Ibhalwe nguShirley Osgood
Lokhu kubhalwa phansi kwalokho okwakuzoba yicala lami ngemva kokuboshwa ngo-April 1, 2016 ngokungena ngokungemthetho endaweni yombuso e-Creech Air Force Base, ngokuphikisana nempi ye-drone.
Ngafika esikhumulweni sezindiza saseLas Vegas ngolwesithathu ntambama, futhi ngahlangatshezwa Isisebenzi SamaKatolika esimangalisayo, uRobbie Majors, owangiyisa ehhotela lami lapho ngaqhubeka khona nokucabanga ukuthi ngangizokwenzani futhi ngikusho ekuqulweni kwecala lami ngakusasa ekuseni. U-Barry no-Nancy, abangani be-Occupy Beale AFB, bafike kusihlwa, futhi saba nesidlo sakusihlwa se-vegan e-Container Park. Ngalala ngethemba ukuthi ugqozi lokugcina luzofika ebusuku. Khona-ke uChris Nelson, omunye wabangane bami abahle abangesekayo be-Occupy Beale AFB, wafika ekamelweni lethu e I-2AM ngemva kokundiza sekwephuzile eVegas, ukuze nje ngibe ukusekela.
Sobane sahlangana ekuseni ekuseni, kwangena uDennis Duval wasePrescott, AZ. Sonke sehla ngoFremont Street, futhi safika eNkantolo Yezobulungiswa ngesikhathi somhlangano 8:15. Sahlangatshezwa lapho nguRobbie Majors enophawu lwakhe, “Akekho Owina Umjaho Wezikhali”. Sibambe ama-anti-drone amabhanela ethu, cishe 8:45, URobert, umshicileli ovela kuChannel 8, wafika ezodlala ividiyo kanye nenhlolokhono.
Sakhuphukela esitezi sesi-8 sangena enkantolo, lapho owesifazane osemusha owayenotolika weSpanishi/IsiNgisi wayematasa nokuthola incwadi yesivimbelo ngowesilisa. Ukwesekwa kwami okumangalisayo abantu bahlala nami balinda ukuthi kubizwe igama lami.
Lapho ngibizwa, ngadlulela phambili, futhi ngokushesha ngaqaphela ukuthi iJaji u-Ann Zimmerman akazange angibeke phansi ukuze ngiquliswe icala, kodwa ukuze nje ngicacise ukuthi ngangizokwenzani ngokuthola ummeli, njengoba ngangisayine ukukhulula ummeli uChris Grasso. Bengingahlelelwe ukuqulwa kwamacala. Ngasho ukuthi ngangize ngendiza ngilindele ukuqulwa kwecala, futhi iJaji lathi iphutha lakhe kwakungahleliwe. Wangithumela egunjini elincane elingemuva kwenkantolo nomvikeli womphakathi, owangichazela ukuthi umshushisi ubenginikeza “isinqumo”. Wachaza ukuthi akubandakanyi ukuncenga. Izinketho zami kungaba inhlawulo engu-$250, noma amahora angu-30 okusebenzela umphakathi. Uma ngikhetha insizakalo yomphakathi, bengizovivinywa kuze kuqedwe. Ngenhlanhla, uChris noDennis bangena futhi bavunyelwa ukuba bahlale ngokwesicelo sami. Banginikeza amacebo amahle, okwaholela ekubuzeni kwami i-PD ukuthi ngingakwazi yini ukucela ukuxoshwa, ngokusekelwe “esikhathini esibekiwe”, okwakungolunye usuku eJele Las Vegas. Uthe ubengacabangi ukuthi kuzokwamukeleka lokho, kodwa ubezobuza.
Sangena sonke enkantolo, uPD wasondela ebhentshini namadoda amabili oMshushisi. Ngemva kwengxoxo emfishane, ngacelwa ukuba ngize, ngatshelwa ukuthi uMshushisi uvumile ukuhoxisa amacala ngesikhathi esibekiwe kuphela. Ngeke kube khona inhlawulo, isevisi yomphakathi noma ukuvivinywa. Futhi angizange ngitshelwe nokuthi kufanele “ngiphume enkingeni”. Ngamukela, futhi ngabuza ukuthi ngingakwazi yini ukwenza isitatimende esifushane. IJaji lathi yebo, imizuzu embalwa.
Isitatimende sami siqale ngokuchaza umfana omncane, u-Omran Daqneesh, umuzi wakhe owaqhunyiswa ngamabhomu e-Aleppo, eSyria. Waboniswa efakwe kwi-ambulensi, yedwa. Wayegcwele uthuli negazi. (Ijaji lavuma ngekhanda lathi, “Yebo, ngibonile”). Ngiqhubekile nokuchaza ukuthi ulithinte kanjani isiphongo sakhe esophayo, wabuka igazi elisesandleni sakhe, wabe esesula igazi elalisesihlalweni se-ambulensi. Ngishilo ukuthi kunzima kangakanani ukukhipha lesi sithombe ekhanda lakho, ngaqhubeka nokusho ukuthi nginezinye izithombe, zezisulu ze-drone, ezinamathele ekhanda lami. Ngachaza ingane encane iqhunyiswe isihloko sekhanda, sizungezwe izimbali, nomama oshonile osandla sakhe esibuthakathaka sasizungezwe ingane yakhe encane.
Ngaqhubeka ngathi ngisele nokuzikhethela ukwenza okuthile, noma ukungenzi lutho, ngase ngiqhubeka nokuchaza izinto eziningi zomthetho engangizenzile ukuzama ukumisa impi ye-drone. Ngikhulume ngokwenzeka eCreech Air Force Base, nezizathu zami zokwenza izinto eziqondile eCreech.
Ngivale isitatimende sami esifushane ngesigaba sikaMedea Benjamin, engasithola encwadini kaMarjorie Cohn, Drones and Targeted Killing:
Ukusuka ePakistan kuye e-Yemen kuya eGaza, izimpi ze-drone ziqeda izimpilo zezakhamuzi ezingenacala ngaphandle kokujeziswa futhi zenza izinkulungwane zikhubazeke ngokwengqondo, zishiywe dengwane futhi bengenazo izindlela zokuziphilisa. Egameni lempi yobushokobezi, impi ye-drone yethusa abantu bonke futhi imele ukuhlukumezeka okukhulu kobulungisa esikhathini sethu.
Ngemva kokulalela isitatimende sami, uMahluleli u-Zimmerman wangibonga ngothando lwami nokuzibophezela, futhi ngakhululeka ukuba ngihambe. Sacula umzuliswano othi “Circle Round for Freedom” ezitebhisini zenkantolo ngaphambi kokuba sihambe, futhi sagubha kuFremont Street. Ukuzwa ukubonga ngokukhululeka nokushiya i-Las Vegas. Ngethemba ukuthi lolu suku lungaba nomthelela omncane ekumiseni ama-drones, futhi silethe ukuthula emhlabeni.
