C
isishoshovu se-ivil liberties uFrank
U-Wilk inson wayenobukhona obagcwalisa igumbi empilweni futhi kwaba njalo
ngakho futhi ngemva kokufa kwakhe ngoJanuwari 2, 2006 eneminyaka engu-91 ubudala
indawo yokuma kuphela eHolman United Methodist Church eLos
Angeles lapho ngahlanganyela khona nabanye abantu abangaba ngu-700 esikhumbuzweni nasemgubhweni
ngempilo kaFrank. Ngisebenze noWilkinson iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-30,
futhi abaningi ezilalelini baba nalolo dumo. Sabelana ngezinkumbulo
kaFrank nomndeni wakhe, umkakhe abaneminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-40, uDonna, umkakhe
izingane ezihlukene ezivela emishadweni emibili, cishe inani labazukulu,
nabazukulu abayisithupha.
UWilkinson akazange aqale njengesishoshovu senkululeko yomphakathi, kodwa njenge
isishoshovu sezindlu esibambe iqhaza emzabalazweni wamalungelo omphakathi; kuqala
nomfelandawonye wamaKhatholika waseLos Angeles ofuna izindlu ezingcono
abampofu, bese kuba neLos Angeles Housing Authority (LAHA).
Njengesishoshovu, uWilkinson wayehlukumeze i-LAHA ukuze yakhe kangcono
izindlu ezindaweni ezingcono, nokudala imiphakathi edidiyelwe
(lokhu kwakungo-1942)—amashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba umthetho nomphakathi ubanjwe
phezulu nale mibono. Eminyakeni embalwa eyalandela uWilkinson wenza nje
ukuthi, ngokumelene neseluleko sabangane bakhe beQembu LamaKhomanisi aba
wacabanga ukuthi iLos Angeles yayingakakulungeli ukuhlanganiswa.
Lokhu, ngemva kwakho konke, kwakuyi-Los Angeles yokwanda kobandlululo nobudlova
ngokumelene nabaseMelika baseMexico, ikakhulukazi izinsizwa ezibizwa ngokuthi “ama-pachuco.”
Lena kwakuyintsha eyisihlubuki eyayigqoke amabhulukwe aminyene, “Zoot Suits,”
noma ezinye izingubo eziwubukhazikhazi, futhi abenqaba ukusetshenziswa emphakathini.
Naphezu kwalo mlando wobandlululo, uWilkinson wayenephupho lokwakha
izindlu zomphakathi ezididiyelwe ezihloniphekile zabampofu. Ngawo-1940 kanye
ekuqaleni kwawo-1950 kwakukhona umphakathi ompofu ochumayo kanye nabasebenzi
eduze kwedolobha laseLos Angeles. Kwakusendaweni enamagquma yaseChávez
Ravine lapho amadolobhana amathathu—iLa Loma, uMbhishobhi, nePalo Verde—yayikhona
ikhaya labantu abangaphezu kwe-1,000, kuhlanganise nabaseMelika abaningi baseMexico. It
yaqanjwa ngokuthi “I-ShangriLa Yendoda Empofu.”
UWilkinson ubenomsebenzi wokuqinisekisa izakhamizi ukuthi uma zeseka
iphrojekthi yezindlu zomphakathi eChávez Ravine, babezothola kuqala
ukukhetha kwamayunithi amasha aqashwayo, isithembiso esiqinisekiswa ngokubhaliwe
by LAHA. Abanye benqaba, kodwa abanye bavuma. Ukusekela kwakhula. I-LAHA
ukulalelwa okuhleliwe ngo-1952 kokuthatha amahektha angama-35 ngokusebenzisa isizinda esivelele.
Kwakuzoba umphakathi odidiyelwe. “Kwakusho ukuletha omnyama
kanye nabantu abansundu kanye nabantu base-Asia abaphuma kuma-ghetto ezinhlobo ezahlukene
futhi bahlale nabantu base-Anglo e-Chavez Ravine,” u-Wilk
u-inson kamuva etshela iphephandaba.
UWilkinson wayehlanganise umngane wakhe uRichard Neutra, waseLos Angeles
umdwebi wezakhiwo onedumela lamazwe ngamazwe, ukuklama umphakathi
izindlu zamazinga ahlukahlukene emali engenayo enamakhaya omndeni owodwa
eduze kwamafulethi aphansi naphezulu. Kuzoba namapaki,
izindawo zokudlala, kanye nezindawo zokupaka ezanele zabahlali abalinganiselwa ku-3,500.
Kwasala indawo yokwakha izikole zamabanga aphansi nezindawo zezitolo.
Lena indawo ethengiswayo eyinhloko enyakatho yedolobha-futhi lokho
bekuyinkinga. Izintshisekelo ezinamandla zezombangazwe nezezindlu zaqala
ukuhlela ngokumelene nohlelo. Kwakudingeka i-scapegoat.
Kwasungulwa iKomidi Elimelene Nezindlu Zomphakathi.
I
phakathi "kokwesaba okubomvu,"
U-Wilkinson ubefakaza mayelana nokuhlaselwa kwamagundane ngesikhathi ummeli
ngoba umthuthukisi umcele ukuthi asho zonke izinhlangano ayenazo
kusukela esikoleni esiphakeme. UWilkinson wayazi ukuthi babelandelani, kodwa yena
wazama ukubhulabhula indlela yakhe ngokukhuluma ngokuba kwi Youth for
Herbert Hoover nezinye izinhlangano. Nokho, ummeli wayenakho
inikezwe imininingwane evela kwidosi ye-FBI enikezwe induna ye-LA
wamaphoyisa.
UWilkinson wenqabile ukuphendula eminye imibuzo ngepolitiki yakhe
ubulungu futhi waxoshwa ngokushesha. UWilkinson wabe esebizwa
ngaphambi kwekomidi lezwe laseCalifornia eliphenya ngokuketulwa. A
iqeqebana lothisha besikole labhala limeseka futhi nalo laxoshwa.
Okwamanje, i
Los Angeles Times
ephethe izihloko zezindaba eziklabalasayo
efuna "uphenyo olubomvu" lwe-LA Housing Authority. I
UMkhandlu Wedolobha, owawusekele ngazwi linye iChávez Ravine
ukwakhiwa kwezindlu, kungazelelwe kwabulala icebo—ngamahemuhemu okufumbathisa
kusukela ezithakazelweni zezindlu.
Kwakunzima emndenini, ikakhulukazi izingane. EkaFrank
Indodana uTony yasitshela esikhumbuzweni: “Besazi ukuthi ucingo lwethu lucofiwe.
Besazi ngezingcingo zokuthula...sasazi nge
izimoto ezipake namadoda agqoke amasudi.” I-FBI yezwa ngokubulawa
ukuzama ukukhomba indodana kaWilkin futhi akazange amxwayise yena noma umndeni wakhe.
I-FBI esikhundleni salokho yakhipha indlu yaseWilkinson ilinde ukubona ukuthi yini
kwenzeka. UTony uthe lokhu kuyingxenye yephethini. “Kamuva, thina
wezwa ukuqhuma kwebhomu ezitebhisini zethu zangaphambili. Sobone
i-swastika ependiwe. Sasazi ngezinsongo zokufa; okukodwa lokho
yasayinwa yaxwayisa uWilkinson ukuthi 'wenze amalungiselelo akho okugcina….'
Impendulo evela kusherifu wesifunda sase-LA yathi: 'Akusiyo leyo
usongo, iseluleko esihle leso’.”
Ekugcineni uWilkinson wathola umsebenzi wokuba umgcini wesitolo ebusuku
ephethwe nguzakwabo onozwela owaphikelela ukuthi umsebenzi uzothatha isikhathi eside
inqobo nje uma kuyimfihlo.
Wilkinson, ngo-1953, waba umholi we Citizens Committee
Gcina Inkululeko YaseMelika, eyavikela labo ababizwe ngaphambi kweCongressional
amakomiti ophenyo. Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva wabizwa
avele ngaphambi kweKomidi Lezemisebenzi Yase-House UnAmerican (HUAC).
Uthe unelungelo Lokuchibiyela Lokuqala lokwenqaba ukufakaza. Ngo-1961,
ngamavoti angama-54, iNkantolo Ephakeme yasichitha isivikelo sesichibiyelo sokuqala.
UWilkinson uzoba ngomunye wezisulu zokugcina zenkathi kaMcCarthy
agqunywe ejele ngoba enqabile ukufakaza.
Ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye, uWilkinson waphuma ejele ukuze aqhubeke nomsebenzi
neKomidi Likazwelonke Lokuqeda i-HUAC, ayeyisizile
yatholakala ngo-1960. Lapho i-HUAC ekugcineni iqedwa ngo-1975, i-anti
Iqembu le-HUAC langena eKomidini Likazwelonke Elimelene Nokucindezela
Umthetho (NCARL). Maphakathi nawo-1980, uWilkinson wasiza ekutholeni i-
I-First Amendment Foundation.
Sekungamashumi eminyaka uWilkinson enqamula i-United States ekhuluma nayo
izethameli ezisukela ezikoleni zohlelo lolimi kuye kuma-Rotary Clubs kuye ekolishi
amakilasi. Njengoba enza kanjalo, i-FBI yahlola uWilkinson futhi yafuna
ukuphazamisa ukuhlela kwakhe nokuhoxiswa kwezinkulumo zakhe. UWilkinson
wamangalelwa, ephoqa i-FBI ukuthi ikhiphe amakhasi angu-132,000 wamafayela kweyakhe
imisebenzi. (Indaba ixoxwa ku
Isichibiyelo sokuqala Felon
by
URobert Sherrill.)
Ku-CD yakhe yomsindo equkethe umjikelezo wengoma emlandweni we-Chávez
URavine, uRy Cooder uhlanganisa isililo ngoWilkinson enesihloko esithi “Ungakwenzi
Ngibize Ngobomvu.” UCooder ukhulume emcimbini wesikhumbuzo nangemva kwalokho
wakhuluma ngendlela aluguqule ngayo ucwaningo olubucayi lwaba yi-a
umsebenzi wobuciko. UCooder wayejabule kakhulu nge-Wilkinson ethile
comment, ayifake engomeni. UWilkinson ujabule
utshele uCooder: "Ngiye ngaphila ngaphezu kwalezo zigebengu."
UFrank Wilkinson uchithe iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 evikela ukuphikiswa nokuQala
Ukuchitshiyelwa. Bekusezingqondweni zethu ngesikhathi sihlangene sizobungaza impilo yakhe.
Isikhulumi ngemva kwesikhulumi wasitshela lokho ebesivele sikwazi ezinhliziyweni zethu:
kwaba yithuba lethu lokusukuma. Futhi besazi ukuthi ngokuhlanganyela, njenge
umnyakazo usebenza ngokungakhathali ekwandiseni amalungelo omphakathi kanye nomphakathi
inkululeko, siyohlala sidlula “labo bastadi.”
chip
U-Berlet, umhlaziyi ophezulu kwa-Political Research Associates, naye ungumfundi
ilungu lebhodi labaluleki leKomidi Likazwelonke Elimelene Nengcindezelo
Umthetho.