UClaudia Whitman
UBrian
U-Baldwin uthathe amanyathelo akhe okugqibela kwisitulo sombane sase-Alabama ngoLwesine ebusuku,
NgoJuni 17, 1999. Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini anesibini ngaphambilana, xa ndandifika kuluhlu lokufa eHolman.
Iyunithi e-Atmore, oonogada bamtyhalele phambi kwesi sixhobo soyikekayo kwaye
wamgculela ngokufa kabuhlungu awayeza kukuva. UBrian wayeneminyaka eli-18 ubudala, waseAfrika
waseMelika, kunye nombaleki osandul' ukubaleka kwiziko lolutsha laseNorth Carolina
xa yena nomhlobo wakhe, uEd Horsley, bakhwela inqwelo-mafutha kunye nomlungu oneminyaka eli-16 ubudala
intombazana. Kwiintsuku ezimbini emva koko, babeseMonroeville, Alabama kwaye kukho into ehambileyo
engalunganga kakhulu. Isebe lesherifu lifumene umzimba kaNaomi Rolon kwindawo
ukucoca indlela yomhlaba. UBrian wabakhokelela kwindawo awayegqibele ukumbona kuyo
ephila. Wayengenalwazi ngokubulala.
Sika kwiWilcox
County, Alabama ejele, 1977. USheriff Moody Maness kunye namasekela akhe bachithe
iiyure bebetha kunye neenkomo prodding Brian and Ed, de bobabini batyikitye ezahlukeneyo
yezovumo. Kungekudala bazifumana, abafana ababini abaNtsundu abakwishumi elivisayo, besenkundleni
ngokwahlukeneyo nejaji emhlophe, umtshutshisi, ijaji, kunye nomkhuseli kwidolophu
oko ngama-46 ekhulwini eMnyama. Kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo, nangona kungekho mthethweni nangelo xesha, ukubetha bonke
Abantu base-Afrika baseMelika abavela kwiijaji. Ngemini enye uBrian waxoxwa wagwetywa, nto leyo
akuzange kumangalise, ekubeni igqwetha lakhe alizange linikele nobungqina obuncinane ngaye
akukho bungqina, akukho mangqina. UBrian wabanga ukuba ubethwe
ukuvuma izono. Nangona kungekho bungqina bumbeka kwindawo yetyala awayekulo
wagwetywa kwisiqingatha seyure. Inkundla yacebisa isigwebo sobomi bonke. Ijaji
wawagwebela ukufa. Kwakungowe-1977 kuMzantsi Omdala.
Namhlanje kwiNtsha
Izinto zaseMzantsi azikatshintshi. Kukho irhuluneli entsha e-Alabama, indoda eyathi
ithi ikhathalele uluntu lwase-Afrika lwaseMelika, indoda efuna ukuphucula
imfundo nokwandisa uphuhliso loqoqosho. Uzimisele kakhulu ngelizwe lakhe
kwezoqoqosho, wayephume kweli lizwe kwiveki ephelileyo
Ukubulawa kuka-Baldwin, ukudibanisa utyalo-mali eFransi. Urhuluneli uSiegelman wenjenjalo
angaphinde abuye kurhulumente kude kube ngokuhlwa kokubulawa ezinzulwini zobusuku.
Siegelman, ngubani
wakhankasa kwiqonga lomthetho nocwangco, wahamba ngokujonga
Ityala likaBaldwin. Wada wabhala ekukhanyeni kwakhe ububele ukuba wayenjalo
"ekhathazwa" yimiba ethile, kodwa ngokucacileyo akazange akhathazeke ngokwaneleyo.
Oko kwakubuzwa ekugqibeleni kukuba ukuxhonywa kuyekwe kude kube
imibuzo engaphendulwanga nobungqina bunokuqwalaselwa. UBrian Baldwin ngokupheleleyo
ityala langcoliswa lucalucalulo lobuhlanga, ukuziphatha kakubi komtshutshisi,
Inkohlakalo yamapolisa ekhokelela ekuvumeni ngenkani, imibhalo engaphelelanga, ibanjwe
ubungqina, kunye noncedo olungasebenziyo lwengcebiso.
UBrian wanikwa a
"ukuva" ngoMvulo ngaphambi kokubulawa kwakhe. Ijaji yokuqala eyabelwe i
ityala kwiNkundla yeSekethe yaseAlabama warhoxa. Ebebaleka
unyulo kwakhona kwaye wayefuna ukunqanda impikiswano. Owesibini, ngendlela engakholelekiyo, yayinguRobert
E. Lee Key, ijaji eyayigwebe uBrian ngowe-1977 neyathi emva koko
walawula kuzo zonke izibheno zakhe. Waphuma kumhlala phantsi ukukhanyela isiqabu sikaBrian. Yakhe
ukukhanyela kwapheliswa xa amagqwetha kaBrian afaka isicelo sokuba uJaji Key arhoxe
ngokwakhe. UJaji uKittrell, okhethwe kwinombolo yesithathu, wabelwa ngoLwesine ebusuku. Yona
bekungeka 2:30 PM ngolwesiHlanu apho iisamani zakhutshwa ngoMvulo 9:00 AM.
ukuva. Ngenkalipho, iqela laphuma lisiya kubalungiselela kunye nembinana kwabatsha abaninzi
amangqina kaBrian aye afika enkundleni ngaloo ntsasa. Omnye yindoda eyayinayo
ubone imivumbo kuBrian emva kokubethwa. UJaji uKittrell wayengenamdla
ekuveni ubungqina obutsha. Wafumana into enye eyayifunwa ngumtshutshisi; a
Ukurhoxa ngulowo uneminyaka engama-75 ubudala, usekela oMnyama ogulayo nowafungayo ukuba yena
wabona ukubethwa entolongweni emva phayaa ngowe-1977.
Ingenzeka njani lento
yenzekile? Usekela Nathaniel Manzie, ogula ngumhlaza wemiphunga kunye nohlala
kwikhaya labalupheleyo eSelma, wahlaselwa lixhala xa kwafika amajoni karhulumente
ukumehlisa eMonroeville ukuze ancinwe. Wayesoyikela ukhuseleko lwe
usapho lwakhe. Uxinzelelo lwegazi lwakhe luphezulu, wathetha ngomnxeba nejaji kunye
wakhanyela ukubona ukubethwa, nangona wanamathela kwibali lakhe lokuba akazange
wabona uBrian enikezela ngamalungelo akhe kwisherifu. Oku kurhoxiswa bekubalulekile
Ukukholelwa kukaBrian, ekubeni ukuvuma izono bekungayi kuvunywa ngaphandle
bona. Ngaba uMgwebi uKittrell waqhubeka nokuxoxwa kwetyala de ubungqina obufanelekileyo bube
ifunyenwe kuwo onke amaqela? Hayi, wayeka ukuchotshelwa kwetyala waza wagweba uBrian.
Ndawongwa
yiba noBrian uninzi losuku lwakhe lokugqibela, kunye nosapho lwakhe nabanye abantu abathandayo.
UBrian, mhlawumbi, wayengoyena mntu unesibindi endakha ndamazi. Wachitha oko
imini esenza sizive kamnandi, esiqinisekisa ukuba wayelungile, ukuba ukuhlala
ukubulawa kwakuza kufika. Nam bendiyazi ukuba iyeza. Kwakubonakala ukuba akukho
indlela ezinokuthi iinkundla zijonge ubungqina obutsha kwaye zingasiniki sigqibo. Abaninzi
abantu abadumileyo babeqinisekile ukuba ityala likaBrian Baldwin laliphosakele.
UPope, uJimmy Carter, uCoretta Scott King, uJohn Lewis, kunye namanye amalungu angama-25
iBlack Congressional Caucus, uBhishophu Omkhulu weDayosisi yaseAlabama wayenazo zonke
babeqinisekile ngokungabikho kokusesikweni kuwo onke amanqanaba kwimeko kaBrian ababenayo
konke kubhaliwe, irhuluneli imbongoza ukuba ivumele ukuba ihlale khona, ukuze kube nokufanelekileyo oko
uphando lungaqhuba. Ingqondo enengqondo yathi, โIyeza, yona
kufuneka eze. Ukuba kukho iota enye yamathandabuzo abanako ukuya phambili. Ingaba nobunono
ukubulalaโฆ."
Kwaye uyibulale
yaba. Umatshini wokubulala uqhubele phambili kwaye wathatha ubomi bukaBrian Baldwin. Kodwa
hayi ngaphambi kokuba kwisitulo sombane, elinde ngaphezu kwemizuzu engama-40 ngelixa
Iqela lokufa lase-Alabama lalidlala ngeefowuni kwiofisi yerhuluneli.
Imizuzu engamashumi amane, ilindele ukubethwa ngumbane. U-Siegelman ngewayeyiyekile
ukwenziwa kwade kwaviwa bonke ubungqina. Besithetha ngobumsulwa apha,
ingekuko nakuphi na ukwenza okubi, kodwa ukuba msulwa kokubulawa kwabantu. Amashumi asibhozo abantu abamsulwa
bakhululwe kuluhlu lokufa kulo lonke ilizwe ukusukela oko saqalayo
Ukubulawa kwabantu ngo-1977. Bangaphi abangazange bafumane bungqina bokuba msulwa, njengaye
UBrian?
KaBrian
i-codefendant, eyabulawa ngo-1996, wayebhale isivumo emva phaya ngo-1985 sokuba uBrian.
wayengekho nakwindawo yolwaphulo-mthetho. Waye wacela uxolo kumabonakude ngokubulala
kanye phambi kokubulawa kwakhe. Abantu abathathu ababesentolongweni ngexesha lokubanjwa
ukuvuma izono ngenkani banike ingxelo efungelweyo malunga nokubethwa. "Azikho" iikhasethi
ezaziyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yetyala lakhe zafunyanwa kwintatheli yenkundla
ifayile yabucala emva kokuba ekhanyele ubukho babo. Iingxelo azizange
bonisa oko kwakusemakhasethini. Isixhobo sokubulala "esilahlekile" sasingalahlekanga
yaye yayixilongelwe igazi nemigca yeminwe yaye yayingenayo. EkaBrian
Impahla yayingenagazi kuyo ngelixa i-Ed Horsley yenza. Eminye imizila yeenyawo kunye netayara
Iingoma zafunyanwa kwindawo yolwaphulo-mthetho kodwa hayi ekaBrian, okanye eyemoto yena
wayebile.
Ukuqiniseka,
UBrian wayengengo ngcwele. Wayelityala eliselula. Kodwa wayengengombulali.
Inkundla yamkholelwa ngowe-1977 xa โwavumayo,โ kodwa ngequbuliso akazange avume
kukholeleka xa echaza ukuba uye wavuma ngenxa yokuba ukuvuma
wabethwa waphuma kuye. Kuloo sham yokuva, wacela uvavanyo lwepolygraph.
Ingcali ye-FBI yaseMzantsi-mpuma yaziswa entolongweni ukuba iyilawule. I
iofisi yegqwetha jikelele ikwazile ukukuthintela oku. Ucele uvavanyo lweDNA,
ukubonisa ukuba akukho dlwengulo kwenzekileyo, kuba nangona engazange abekwe ityala lokudlwengula,
kwakusoloko kutyholwa kwaye kuboniswa njengenyani ngamajelo eendaba. Ngokumangalisayo, uvavanyo
ayinakwenziwa ngenxa yokuba izinto "zazilahlekile."
Ngoko, kunjalo
ishishini njengesiqhelo e Alabama. NgoJanuwari, irhuluneli ephumayo, uFob James, uye wahamba
UJudith Ann Neeley, ibhinqa elimhlophe elenza ukubulala ngokuqinisekileyo
wagwetywa. Ndiyavuya ngaye kwaye ndiyasihlonipha isigqibo sikaJames. Irhuluneli
Siegelman, oweza eofisini ngenkxaso enkulu evela kwi-Afrika yaseMelika
Uluntu lubone uninzi lwemithetho yakhe iphunyezwa kakuhle kuba
yeenzame kwicala labameli abaNtsundu. Ukanti umntu unokungcangcazela kuphela
impoxo yokuba umanduleli wakhe, i icon eqinisekileyo yaseMzantsi Old, wayeka ukubulawa
umfazi omhlophe kunye Siegelman akazange ayifumane entliziyweni yakhe ukwenza okufanayo a
Umntu ontsundu kwakubuzwa ubutyala bakhe. Kum, nakwabaninzi abantu aba
Wayemazi kwaye emthanda uBrian Baldwin kunye nabantu abaninzi kwilizwe nakwihlabathi jikelele
idibene nenkxaso yakhe, kukho usizi kunye nenzondo kuphela kukungabikho kokusesikweni kunye
ukuziphatha okubi kwezenzo ezenziwa lilizwe lase-Alabama. Lo ngu-1999 kwiNtsha
Mazantsi. Z
Claudia
Whitman ngumdidiyeli we Imida yoBulungisa, Umqulu. 1, Ukufa
Isohlwayo kunye neVol. 2, Coddling okanye Common Sense? kunye nomhleli/umnikeli we
ezayo I-Saga ye-Shame-Indlela ugqatso oluSetha ngayo i-Ajenda yeSigwebo sokufa sase-US.