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An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 2:04:39 AM

tweakabelle

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An Israeli court has finally adjudicated in a lawsuit brought by the parents of Rachel Corrie, a 23 yo American student. Corrie was mown down and killed by a bulldozer in Gaza by an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in 2003 while trying to prevent the demolition of one of the 1700 Gazan homes demolished by the IDF during 2000-4. Unsurprisingly, the court exonerated the IDF completely.*

An eye witness account of Corrie's death at the hands of the IDF, and an interview with Corrie just a few days before her death are available here:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/witness-to-rachel-corries-death-responds-to-israeli-court-ruling-absolving-soldier/?ref=middleeast

Since her death, Corrie has become a symbol of international resistance to Israeli expansionism and Palestinian oppression. Here's a moving editorial to her memory in 'The Guardian' : http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/28/rachel-corrie-a-memory-that-refuses-to-die.

I have been unable to find a single comment by an American politician criticising the judicial whitewash. I hope that ordinary Americans hold a more generous attitude to the legacy of a genuine American heroine and wonder how ordinary Americans feel about an 'ally' killing one a US citizen engaged in non-violent resistance.

* http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/world/middleeast/court-rules-israel-wasnt-at-fault-in-rachel-corries-death.html#commentsContainer.

< Message edited by tweakabelle -- 8/29/2012 2:24:24 AM >

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 4:05:17 AM

Rule

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I agree that she was very courageous. And now she is very dead.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 4:31:38 AM

tweakabelle

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quote:

ORIGINAL: farglebargle

Yeah, it's ENTIRELY her own fault. She DROVE THE TRACTOR OVER HERSELF! It was SUICIDE!

Indeed.

The driver's latest claim was that he "didn't see her". Which is kind of odd, as (a) the driver knew what she was about to do - stand directrly between the bulldozer and the house it was trying to demolish; (b)subsequently did so, wearing an orange vest (just in case he couldn't see her) ; and (c)she was carrying a bullhorn to let him know she was there just in case he didn't see her. All at a range of about 5 metres. On a sunny day. I suppose that, under the circumstances, expecting the driver to be able to actually see where he was going is a bit optimistic. Unrealistic expectations and all that .....

Q. If you are in charge of vehicle and you can't see where you are going, what do you do?

(a) Keep on going regardless;
(b) Stop the vehicle until you can see where you are going?

So obviously he couldn't see her. It could only have been suicide.

Yup. Suicide is the only ~~plausible~~possible explanation. And the driver was clearly (sic) faultless. And what choice did the court have but to believe the driver? He was there, wasn't he? He saw exactly what happened didn't he? Yup. Suicide. Any other explanation can only be a hate-driven fantasy.

< Message edited by tweakabelle -- 8/29/2012 4:36:21 AM >

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 5:03:20 AM

Extravagasm

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In the US, there is an evolving principle that has been used to convict many otherwise elusive murders. When the perpetrator CLAIMS accident, but did not stop at first knowledge, and provide immediate assistance, including seeking medical. Because the withholding of assistance can be as murderous, as an infliction, itself. In these cases, skillful prosecutors have regularly gained murder convictions.
This evolving principle exists in Israel as well, and something similar could have been applicable, were this Corrie case not so blatantly nationalistic for Israel.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 9:22:37 AM

subrob1967

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Hero? Hardly... She was an anti American douchebag IMO.

Courageous, yeah stupidity and courage go hand in hand. It takes real brains to sit down in front of an armored Bulldozer, which has limited visibility.

At least she died for a cause she thought worthwhile, and believed in. She makes a fantastic Martyr.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 9:32:00 AM

mnottertail

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How is being killed by a bulldozer in Gaza anti-American?

I think other douchebags would be eligible for that anti-American moniker.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 9:38:59 AM

SternSkipper

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quote:

Yeah, it's ENTIRELY her own fault. She DROVE THE TRACTOR OVER HERSELF! It was SUICIDE!

If only the Palestinians weren't so overcome by their land grab scheme... perhaps they could have reached out to her and shared with her that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 4:32:21 PM

Aswad

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Things happen. But if you're ready to write this off as an accident, you've got some pretty solid blinders on.

Ms. Corrie should have known better than to get in front of an IDF vehicle, as that never ends well. Organized crime around the world could take lessons in ruthlessness from the IDF, whose effective policy is that the total loss of human life in the universe is entirely equivalent with the loss of either the state of Israel, or the majority of jews in the world. How this can be, is well articulated by one of the leaders of the ultraconservative faction: (from memory) «The gentiles exist solely for the purpose of serving jews.» Most others in and around the Knesset are too smart to voice such a thing, but the attitude is not confined to a handful. Running over someone with a buldozer is little more than a footnote in that regard.

Hero seems an apt description to me, but that's a subjective judgment on my part, and the term hero is poorly defined..

I mean, she probably knew she was going to die a martyr to the cause of exposing Israel as the Satan of our age or something.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 5:07:48 PM

Politesub53

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quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967

Hero? Hardly... She was an anti American douchebag IMO.

Courageous, yeah stupidity and courage go hand in hand. It takes real brains to sit down in front of an armored Bulldozer, which has limited visibility.

At least she died for a cause she thought worthwhile, and believed in. She makes a fantastic Martyr.

Showing you class again Rob ? I thought you would agree Ms Corrie had a right to free speech and expression of speech, without ending up dead. Accidently or otherwise.

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RE: An American Heroine - 8/29/2012 5:26:19 PM

VideoAdminChi

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This thread has reached the maximum amount of personal attacks and will be locked.

As a reminder, in P&R, the posts are always supposed to be about the topic and never about the poster.

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