindaphindiweyo sukuma wenze kubo, ukuze benze ilizwe elingcono. Bafanelwe abezopolitiko abangcono kunye nelizwe elingcono.
Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo kuya kubakho imiqondiso kunye neentetho eziza kubakho namhlanje, kodwa bendifuna ukuqala ngale.
(Ukuhamba Iindaba zeCBS ; umfanekiso obonisiweyo: screengrab)
