A friend who died for peace

[Resistance]

By Joe Carr | Kansas City Star

(Joe was an eyewitness to the Murder of Rachel Corrie)

I am a 22-year-old student from Kansas City who last year spent four months doing peace work with the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine.

Movement volunteers began taking nonviolent direct action against Israel after the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have sent in professional peacekeeping troops. I had the privilege of working with Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old student from Olympia, Wash. Little did I know that I would witness her death.

Rachel, wearing a fluorescent jacket, knelt in front of the family home of a Palestinian physician with whom Rachel had stayed. Though she was clearly in his view, the bulldozer driver continued forward until he was moving the earth underneath her. She climbed onto the mound he was pushing, elevating to eye-level with the driver.

He continued forward, pulling her underneath the bulldozer. It was clear that she was underneath, as she had not appeared on either side of the bulldozer. Despite this, the driver reversed without lifting the heavy blade, dragging it over her again. She died within 30 minutes.

[acmavm]

1. I have NEVER understood why more people have not been outraged

by the death of this courageous young woman. Nor can I understand why the criminal who was driving that bulldozer was not charged in intentional homicide, because that is exactly what it was.

[Resistance]

2. For one

the media has been totally complicit in the whitewash. First, they posted pictures of Rachel burning something which resembled a US flag, then they just abandoned the story altogether and turned everyone's attention to Jessica Lynch. Frankly, it's a wonder that anyone in the U.S. has even heard Rachel Corrie's name - and many haven't. (Let alone anyone knowing that all the eyewitnesses to the killing say that it was definitely intentional)

What can you do. I've learned alot about American politics this past year, just from keeping my own tabs on the Corrie story. It is really depressing.

[BowlingForPalestine]

3. Isn't the driver back on the job?

[_Jumper_]

4. Could any other country have gotten away with this?

Why isn't Israel treated like every other foreign country by the press and politicians? Obviously, some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, get a free pass from the government but it seems that only Israel is a sacred cow for Congress and the media.

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. Israel has the important job of guarding America's oil in the region

A certain level of conflict helps generate additional revenues for western defense industry interests.

[Offshore Bush]

14. Because our foreign policy

serves the interests of the biggest lobbyists. Saudi Arabia invests millions (probably billions) in the US government and is our source for oil. Israel has the support of defense lobbyists since Israel is supplied with American arms and has pro-Israeli lobbyist groups that are very well-funded.

[PoundSiO2]

5. Because it's mostly heresy

There is no solid evidence it happened the way her team claims. The dozer drive also is innocent until proved guilty and he has not been proved guilty. So far it looks like a terrible accident. Many people have been killed around heavy machinery by accident and this can't be ruled out as an accident.

[BowlingForPalestine]

6. Heresy? .....

Ok.........?

[PoundSiO2]

7. Go read this in your spare time

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm

[BowlingForPalestine]

8. I know what "heresy" means.

I'm trying to figure out how it applies here.

Did you mean heresay?

:shrug:

[Muddleoftheroad]

10. All Rachel, all the time

I hereby move that we rename I/P to R/C in honor of the thousands of threads about Rachel Corrie and her unwillingness to move from in front of heavy machinery.

[lefty_mcduff]

11. At least Rachel Corrie had the conviction and courage

to stand for what she believed in. When the anti-Corrie's around here have followed and stood up for *their* convictions - picking up an m16 and parachuting into the OT to chase down terrorists, for example - I will look at their criticism of RC as having more credibility.

[Muddleoftheroad]

12. LOL

By that ridiculous rationale, no one at DU can comment on anything unless they are willing to immediately drop everything and either:

* Go to work full-time for Kerry;
* Spend 24 hours a day trying to get * out of office;
* Immediately either join the military or join a peace group and block military bases;
* And an endless amount of etc.

Personally, I'd be 4F or whatever term Israel uses to indicate not in sufficient health to fight. So, in my own way, I fight here for truth about what Israel really faces.

[Name removed]

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