American activist killed in Gaza by IDF bulldozer

[civax]

<img src="http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/images/iht_daily/D160303/rachel_corey_reu.jpg" vspace=3 hspace=3 align=right border=1 alt="Rachel Corry, Picture by Reuters"> According to fairly early reports, American peace activist Rachel Corry was killed by IDF bulldozer a few hours ago in Gaza. Seems she, along with few other activists, were trying to act as 'human shields' when IDF was demolishing some Trees and maybe some buildings. The soldiers evacuated her and another activist several times from the area, sometimes in force and even with tear gas. However, it seems she kept running back to stand in front of the bulldozers. According to another activist, Greg Schnabel, she ran to the bulldozer and then fell down. The bulldozer then ran over her.

From what it sounds (and I've read <a href="http://news.google.com/news?num=30&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=cluster:www%2enewsday%2ecom%2fnews%2fnationworld%2fworld%2 fwire%2fsns%2dap%2disrael%2dprotester%2dkilled%2c0%2c4917930 %2estory%3fcoll%3dsns%2dap%2dworld%2dheadlines">more then 15 different sources</a>), seems there was a real tragedy. Seems the Bulldozer driver didn't see her with all the mess going on around there and ran over her after she fell down. A terrible accident which I find really frustrating.

This is the fault of 2 sides:

First and ultimately - <B>Rachel herself</b>. Even if you decide to be a dumb ass and push yourself into a conflict zones by force, being evacuated once or twice is enough to make your point that you're against the whole thing. Fighting the soldiers (who basically PROTECTS you) and running back to the "hot spot" is not only stupid and idiotic, it also yearns for such accidents.

The second side to carry blame is <b>our own soldiers</b>. For crying out laud, you know these guys are provocative and probably a little insane - can't you get a hold of a couple of people!? Knock them all out if you need, arrest them and jail them, but don't let them run between your legs when you're working! For god sake, this whole thing could have been avoided if you were just a little harder on them!

I know the IDF really puts an effort as these activists been doing these kind of 'human shields' acts for the past 2 years and non of them got hit till now. This is just a bad accident. so wasteful.

What pisses me off is that this was a really meaningless act. Miss Corry, you wanted to prove a point here, which I may or may not agree with, but what do you gain in getting killed!? And by accident?! It is just a waste of life, plain and simple. I'm not saying this cause I fear the world reaction on Israel. You know why? Cause there ain't going to be any serious reaction. This is a lousy time to die for your cause, Rachel. Everybody got their eyes to Iraq right now, no one is going to remember a 24 American student in a couple of days.

You probably hated me for being Israeli, Rachel. Specially one that served and still serve in the army in reserve duty. We may be worlds apart in opinions and life experience. But I still can not avoid feeling a little sorry for your needless death.

Damn it, American and European "peace activists" kids, grow up.
Running in front of too many moving cars will eventually get you killed, no matter what you shout in the process.

[ethics]

I think you are wrong. I think there will be a reaction by the world. It's a news item and Iraq is bland and boring for the next few days.

I believe you've approached this angle from all sides and I appreciate the feelings coming from Israel.

I am against new settlements (if this happened in WB) but I think there are other, better means to this issue.

Rachel just proves Darwin over and over again.

[civax]

Just to correct you, Ethics, there were no settlements involved here. The army takes up trees and ruin buildings which are built too close to the Egyptian border cause they mostly used to hide tunnels from Gaza to Egypt for guns and explosive smuggling. In the case above, IDF announced he was doing the talked bulldozing to demolish posts used by Palestinian snipers that shot Israeli border patrols last week.

For a general note (not an official Israeli stand) - a high majority here in Israel don't like many of the settlers too, and the amount of money invested in them by the government. Specially during this really-bad economical situation we have. In recent polls about 70% said they are willing to evacuate many of the settlements for a solid peace agreement.

But to keep on the original subject - I really feel this death was a waste. I know they are a small number, but for go sake, will someone knock some sense into those spoiled kiddies that come here feeling they are "changing the world" or "letting the world know"? They see one side and thing it's the hidden truth or something, just cause it mostly ain't the mainstream. They might hold totally different opinions then me, but that's what the whole democratic game is about. But sometimes few of them take it too much to the extreme.

Same guys that go and protect Saddam. I bet most of them would also be the ones going to 'human shield' Hitler if this was the beginning of WWII.

I don't hate them, I just think they are spoiled, naive, stupid and cannot even understand the damages they may cause.

And above all, I'm sorry for the loss of life. for such a stupid accident.

[ethics]

Originally posted by civax

I don't hate them, I just think they are spoiled, naive, stupid and cannot even understand the damages they may cause.

And above all, I'm sorry for the loss of life. for such a stupid accident.

&nbsp;

I am not sorry. I am not God, nor in a position to do the final judgement, but you know what? Perhaps other nincompoops see this and decide to go home and do something with their lives that actually help people. There are even different means of helping Palestinians.

[ethics]

Looks like she was one angry asswipe. America, which is probably the sole reason why there are still Palestinians alive in this world, is the focus of Rachel's anger here?

Like I said, she won't be missed.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030317/capt.1047866217.mideast_israel_protester_killed_axlp105.jpg

[Robert Harris]

"...one angry asswipe."

You can consider her stupid and misguided, think she was young and naive and that her actions were foolish and counterproductive, etc., but please don't call her names. She deserves a little better than that.

I recommend reading her e-mails home in the last few days of her life.

Excerpt:

Rachel's war

This weekend 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent the Israeli army destroying homes in the Gaza Strip. In a remarkable series of emails to her family, she explained why she was risking her life
e-mails here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,916246,00.html

[ethics]

I spoke with a few friends in Israel, who happen to be Israeli Arabs. One of them was an acitvist against settlements and he told me that she was a loud mouthed, flag burning, "look at me", asswipe that did more harm than good for their cause.

Hence the calling of names. She really does NOT deserve better. I lament innocent people dying for this and many other causes. I do not lament stupidity, hate, and anger.

[joseftu]

Originally posted by Robert Harris
You can consider her stupid and misguided, think she was young and naive and that her actions were foolish and counterproductive, etc.
This is exactly how I consider her, especially after reading her emails. I think we should all allowed to be dumb in our 20's, to make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are fatal. I look back at my own 20's, and think of how many near-misses I had, and I feel sad about this young woman's death, and especially (I'm aging, I guess), I feel sympathy for her poor parents.

A stupid, senseless, death. The fact that she was in some way only reaping the consequences of her own foolishness doesn't make it any less sad, it makes it more sad.

There's a particular kind of privileged, suburban, American young person, walking around the world with an attitude of moral rectitude, entitlement, and invulnerability. Most of them manage to learn something, grow up, and survive this phase of their lives.

[Domh]

Originally posted by Robert Harris
She deserves a little better than that.

Being no different than you or I, she deserves exactly what she gets.

Call me crazy, but maybe she shouldnt have stood in front of a moving bulldozer. It tends to result in death if the dozer doesnt stop.

She was an idiot, and will never be the martyr Im sure her twisted Christ complex convinced herself she would be. She was&nbsp;a :nut: and little more.

Extremists always meet extreme ends.

[Neo]

Boy, a tough crowd here on this issue.

[ethics]

Originally posted by joseftu
This is exactly how I consider her, especially after reading her emails. I think we should all allowed to be dumb in our 20's, to make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are fatal. I look back at my own 20's, and think of how many near-misses I had, and I feel sad about this young woman's death, and especially (I'm aging, I guess), I feel sympathy for her poor parents.


And yet, I seriously doubt you put your life on the line like she did.

[Misu]

I feel really bad for her parents - the picture of their daughter burning a mock flag, and the other of her limp bloody body will not be forgotten any time soon.

[joseftu]

Originally posted by ethics
And yet, I seriously doubt you put your life on the line like she did. Well, to be honest, I put my life on the line for <b>much</b> stupider reasons than she did. I think she was misguided and wrong, but at least she thought/believed she had sincere ethical and philosophical principles.

I put my life on the line, not by standing in front of bulldozers, but by doing things like snorting cocaine, while driving, with a burning joint in the ashtray, after drinking bourbon for several hours.

Or by having unprotected sex with multiple partners.

Or by climbing out onto the slippery tile roof of a tall building, at night, in the rain, while drunk.

If I had died, or killed someone else, it would have been my own self-destructive, stupid, criminal fault. As it was hers.

My only "goal" or "principle" was to be "non-conformist" or a "rebel," or whatever stupid angry (depressed, neurotic) asswipe idea I had in my head.

Ms. Corry wasn't terribly evil. Just 24.

[IamZed]

Originally posted by Domhain
Call me crazy, but maybe she shouldnt have stood in front of a moving bulldozer.&nbsp; That is all there is to it. You are crazy.

No. Politics mean nothing here. The&nbsp;judjment to stand in front of something that most certainly will kill you is at fault and that was her call.