Ukulutha Kwecrack—Ubhadane Lwakho Lobudlova
ICRACK, yethiwa kanjalo ngenxa yomsindo ewenzayo lapho isha ngesikhathi ibhenywa, iwuhlobo lwecocaine olulutha kakhulu, nolunamandla ngokwedlulele. Esinye isazi sokwelashwa kwemiphumela ebangelwa izidakamizwa sayibiza ngokuthi “isidakamizwa esilutha kakhulu umuntu asaziyo njengamanje. Cishe silutha ngokushesha.” Esinye isikhulu samaphoyisa sayibiza ngokuthi “isidakamizwa esibi ukuzedlula zonke ezake zaba khona. Ayikho into okuthiwa imbemi yecrack cocaine ezijabulisayo.”
Njengoba icrack cocaine ibhenywa kunokuba ifakwe ngemithambo yegazi noma ihogelwe, abayisebenzisayo abake besaba usongo lwengculaza ezinalitini ezingcolisiwe baye bathola “izinzuzo” zecrack ziphindwe kathathu—“ilondeke kakhudlwana,” inamandla ngokwengeziwe, futhi kulapho ukuyibhema kusebenza ngokushesha ngokwengeziwe. “Iqonda ngqó ekhanda. Ijubane layo lingokuphazima kweso,” kwasho owayewumlutha wayo. “Izwakala njengokungathi izoqhekeza ukhakhayi lwekhanda lakho.” Ukudakwa kuhlala nje kuphela imizuzu esukela kwengu-5 kuya kwengu-12 kodwa cishe ngokuvamile kulandelwa ukucindezeleka okubulalayo kokusanguluka okungathandeki okungase kushiye abayisebenzisayo benesififane, becindezelekile, bethukile, noma behlanya ngokweqile futhi benelukuluku lokuqalekela icrack eyengeziwe. “Ingozi enkulu yecrack iwukuthi phakathi nezinsuku ezimbalwa kuya emasontweni ambalwa ingase ilawule ingqondo yakho—kanye nokuphila kwakho,” kuchaza uDkt. Arnold Washton, umqondisi weSikhungo Sokwelapha Ukulutheka eSibhedlela saseRegent eNew York.
Ukulutha kwecrack kusakazeka njengobhadane ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Ikakhulukazi eUnited States, ngaphezulu kakhulu kunaseCanada, eNgilandi, nasemazweni afanayo aseYurophu, icrack iye yafinyelela kuzo zonke izinhlobo zomphakathi—abacebile, abampofu, abaphumelelayo, nezisebenzi ezihola kakhulu. Ngenxa yokungantuleki nokutholakala kalula kwayo kanye nemiphumela yokuba nomuzwa wokwesasa, inani labayifunayo likhulu futhi liba likhulu ngokwengeziwe usuku nosuku oludlulayo. Izimfundamakhwela, imihuqa emidala, bayafunwa emakhoneni emigwaqo, ezikoleni, nasezindaweni zemisebenzi. Cishe abesifazane babhekwa njengabayifanelekela kangcono lendima, futhi kwamanye amazinga omphakathi inani labayisebenzisayo lilidlula kude elamadoda. Izingane ezisencane—ezingakevi eshumini nambili—ezingenakuzenqaba izidakamizwa, ezifuna omasheshisa bezidakamizwa, ziba izisulu ezitholakala kalula kubashushumbisi bezidakamizwa—ngokuvamile okungabafowabo noma amanye amalungu omkhaya noma abangane abakhulu.
Ukulutha Kuletha Ubudlova
“Icrack ingaveza uchungechunge lobudlova obunonya kumuntu owumhuqa wayo cishe ngokungafani nanoma iyiphi enye into,” kwabika iWall Street Journal yangoAugust 1, 1989. “Muva nje ngasemaphethelweni eBoston [eU.S.A.], umama osemusha owasebenzisa icrack ngokuphindaphindiwe isikhathi eside wadaklaza ingane yakhe encane odongeni kakhulu kangangokuthi ingane yafa ngenxa yokwephuka intamo,” kusho leliphepha. Lomama wachazwa njengovela “emkhayeni ohloniphekile wesigaba esiphakathi.”
Ngenxa yemiphumela yokuziphatha kobudlova icrack engase ibe nayo kubantu abayisebenzisayo, izazi zezenhlalo nabacwaningi bezokunakekelwa nokwelashwa kwezifo zabantwana baqinisekile ngokuthi lesidakamizwa sinengxenye ekwenyukeni okukhulu kokoniwa kwezingane. Ukuqhuma kwentukuthelo kungaqala lapho umama olawulwa icrack eshiywé ukuba abhekane nengane eyisififane, ekhalayo. Omunye umcwaningi wathi: “Akukuhle ukuba nengane phambi kwakho lapho ucasukile noma ucindezelekile futhi ungaphansi kwethonya lecocaine. Yini ozoyenza ngalowomntwana? Ngokuqinisekile yilokho okungamelwe ukwenze.”
Ngeshwa, ngokuvamile imiphumela iye yaba ngebulalayo. Akukhona okungavamile ukufunda noma ukuzwa ngemihuqa yecrack esemincane ibulala abazali bayo noma abazali babazali bayo abayondlayo ngenxa yokuthi benqaba ukuyinikeza imali yokuthenga icrack noma ngenxa yokuthi lemihuqa yabanjwa iyibhema. Amaphoyisa aseDolobheni laseNew York aye abonisa ukuthi imbangela yenani eliphakeme lobugebengu obunonya imihuqa eyintsha cishe ehlanyiswa icrack ngokuphelele.
Nokho, inkundla enkulu nenobudlova kakhulu ibonakala emigwaqweni yasemadolobheni. Njengoba imali okumelwe yenziwe kudayiswa icrack ishaqisa ngenxa yokwanda kwabantu abayifunayo, abathengisi banomuzwa wokuthi ukubulala ngenxa yayo kufanelekile. Behlome bephelele ngezikhali zamuva zohlobo oluphambili—izinganono, izibhamu zokulwa empini, imishini yokuthulisa izibhamu, kanye namavest avikela ukungena kwenhlamvu—bagada izindawo zabo befuna enye intsha ethengisayo ukuze benze isibonelo kulabo abangase bebe abathengi babo noma labo abangayilethi yonke imali emsebenzini wabo wokuthengisa wosuku. Abathengisi bazimisele futhi bakulungele ukuxazulula ukungezwani ebhizinisini ngokuchitheka kwegazi kobudlova. “Uma othile edutshulwe emlenzeni noma egwazwe esandleni, kwakuyisixwayiso enganeni eyagcina ngakuyo imali ethile noma izidakamizwa zomthengisi eyayimsebenzela. Uma ingane iduthulwe ekhanda noma esifubeni, babeqonde ukuyibulala,” kwasho umqondisi wegumbi elinakekela abembulwa bembeswa.
“Manje ukubulala kunonya kakhulu,” kwasho isazi sezenhlalo saseDolobheni laseNew York. “Akwanele ukubulala. Uyawuhlaza umzimba. Usefile kakade ngezinhlamvu ezimbili, ngakho umdubula ngeziyisithupha. Umnquma ikhanda, noma okunye okuthile.” Isikhulu somthetho esingumakadebona sathi: “Kunezigidi zezingane lapho ngaphandle ezingenamakhono ngaphandle kwawokulwa kuphela. Aziwesabi amaphoyisa noma ijele noma ukufa,” futhi azikukhathalele ukuphepha nokuphila kwabantu abangahilelekile abadubuleka ezimpini ezivuth’ uphondo zokudubulana. Umagazini iTime ubika ukuthi ekubulaleni okungu-387 ngonyaka owodwa okuhlobene namaviyo amavukana eLos Angeles County, ingxenye yakho kwakungabantu abangenacala abangahlangene nalokhu.
Imigexo Yegolide, Izimoto Ezibizayo
Ngenxa yobudlova obuhlobene nokulutha kwecrack, abathengisi abasebasha becrack ngeke bakubone ukuphila kwabo kuqhubeka. Ngempela, bafa besebancane. Ukuthi “ngizophila impilo emnandi ngaphambi kokuba ngife” kuye kwaba ifilosofi yabo. Abaningi benza lokho kanye. Esinye isikhulu samanarcotic saseDetroit sathi: “Nsuku zonke ongase uye ngazo esikoleni esiphakeme ubona amaMercedes namaJeep namaCadillac, namaVolvo amasha. Lezimoto zingezezingane, hhayi abazali.” Izingane ezisencane kakhulu ukuba zingashayela ziqasha abanye ukuba bazishayelele. Ezinye zeqa umthetho zishayele ngaphandle kwelayisensi yomshayeli. Ziyakwazi ukuzikhokhela ukheshe izimoto zazo. Uma zivelelwa ingozi, zimane zizishiye kanjalo lezozimoto futhi zibaleke.
Omunye uthishelakazi wathi: “Abafundi bagqoka nganoma iluphi usuku izingubo ezingase zibize [u-R5 200]. Ubona intsha eningi ngamajazi oboya nangemigexo ewugqinsi yegolide.” “Eqinisweni, igolide liyimpahla eyande kakhulu entsheni esemadolobheni amakhulu,” kwabika umagazini iTime kaMay 9, 1988. “Imigexo esindayo yegolide ebiza imali efinyelela [ku-R52 000] iyifashini ethandwa kakhulu.” Abathengisi babakhokhela kahle kakhulu abathengisi babo abayintsha engenakho okuhlangenwe nakho. Ngokwesibonelo, abaneminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye neyishumi, bangase benze u-R260 ngosuku bexwayisa abathengisi ngokuba khona kwamaphoyisa. Okulandelayo ngemva kwalokho abashushumbisi, umuntu ohambisa izidakamizwa ukusuka kumtshali kuya kumthengisi, umsebenzi ongase umkhokhele imali engaphezu kuka-R780 ngosuku. Kokubili abagada amaphoyisa nabashushumbisi bafuna ukufinyelela umgomo ophakeme ngaphakathi kumuntu abamsebenzelayo—umthengisi. Ingabe ungacabanga ngomuntu oweve eshumini elinambili, ngokunokwenzeka onemfundo encane kakhulu, efuna umholo ofinyelela esambeni esikhulu esingu-R7 800 ngosuku? Ngempela, izinzuzo zinkulu kodwa ikusasa lifushanisiwe.
Ngokuvamile kakhulu izingozi zokuthengisa icrack okwenziwa abantu abasha zisika nhlangothi zombili. Ngakolunye uhlangothi olusikayo, bashushumbisa izidakamizwa ezibulalayo ezingonakalisa ukuphila kwabazisebenzisayo futhi zibangele ubudlova, ngokuvamile bona ngokwabo baba izisulu. Ngokuvamile, ngakolunye uhlangothi lwensingo, abazali bakhuthaza izingane zabo ukuba zidayise icrack. Izikhathi eziningi, umthengisi osemusha uwukuphela komondli womkhaya, esebenzisa ingxenye enkulu yezinzuzo azitholayo ukuze ondle umkhaya ohluphekayo. Lapho abazali benqaba ukulungisa isimo futhi kunalokho bezenza abanganakile, baba abahlanganyeli ekusekeleni inkambo yobugebengu.
Okubi ngendlela ebulalayo yilapho uthando ngecrack ludlula uthando lukamama ngezingane zakhe, ngisho nengane engakazalwa ayikhulelwe. Cabangela isimo esibucayi songakazalwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 5]
“ICrack Iwumdlalo Webhola Omusha Ngokuphelele”
Njengoba icrack yenzelwa ukuba ikhange kwabasha nakwabampofu, intengo yayo yokuqala ingase ibonakale ibiza kancane kakhulu. Abashushumbisi bathengisa izinqanyana ezingangenhlamvu yesibhamu ngamabhodlela amancanyana epulasitiki ngemali encane esukela kumaRandi ayisihlanu kuya kwangamashumi amabili. Nokho, ukudakwa isikhathi esifushane kodwa okunamandla kakhulu cishe kubizela ukuphindelela okunewozawoza. Umqondisi ophethe wesikhungo sezokwaziswa ngezidakamizwa saseFlorida wathi: “Icrack iwumdlalo webhola omusha ngokuphelele. Iyisidakamizwa esinamandla edlulele okuqaleka, ngaphezulu kakhulu kunecocaine evamile. Sihamba ngokushesha futhi ukuqaleka ngemva kokusanguluka kunamandla kakhulu kangangokuthi sigcina abasisebenzisayo—ngisho nabasanda kuqala ukusisebenzisa—begxile nje kuphela ekutholeni futhi esinye esengeziwe.”