Isinyathelo Sokuqala—Lethulwa Ezithebeni ZeNkantolo Ephakeme
USUKU OLWAMISWA lokwethulwa kwecala ezithebeni zeNkantolo Ephakeme phambi kweJaji Elikhulu uWilliam Rehnquist nabasizi balo abangu-8 kwakungu-February 26, 2002. OFakazi BakaJehova babemelwe abameli abane.
Ummeli owayephambili woFakazi wethula udaba lwakhe ngesethulo esisiphuzelisa unwele: “KuseDolobhaneni LaseStratton ngoMgqibelo ekuseni ngo-11:00. [Wabe esengqongqoza kathathu etafuleni.] ‘Sawubona. Ngenxa yezinto ezisanda kwenzeka, ngenze umzamo okhethekile wokuba ngize kwakho ngizoxoxa nawe ngalokho umProfethi u-Isaya athi kungcono. Lokho yizindaba ezinhle uJesu Kristu akhuluma ngazo, izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.’”
Waqhubeka: “Kuyicala ukuya endlini ngendlu eDolobhaneni LaseStratton uyosho leso sigijimi uma ungazange uqale uthole imvume kuziphathimandla.”
‘Aniceli Mali?’
IJaji uStephen G. Breyer labuza imibuzo enohlonze ngoFakazi. Lathi: “Kuyiqiniso yini ukuthi abantu obamele abaceli mali, abaceli ngisho nesenti leli, [nokuthi] abawadayisi amaBhayibheli, abadayisi lutho, bavele bathi nje, ‘Ngithanda ukuxoxa nawe ngenkolo’?”
Ummeli woFakazi waphendula: “Nkosi yeNkantolo, kwaziwa kahle kamhlophe ukuthi eDolobhaneni LaseStratton oFakazi BakaJehova abazange bacele mali. Kwezinye izindawo nakhona kwaziwa kahle ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi bayakhuluma ngomnikelo wokuzithandela. . . . Asihambi sicela izimali. Simane nje sifuna ukuxoxa nabantu ngeBhayibheli.”
Kudingeka Imvume KaHulumeni?
IJaji u-Antonin Scalia labuza ngokuhlakanipha: “Angithi nina nithi akudingeki ukuba umuntu aye kumphathi-dolobha ayocela imvume yokukhuluma nomakhelwane ngokuthile okumthintayo?” Ummeli woFakazi waphendula: “Asicabangi ukuthi le Nkantolo kufanele ivume umthetho kaHulumeni othi isakhamuzi kufanele sithole imvume yokukhuluma nesinye isakhamuzi emzini waso.”
Sekuyithuba Labamangalelwa, Isimo Siyashintsha
Kwase kuyithuba lokuba leli Dolobhana lethule olwalo udaba. Ummeli owayephambili wachaza umthetho waseStratton, wathi: “IStratton sisebenzisa igunya laso njengoba sifuna ukuvikela izakhamuzi zaso zingaphazanyiswa emizini yazo, njengoba sifuna ukunqanda ubugebengu. Lo mthetho onqabela ukukhankasa noma ukucela emizini yabantu umane nje udinga ukuba umuntu ayobhalisa kuqala futhi aphathe imvume lapho esemsebenzini wendlu ngendlu.”
IJaji uScalia lavele layihlaba esikhonkosini lapho libuza ozakwabo: “Likhona yini icala enilaziyo esike saliqula thina [Nkantolo Ephakeme] elike lathinta umthetho ohlanganisa izinto eziningi kangaka, ukuhamb’ ucela, ukungaceli imali, ukungadayisi, ngisho nokuthi, ‘Ngithanda ukuxoxa ngoJesu Kristu,’ noma ‘Ngithanda ukuxoxa ngokuvikela imvelo?’ Nake nalizwa icala elinjalo?”
IJaji uScalia laqhubeka: “Angikaze ngizwe ukuthi kukhona amacala anjalo ake aqulwa eminyakeni engamakhulu amabili edlule.” IJaji Elikhulu uRehnquist labe selincokola lathi: “Ngoba ngithi awumdala nje kangako.” Kwathi ngqoklo insini enkantolo. IJaji uScalia laqhubeka: “Ngiyakweshwama lokhu mina.”
Kuyinto Enhle?
IJaji u-Anthony M. Kennedy labuza umbuzo onohlonze: “Ucabanga ukuthi kuyinto enhle ukuba ngicele imvume kuHulumeni ngaphambi kokuba ngehle ngomgwaqo ngiye kubantu engingabazi [bese] ngithi, Ngithanda ukuxoxa nawe ngoba ngikhathazekile ngokuqoqwa kwezibi, ngoba ngikhathazekile ngelungu lesiShaya-mthetho, noma okunye okufuze lokho. Kufanele ngiqale ngicele imvume kuHulumeni?” Lanezela, “Isimanga leso.”
Kwabe sekungenela iJaji uSandra Day O’Connor, labuza: “Kuthiwani-ke ngezingane ezingena emizini yabantu zicele uswidi noma zenze imigilingwane lapho zigubha iHalloween? Nazo kufanele zithole imvume?” AmaJaji u-O’Connor noScalia aqhubeka ebuza imibuzo efuze lena. IJaji u-O’Connor laqhamuka nokunye: “Kufanele ngenzenjani uma ngifuna ukwenana ushukela kamakhelwane? Ingabe kufanele ngithole imvume yokuyokwenana ushukela kamakhelwane?”
Ingabe OFakazi Bangabakhankasi?
IJaji uDavid H. Souter labuza: “Kungani lo mthetho uhlanganisa noFakazi BakaJehova? Ingabe bangabakhankasi, bahambe becela, noma bangabathengisi abangena indlu ngendlu? Ingabe bayazenza lezi zinto?” Ummeli waleli Dolobhana wacaphuna ingxenye enkulu yalo mthetho wayesenezela nokuthi inkantolo yesifunda yayichaze oFakazi BakaJehova ngokuthi bangabakhankasi. IJaji uSouter labe selithi: “Kusho ukuthi ibanzi ngempela incazelo yakho yegama elithi abakhankasi uma ihlanganisa noFakazi BakaJehova.”
IJaji uBreyer labe selicaphuna incazelo yesichazamazwi yegama elithi umkhankasi ukuze liveze ukuthi alisebenzi koFakazi. Lanezela: “Emaphuzwini owabhale phansi angikatholi ukuthi iyini injongo yokuba laba bantu [oFakazi BakaJehova] abangafuni mali, abangafuni kudayisa, nabangafuni namavoti, baye kuziphathimandla bayobhalisa. Lihloseni leli dolobha?”
“Ilungelo” Lokukhuluma Nabanye
Ummeli waleli Dolobhana wabe esethi “leli dolobha lihlose ukuvikela abanikazi bemizi bangacasulwa.” Wabuye wachaza ukuthi lihlose ukuvikela izakhamuzi emaseleni nasezigebengwini. IJaji uScalia lacaphuna lo mthetho labonisa ukuthi umphathi-dolobha angase afune imininingwane eyengeziwe ngomuntu ozofuna imvume nokuthi uyifunelani ukuze “akwazi ukuchaza kahle ukuthi lowo muntu ufuna ilungelo lani.” Lalimisa ngesihloko lathi: “Ukuthi kuyilungelo ukuhamba uye kwezinye izakhamuzi uzazise ngento ethile—angiyizwa nje mina leyo nto.”
IJaji uScalia laphinde labavalela ekhoneni: “Nisho ukuthi noma ubani ongqongqoza kwakho kudingeka aqale ayogingqa izithupha kwaMuhle? Ukuthi nje kungathuka kufika isigebengu sekusho ukuthi noma ubani ofuna ukuza kwakho kufanele ayobhalisa kwaMuhle? Angivumi.”
Uyazivikela Izakhamuzi?
Njengoba imizuzu yakhe engu-20 yayisiphelile, ummeli waleli Dolobhana wadedela umsizi wommeli omkhulu wesifundazwe sase-Ohio. Wathi lo mthetho ovimbela ukuhamb’ ucela uvikela izakhamuzi ekufikelweni umuntu ezingamazi, “umuntu ofika lapha kwami ngingazange nhlobo ngimbize . . . futhi ngicabanga ukuthi leli dolobhana kufanele lithi, ‘Siyakhathazeka ngalolo hlobo lo msebenzi.’”
IJaji uScalia labe selithi: “Leli dolobhana lithi ngisho noma bekhona abantu ababathandayo oFakazi BakaJehova, abasuke bezihlalele benesizungu, abangathanda ukuxoxa nothile nganoma yini, kusadingeka laba bantu [oFakazi BakaJehova] bayobhalisa kumphathi-dolobha ukuze bathole ilungelo lokungqongqoza eminyango yabo.”
“Incane Kabi Into Efunwa Yilo Mthetho”
Ngesikhathi iJaji uScalia libaphonsa imibuzo, laveza iphuzu elinamandla lapho lithi: “Sonke siyavuma ukuthi imiphakathi ephephe kunayo yonke emhlabeni yileyo ebuswa omashiqela. Buncane kakhulu ubugebengu lapho. Kuyaziwa lokho, kanti inkululeko ihambisana nezinga elithile lobugebengu, futhi umbuzo uwukuthi lo mthetho uyobuqeda yini ubugebengu ukuba kungaze kuthiwe abantu abayofuna imvume yokungqongqoza emizini yabanye.” Umsizi wommeli omkhulu wabe esethi “incane kabi into efunwa yilo mthetho.” IJaji uScalia laphendula lathi incane kangangokuthi “alikho nelilodwa icala esake saliqula elimayelana nedolobha elake lamisa umthetho onjena. Angiboni neze ukuthi incane.”
Ekugcineni, ngenxa yokuthi elinye lamajaji lalimvalele ekhoneni, umsizi wommeli omkhulu wagoba uphondo: “Ngeke ngisho ukuthi abantu abavalwe ukuyongqongqoza emizini yabanye.” Wabe useqedile njalo.
Njengoba icala liqhubeka, ummeli woFakazi waveza ukuthi lo mthetho awunandlela yokuhlola ukuthi into eshiwo umuntu iyiqiniso yini. “Ngingavele ngihambe ngiye ehholo okubhaliswa kulo ngifike ngithi, ‘[NginguS’banibani],’ bese ngithola imvume ngihambe ngiyongena indlu ngendlu.” Waveza nokuthi umphathi-dolobha unegunya lokunqaba ukumnikeza imvume umuntu othi akalona ilungu lenhlangano ethile. Wathi: “Sikholelwa ukuthi, ukuthi imvume uyayithola yini kuyoya ngokuthi iziphathimandla zibona kanjani,” wayesenezela: “Ngicela ukusho ukuthi umsebenzi wethu thina [oFakazi BakaJehova] usekelwe eSichibiyelweni Sokuqala.”
Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu, iJaji Elikhulu uRehnquist lakuphetha ukuthethwa kwecala, lathi: “Isinqumo sesizoshiyelwa [eNkantolo Ephakeme].” Konke lokhu kwakuthathe isikhathi esingaphezudlwana nje kwehora. Ukuthi lelo hora lalibaluleke kangakanani kwakuzobonakala esinqumweni esibhalwe phansi esakhishwa ngo-June.
[Izithombe ekhasini 6]
IJaji Elikhulu uRehnquist
IJaji uBreyer
IJaji uScalia
[Umthombo]
Rehnquist: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Dane Penland; Breyer: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Richard Strauss; Scalia: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Joseph Lavenburg
[Izithombe ekhasini 7]
IJaji uKennedy
IJaji u-O’Connor
IJaji uSouter
[Umthombo]
Kennedy: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Robin Reid; O’Connor: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Richard Strauss; Souter: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Joseph Bailey
[Isithombe ekhasini 8]
Ngaphakathi enkantolo
[Umthombo]
Photograph by Franz Jantzen, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States