Arlington, Va. - NgeCawa emva kwemini, i-Backbone Campaign, i-World Without War, i-Raging Grannies, kunye namanye amaqela oxolo kunye nokusingqongileyo abonisa i-banner hoist ephawulekayo esebenzisa i-flotilla ye-kayakers edibeneyo kwi-lagoon ngaphandle kwe-Potomac. Malunga nama-kayakers angama-50 athathe inxaxheba kweso siganeko esasibanjwe kwikhamera ngamajelo eendaba kwisikhephe sokushicilela esikufuphi.
Ngelixa uqhanqalazo oluninzi lubanjelwe kwizakhiwo zikarhulumente kwikomkhulu lesizwe, uya kubona abambalwa ePentagon beqhankqalaza ngokuchasene nomkhosi omkhulu wehlabathi. Isizathu kukuba iinkxalabo zokhuseleko zenza kube nzima kakhulu ukuba abaphembeleli bafikelele naphina kufutshane nayo. Kodwa amaqela aliqela okusingqongileyo abonisa indlela engazange izame ngaphambili yomkhosi waselwandle ngokubhexa i-kayak ukuya kwindawo engaphandle kwendawo engabandakanyiyo yePentagon. IiKayakers zazisa iinqanawa zabo kwichweba elisemantla nje kwisakhiwo somkhosi kunye ne-replica enkulu yomhlaba kunye neebhanile ezininzi.
I-kayaktivists, njengoko bezibiza njalo, baphakamisa izibonda ngeebhanile ezinkulu, ezifundeka, "Yeka iMfazwe kwiPlanethi" kwaye "Akukho Oyile yeMfazwe, akukho mfazwe yeoyile!"
Isenzo sitsale ingqwalasela kwiinkxalabo ezininzi, kubandakanywa ungcoliseko lwamanzi asekuhlaleni apho ukuthengwa kwePentagon kunegalelo. Umkhosi nawo wadala amakhulu eendawo ze-EPA's Superfund ezineziseko ezilahliweyo kunye nezibonelelo zoshishino. IiKayaktivists zazinxiba iimpawu ezinamagama ekhemikhali ye-carcinogens ekhutshwe kwi-Potomac kunye ne-Chesapeake ngabakontraki basemkhosini.
Iingcali zokusingqongileyo zihlala zicela umngeni kubathengisi bamafutha efosili: i-oyile, igesi kunye nemizi-mveliso yamalahle. Ngolu qhankqalazo, i-kayaktivists igxininise ingqalelo kwicala lemfuno, ngokutsho World Beyond War umseki uDavid Swanson. Amatsha ntliziyo emo yezulu ayenze into enkulu ngokusilela ukujolisa kumthengi omnye wehlabathi: umkhosi wase-US. IPentagon ngoyena mthengi mkhulu wehlabathi wepetroleum kwaye ukongezelela, elona galelo likhulu kwihlabathi kungcoliseko olunxulumene nepetroleum kunye neegesi zegreenhouse.
“Kufuneka siqhubeke silandela unikezelo, siqhubeke silandela imibhobho kunye nezixhobo zeoyile kodwa sijonge nemfuno ngokunjalo. Jonga kwindawo yokuqala kubathengi bepetroleum, jonga oyena mntu ubulala umhlaba,” utshilo.
USwanson ukholelwa ukuba ubutshantliziyo boxolo kunye nokusingqongileyo kuyahamba kunye. Wathi: “Ukuba uwukhathalele umhlaba, ngoko umele uluxhalabele uxolo.
Ngokubhekiselele kwinkcitho ye-2017 discretionary, uSwanson uthe uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali aluchazi lonke ibali malunga nokuba yimalini echithwe kwimikhosi yaseMelika. "Ukuba ujonga uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali lonke, inkcitho enengqondo kunye nengakhethiyo, ufumana ngaphezulu kwetriliyoni kwinkcitho yasemkhosini," utshilo. Ukuba kukho nayiphi na imali eza kutshintsha uqoqosho lube yinto ehlaziyiweyo kunye nokulungiselela utshintsho lwemozulu, imali yokubona eya emkhosini “kulapho kufuneka uyithathe,” utshilo.
I-flotilla yadityaniswa neeRaging Grannies, iqela lee-octogenarians zokusingqongileyo abacula iiparodies ezininzi zeengoma zasemkhosini. Komnye umzekeliso, bafaka owabo umyalezo wokusingqongileyo kwi-Marine Corps Hymn ukuze bathethelele ukukhuselwa komhlaba “ngaphandle koncedo lweeMarine zase-US.”
Umlawuli olawulayo we-Backbone Campaign uBill Moyer wathetha ngeqhinga le-kayaktivism ukuxhasa imo engqongileyo kwiindawo ezichatshazelwa kungcoliseko. “Siyakwazi ukuphakamisa uxanduva lokuphendula kwamagosa anyuliweyo kubemi bengingqi esisebenza nabo,” utshilo.
