Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Reflections on Rachel Corrie

I've thought about Rachel Corrie this month with it being the third anniversary of her death, but I didn't start out today with the plan on writing about her. I was checking Haaretz for more information on the election and the title linked post caught my eye:

In the second incident, which took place Saturday afternoon, an American volunteer assisting Palestinians in Hebron as part of the Tel Rumeida Project said he was attacked by a group of about 20 Israeli children and youths. He said they threw stones at him, kicked him and spat at him. He was taken to a Hebron hospital shortly after the incident and underwent additional tests at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv yesterday. He was hit in the head and doctors are concerned he may have a concussion.

The volunteer said he ran from his assailants to a nearby Israel Defense Forces post, but charged that the soldiers on duty refused to assist him. However, IDF sources said the soldiers reached the site of the attack without being summoned and then dispersed the settlers. Police said they showed him mug shots but that the volunteer was unable to identify the people he said had attacked him.

Realistically the IDF probably didn't stop to help him. This has been documented for quite some time by groups like Tel Rumedia Project and International Solidarity Movement which gives more details on what happened to American Brian Morgan here. Even if you discount some of their written statements, the video speaks volumes for those who try to look at this honestly.

Brian or any of the others could very well end up being the next Rachel Corrie. Yet day after day they stay. It would be nice to think that after Rachel's death something would have changed for the better. Yet it hasn't really and there are those out there that feel Rachel deserved to die or was a terrorist supporter. The reasoning of course is to make her be a villain rather than a victim. Whether you believe this was an accident or not, Rachel Corrie should not have died that day. So, in reflecting on Rachel, here are some sites that I recommend.

Memorial site for Rachel Corrie

Rachel's Words

Rachel Corrie Foundation

Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace

Klein's Rescuing Lynch Forgetting Corrie

Wiki on Rachel Corrie

The Death of Rachel Corrie

17 comments:

Mark said...

I'm not familiar with the story of Rachel Corrie. Though, it just goes to show that those who say the Palestinian/Israeli violence is all about those pesky Muslims are WRONG!!!

Unknown said...

To the person who was just deleted...Like it says on the front page "civil and intelligent comments welcomed".

Your comment was neither. If you'd like to be more factual and less insulting you are more than welcome to disagree with what was posted.

Unknown said...

Too many people on both sides of this have died, and there is enough blame to go around. I get tired of those who are so consumed by hatred that they can't look at the logic or the history.

It's the same thing here with the war in Iraq. No one wants to take any responsibility, it's always the other guys fault.

Same thing in government, my pork is of course different than their pork, my hypocrisy is of course different than their hypocrisy.

Okay, I know I'm not feeling good today so I'll quit before I enter full crab rant mode.

:-)

Scott G said...

I see you not only work for Rove, but you also hate Jews :-)

I agree with you. We get one side of the story and when we question it, we are anti-Semites. I feel for both sides and believe that people on both sides will keep this fight going until one side is totally wiped out. Unless someone stops making excuses or placing blame on one side or the other and forces them to stop

Unknown said...

I don't see how anyone on either side can believe with the way they have the two areas of Palestine split up with Israel that would ever work.

Scott G said...

Who knows how some people can believe what they do? I think we could probably find an idiot gene in people

Aaron said...

I woke up in the middle of the night several weeks ago thinking about Rachel Corrie, Patrick Tillman, Daniel Pearl, Nicholas Berg, and John Walker Lindh.

All these young people felt motivated to leave comfortable lifestyles...all ending in personal tradgedy (though Lindh still has his life). Then I thought, why do I think about these people as opposed to the other thousands who have died in the conflicts? Why do I think of these thousands current as opposed to the millions through time?

The reason why is these particular stories were newsworthy because I can relate to the story. Maybe not putting myself in their shoes, but seeing a friend of mine in their shoes, or an aquaintance. It is these "newsworthy" stories of tradgedy that we can relate with, that constantly rekindle the fires.

When we hear about fighters in other countries, suicide bombers, who ever, we see them as the evil enemy. I'm pretty sure they do not see themselves as evil, they see themselves as righteous. And there are far too many of them to just be a few crazy people. So the two disconnected parties will escalate the violence as the situation becomes more desparate.

In the grand scheme of things, it is unfathomable how much suffering there is in the world, and no amount of armed conflict will ever solve it. It will always cycle in waves and regions. It will always wax and wane due to religious, cultural, and economic friction. To solve the issues takes an approach to raising children.

That is why (IMHO) the worst tradgedy in the middle east is how many broken families and jaded children are being groomed for further generations of conflict.

Sorry for the rambling...I have these thoughts and don't know where they are taking my beliefs. But it helps to capture and articulate them once in a while.

Unknown said...

Thanks for making a civil point. I believe Arafat was part of the problem as far as why peace was even less possible. However, despite the myths concerning the 2000 offer, that was never going to happen and anyone who's done their research on what was offered in 2000 knows this one issue alone guaranteed that:

Temple Mount...

That on top of the rest of what made it not such a great plan except from a marketing point. Clinton and Israel made Arafat an offer they knew he would refuse.

Unknown said...

Guardian

Just one of the many sources out there that clearly demonstrates not everyone believes it was a good deal and why.

Unknown said...

Salon also covers the second offer at Taba.

Despite what you may have preconceived about me because I don't agree with you that Rachel Corrie was a terrorist or was responsible for the death of Jews, I do try to look at this issue from all points. Nor do I place all blame on Israel. However I do take issue with those that feel Palestine alone is to blame.

If you are really interested in a serious discussion, I'd be happy to elaborate if you have any questions as far as what I believe and why.

Unknown said...

Given it is the fault of those same named middle eastern countries that most of this has continued and gotten worse, I don't place a lot of credibility in any public statements made as to the deals in 2000 being "good".

Temple Mount is an issue for both sides, it's not something that can be shared. For the Jews that believe in the biblical prophecies they need to have that land back to be able to rebuild their temple in fulfillment of the scripture. To those who follow islam, they hold that to be one of their historical religious sites and are not going to agree for it to be torn down.

What Israel was willing to offer at that time Palestine didn't want. Clearly Arafat was part of the problem, the open window to resolve this issue after Arafat's death and before Hamas winning the election has been lost. Hamas will not recognize Israel's right to exist especially when Israel and the US do not recognize Hamas, it's a standoff. With many innocent people caught in the middle. Life in Palestine has gotten increasingly worse which is how Hamas won in the first place. That could have been prevented.

Unknown said...

"For the Jews that believe in the biblical prophecies they need to have that land back to be able to rebuild their temple in fulfillment of the scripture."

I'm sorry you find that disgusting but it's true. Nor does that have anything to do with terrorism. The basic fact remains that for the scripture to be met they need Temple Mount.

It doesn't seem as if you know the religious history of that region and for some that is a part of this.

Nor do you seem to get who controls who. Israel controls Palestine not the other way around. Israel controls water, electricity, food, jobs even access to medical care. The reason Hamas was elected in the first place is a direct correlation to how living conditions in Palestine had become. Which is the fault of the Palestine government who did not step up to make necessary changes after Arafat died and the Israeli government for continuing to add to the declining living conditions of the average Palestinian. Then of course the US for doing nothing and then of course the rest of the Middle East for standing around and not doing much to make anything better either.

It's not quite as easy as you make it to blame everything on Palestine. I'm not sure if you are really trying to discuss anything or just killing time.

I'd suggest you do some research on the Temple Mount.

Here is a good place to start if you really want to learn more about why this is such an important point to both sides.

Does it surprise me that Hamas supported the suicide bombing? No, no more than it doesn't surprise me that you aren't acknowledging it is the cycle of violence by both sides that keeps this going. For every death the other side retaliates. However, if you are keeping track of the numbers? So far Palestine has had more victims at Israel's hands than the other way around.

It'd be nice if it was as black and white as you seem to think it is, with just one party being to blame but that's just not the reality.

Unknown said...

Okay, it's obvious this is pointless, but good luck on your blog.

:-)

Unknown said...

Now you are just being trollish, I'm not interested in Rachel Corrie jokes. I get your position, you think all Palestinians are evil and the Jews are without blame and the even more out there belief that Rachel Corrie helped to kill Jewish babies. I disagree and since it's obvious by you posting the above kind of junk you having nothing intelligent to add to the discussion?

Have a nice day.

:-)

Unknown said...

I disabled new comments on this thread because I didn't think anyone else was interested in participating and I have no desire for my blog to be used to try to promote hatred.

After getting an email from someone who was interested in the discussion, I've re-enabled them.

Unknown said...

Do it on your own blog then because you are not welcome here especially after your stupid spamming last night.

You were given the benefit of the doubt and proved that was a mistake on my part. That's not why I blog and frankly, your trolling is getting boring.

Unknown said...

Then merely stop visiting.

:-)