Mu mwaka wa 1943, igihe abandi banyeshuri baramutsaga ibendera rya Amerika, Gathie Barnett ufite imyaka ikenda hamwe na murumuna we Marie bakomeje guhagarara batuje. Icyakora ntibari bazi ko ibyo byari gutuma bajyanwa mu Rukiko rw’Ikirenga. Abo bakobwa bazize ko bumvaga bashaka guha icyubahiro Imana yonyine. Hari n’abandi banyeshuri babarirwa mu bihumbi b’Abahamya ba Yehova, bagiye bafata imyanzuro nk’iyo bayobowe n’umutimanama watojwe na Bibiliya.—Ibyakozwe 5:29.

Gathie na Marie birukanywe ku ishuri rya Slip Hill riri muri West Virginia, bazira ko banze kuramutsa ibendera. Se yajyanye icyo kirego mu nkiko zose kugera mu Rukiko rw’Ikirenga rwa Amerika. Ku itariki ya 14 Kamena 1943, urwo rukiko rwafashe umwanzuro w’uko ibigo by’amashuri bitagomba guhatira abanyeshuri kuramutsa ibendera, ruvuga ko Abahamya ba Yehova baba batagamije “gusuzugura ibendera cyangwa igihugu.” Mu rubanza akanama gashinzwe uburezi muri leta ya West Virginia kaburanaga na Barnette, urukiko rwasheshe umwanzuro wari warafashwe mu rubanza ishuri ry’i Minersville ryaburanaga na Gobitis. Uwo mwanzuro wari warafashwe imyaka itatu mbere yaho, wahaga ibigo by’amashuri uburenganzira bwo gutegeka abanyeshuri kuramutsa ibendera. a

Igihe umucamanza Robert Jackson yandikaga umwanzuro wafatiwe mu Rukiko rw’Ikirenga, yatsindagirije ko “Ihame ritazigera rihinduka mu itegekonshinga rya Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, ari irivuga ko nta muyobozi cyangwa undi muntu ugomba gutegeka abandi icyo bagomba gukora, haba mu birebana na poritiki, gukunda igihugu, idini cyangwa mu bindi bintu. Nta muntu ugomba gutegeka abandi kuvuga cyangwa gukora ikintu runaka, kugira ngo bagaragaze ko bemera ibyo leta ishaka ko bemera.”

Uwo mwanzuro wagiriye akamaro abana b’Abahamya hamwe n’abandi bantu. Andrew Koppelman umwarimu wigisha amategeko muri Kaminuza ya Northwestern yagize ati: “Abantu baharanira uburenganzira bw’ikiremwamuntu muri Amerika bakwiriye gushimira Abahamya ba Yehova kubera ko bemeye kurenganywa no gutotezwa baharanira uburenganzira bwabo kandi abantu bose bizabagirira akamaro.”

Umujyanama mukuru mu by’amategeko w’Abahamya ba Yehova witwa Philip Brumley yagize ati: “Umwanzuro wafatiwe mu rubanza rwa Barnette wagize akamaro cyane ku buryo n’inkiko zo mu bindi bihugu urugero nka Arijantine, Kanada, Kosita Rika, Gana, u Buhindi, Filipine, u Rwanda hamwe n’Urukiko rw’u Burayi Ruharanira Uburenganzira bw’Ikiremwamuntu, zagiye zikora ibihuje n’uwo mwanzuro.”

Mu mwaka wa 2006, Gathie na Marie bagiranye ikiganiro n’itsinda ry’abahanga bubashywe cyane mu kigo kitiriwe Robert H. Jackson kiri i New York, basobanura ibijyanye n’urubanza rwabo. Marie yaravuze ati: “Nashimishijwe cyane n’uko ibyatubayeho nyuma yaho byafashije n’abandi bana.” Gathie yongeyeho ati: “Ndibuka igihe umuhungu wange mukuru yoherezwaga mu biro by’umuyobozi w’ikigo bitewe n’uko yanze kuramutsa ibendera. Uwo muyobozi yahise amugarura mu ishuri maze aravuga ati: ‘Birashoboka ko umwarimu wawe atibuka umwanzuro wafashwe n’Urukiko rw’Ikirenga.’”

Gathie yavuze amagambo n’abandi Bahamya bose bemera agira ati: “Twubaha ibendera n’icyo rigereranya. Nta bwo turirwanya rwose. Icyakora, twemera ko tutagomba kuriramya cyangwa ngo turihe icyubahiro kidasanzwe.”​—1 Yohana 5:21