Killed activist is recalled (Israeli bulldozer "martyr")

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/17/03 | Janine DeFao

[MikalM]

In an e-mail to her family on Feb. 7, two weeks after her arrival in the Gaza Strip, Rachel Corrie wrote that "no amount of reading, attendance at conferences, documentary viewing . . . could have prepared me for the reality of the situation here."

[nolaw0ady]

How most of you can sleep at night is beyond me.

[bigdog]

Ya Basta signed up 2003-03-10.
This account has been banned.

Bye -

[First_Salute]

I wonder about the men who failed to see to her safety, not to mention the willful neglect of the fact, war is hell.

I would have first beat the C.R.A.P. out of a couple of her friends, to make the point; and then I would have tried to get my hands on the idiot in charge of the person driving the bulldozer; and probably I would now either be sitting in an Israeli jail, or after that, I'd be at the airport with my deportation papers.

[dirtboy]

How most of you can sleep at night is beyond me.

This wasn't some helpless young girl struck down in her prime by terrorists. She choose to go to Israel and inject herself into one side of a civil war. The look of sheer hate on her face in the pictures of her burning the flag ... OUR flag - is beyond my comprehension. She is no more a victim than Joey Buttafooco. I save my compassion for the innocent.

[rageaholic]

... And, she gave her life trying to protect those that are unable to protect themselves."

Ehhhm sorry, lets get it straight. She gave her life trying to protect some terrorist's worthless property.

[LdSentinal]

But the people on this and other threads who are praising and/or justifying her death are also stupid. They are giving ammunition to supporters of her cause.

Incorrect. She was not killed by a malicious intent, but by that of her zealous beliefs.

Many laughed at the picture of those Islamic men cutting their own heads. Does that give ammunition to their cause? If so, it's very little.

[First_Salute]

Yep.

[Revolting cat!]

Racism? CHECK!
Children? CHECK!
war-monger? CHECK!
racist war? CHECK!
reactionary?CHECK!
Innocent lives? CHECK!
Christian crusades? CHECK!
capitalist freedom? CHECK!
Israeli occupation? CHECK!
indigenous people? CHECK!
x billion of military aid? CHECK!

I must say that is an impressive use of liberal cliches and talking points. Got most of them covered. Good thing original thinking or any kind of thinking didn't interfere with the message. Next time, to save your energy, and ours too, since you have apparently never heard of paragraphs either, just limit your posts to a list of these cliches! Or just say: "RACISCM!!!" Or "FASCISM!!!" Or even "ORWELLIAN MCCARTHISM!!!"

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Even money that she could've survived but some Palestinian activist finished her off so that they could kill an American and have an American martyr all at once.

[Norman Conquest]

She's trying to show solidarity. I think the bulldozer demonstrated her liquidity instead.

The Israeli demolition is a proportionate and humane response to homicide bombing, targeting empty buildings instead of pregnant women and children.

If you choose to join the side that bombs babies, how can I feel any sympathy for you?

[BoomerBob]

I don't expect compassion for the lady. She would be a true hero if she was serving as a human shield on buses or at dance clubs against homicide bombers but many of the posts here amount to dancing on her grave and to be honest it is pathetic. I would expect a greater show of dignity by my fellow posters.

[Alberta's Child]

When a bulldozer of that size, rolls over a body, such as a calf, the body is flattened into the ground ... and much worse.

Maybe not. It really depends on how soft the ground underneath the bulldozer is. I remember hearing about a bizarre incident a few years ago involving a young child who bolted out into a construction zone and was run over by a steamroller. The kid actually survived with only minor injuries because his body was so small and the ground was very soft.

[an amused spectator]

"I am just beginning to learn from what I expect to be a very intense tutelage," she wrote, "about the ability of people to organize against all odds, and to resist against all odds."

First Person: Hell no, I won't go - A fundamental deception lies at the core of the peace movement

"...I chewed over my Gulf war experience with activists while meeting the same people covering subsequent campaigns. At the core of the peace and justice movement, I believe there is a fundamental deception: Activists don't actually want to stop any war or get justice. If marches did stop a war, it would show that the government was listening. The purpose of peace and justice activism is to show that the power structure can never listen or change. Sincere and conflicted people become united in the idea that America is cruel and undemocratic.

This feeling is known as solidarity, and creating solidarity is what activism is all about. Join the struggle. And the struggle goes on: la lucha continua, win, lose or draw, por siempre. The idea that the struggle ought to accomplish something is not the point. The causes are place names, and allies come and go: Iraq, Chiapas, Palestine. The baleful power of America remains the eternal issue..."

[dirtboy]

She would be a true hero if she was serving as a human shield on buses or at dance clubs against homicide bombers

Funny thing - non-violence only works against duly elected moral governments. Tyrants and terrorists could care less. So it shows just who she was aligning with.

[Mr_Magoo]

How most of you can sleep at night is beyond me.

Usually on my side, sometimes on my back. But, always in Peace, protected by brave Armed Forces, content knowing the United States is still the best Nation on earth.

Also happy that I don't know anyone stupid enough to play chicken with a bulldozer.

[wjcsux]

"Well... maybe not all odds."
A D-9 Cat is pretty hard to stop with a 100 plus pound body.

[dirtboy]

Absolutely dead-on analysis of the peace movement.

[Theophilus]

She should ridden Balaam's Ass. She would have simply lost a foot.

Numbers 20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
²¹   And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
²²   And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
²³   And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
²⁴   But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
²⁵   And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
²⁶   And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
²⁷   And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
²⁸   And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
²⁹   And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
³⁰   And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
³¹   Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
³²   And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
³³   And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

They'll have to dub that bulldozer "The Angel Of The Lord"

[Celtjew Libertarian]

How most of you can sleep at night is beyond me

Considering who threatens my survival and that of those I care about and considering who this "activist" was supporting, I probably sleep a marginally sounder for her death.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Maybe they will name a street in the Gaza Strip after her. After all, she is now part of one.

Reminds me of the ending scene in Naked Gun outside the baseball stadium.