Arlington, Va. - NgeSonto ntambama, umkhankaso we-Backbone Campaign, World Without War, the Raging Grannies, kanye namanye amaqembu okuthula nemvelo abambe iqhaza elimangalisayo kusetshenziswa i-flotilla yabahamba ngezikebhe echwebeni elingase-Potomac. Babalelwa ku-50 abagibeli bama-kayaker ababambe iqhaza kulo mcimbi obanjwe yikhamera ngabezindaba esikebheni sabezindaba esiseduze.
Ngenkathi imibhikisho eminingi ibanjelwa ezakhiweni zikahulumeni enhlokodolobha yezwe, uzobona abambalwa ePentagon bebhikishela amasosha amakhulu emhlabeni. Isizathu kungenxa yokuthi ukukhathazeka kwezokuphepha kwenza kube nzima kakhulu ukuthi izishoshovu zisondele noma yikuphi eduze kwayo. Kepha amaqembu amaningana ezemvelo ahlele indlela yezempi engakaze izanywe ngaphambili ngokugwedla ama-kayak aze afike endaweni engaphandle nje kwendawo yePentagon. AbakwaKayaker bethula imikhumbi yabo echibini elisenyakatho nje yesakhiwo samasosha kanye nomfanekiso womhlaba omkhulu ogcwele umoya kanye namabhanela amakhulu amaningana.
Ama-kayaktivists, njengoba azibiza kanjalo, aphakamisa izigxobo ngezingqwembe ezinkulu, ezifundeka kanje, “Misa Impi Eplanethini” kanye nokuthi “Awekho Amafutha Empi, Azikho Izimpi Zamafutha!”
Lesi senzo sidonse ukunaka ezintweni eziningi ezikhathazayo, okuhlanganisa nokungcoliswa kwamanzi asendaweni akhuphuka nomfula ukuthengwa kwe-Pentagon okunomthelela. Amasosha nawo adale amakhulu ezindawo ze-EPA's Superfund enezisekelo ezilahliwe kanye nezinsiza zezimboni. Ama-Kayaktivists ayegqoke izimpawu ezinamagama amakhemikhali e-carcinogens akhishwe ePotomac naseChesapeake ngosonkontileka bezempi.
Izazi zemvelo zivame ukubekela inselelo abahlinzeki bezinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi: izimboni zikawoyela, igesi namalahle. Ngalo mbhikisho, ama-kayaktivists agxile ohlangothini lwesidingo, ngokusho kuka World Beyond War umsunguli uDavid Swanson. Izishoshovu zesimo sezulu zenze iphutha elikhulu ngokwehluleka ukukhomba umthengi oyedwa emhlabeni: amasosha ase-US. IPentagon ingumthengi omkhulu kaphethiloli emhlabeni futhi ngokwengeza, inegalelo elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni ekungcolisekeni okuhlobene ne-petroleum kanye namagesi abamba ukushisa.
“Kufanele siqhubeke nokulandela le mpahla, siqhubeke nokulandela amapayipi nemishini kawoyela kodwa sibheke nesidingo. Bheka umthengi ohamba phambili ka-petroleum, bheka umbulali womhlaba ohamba phambili,” usho kanje.
ISwanson ikholelwa ukuthi umzabalazo wokuthula kanye nemvelo kuyahambisana. Wathi: “Uma uwukhathalela umhlaba, kufanele ukukhathalele ukuthula.
Mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwemali ngokuzikhethela kuka-2017, iSwanson ithe isabelomali asiyitsheli yonke indaba yokuthi yimalini esetshenziswa embuthweni wamasosha aseMelika. "Uma ubheka yonke isabelomali, ukusetshenziswa kokuqonda nokungakhethi, uthola ngaphezu kwesigidigidi ekusetshenzisweni kwezempi," esho. Uma ngabe kukhona imali ezongena ekuguquleni umnotho ukuthi uvuseleleke futhi ulungiselele ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu, izimali zokuzibonela eziya kwezempi “lapho kufanele uzithathe khona,” kusho yena.
I-flotilla iphinde yajoyinwa abakwa-Raging Grannies, iqembu lama-octogenarian emvelo abacula izingoma ezimbalwa zezingoma zezempi. Komunye umdlalo ohlekisayo, bafaka owabo umyalezo wendawo ezungezile e-Marine Corps Hymn ukuze bakhuthaze ukuvikelwa komhlaba “ngaphandle kosizo lwamasosha Asolwandle ase-U.S.
Umqondisi omkhulu we-Backbone Campaign uBill Moyer ukhulume ngeqhinga le-kayaktivism lokweseka imvelo emiphakathini ehlaselwe ukungcola. “Siyakwazi ukukhulisa ukuziphendulela kwezikhulu ezikhethiwe kubantu bendawo esisebenza nabo,” usho kanje.
