An Unfitting 'Tribute' A cousin of Rachel Corrie responds to her critics

OpinionJournal.com ^ | 4/13/05 | BRIJ PATNAIK

[Huber]

On March 16, 2004, one year after the death of my cousin Rachel Corrie, James Taranto, in his Best of the Web Today column, called Rachel's nonviolent efforts to protest the Israeli military's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories an encouragement of a "culture of hate." Mr. Taranto referred to an op- ed piece by Ruhama Shattan, originally published in the Jerusalem Post and reprinted on this Web site, as a "clearheaded tribute" to Rachel.

[presidio9]

Did she know about the tunnels? That's not a fact that anyone can seem prove now.

Exactly right. Which is why none of us can cite Corrie's knowledge of said tunnels to justify their gloating.

[Revolting cat!]

This thread is making me hungry. Gotta go! See ya guys later!

[presidio9]

That thread got yanked and I got pinged here, where I repeated my question that was never answered. Can you prove that Corrie acted the way she did because she knew about the tunnels and was trying to protect them. Isn't it far more likely that she was just an idiot?

[Sofa King]

"just an idiot" doesn't cut it. It is impossible to prove that she knew very much at all, but there is overwhelming evidence showing that the people she was siding with were terrorists. It was her fault that she failed to gather the facts of the situation. Also, it goes beyond being an idiot. What Corrie did was far too deliberate to be attributed to mere ignorance and stupidity- it requires a certain type of self-importance and ego.

[F16Fighter]

"I repeated my question that was never answered. Can you prove that Corrie acted the way she did because she knew about the tunnels and was trying to protect them. Isn't it far more likely that she was just an idiot?"

Are you serious??

Is it possible you missed the picture of a clearly mad Corrie setting fire to an American flag amidst a sea of children?

Sheeesh...

[cicero's_son]

The fact that people celebrate Corrie's death here, so incessantly, so cruelly and tastelessly, even a year after the fact, cheapens FR.

Bingo.

I wonder how many of these cheerleaders for Rachel Corrie's death have complained about Palestinians celebrating the deaths of Americans in terrorist incidents?

Why is it that so many people check their Christian values at the door when it comes to the Middle East?

[presidio9]

Newsflash: Not all flag burners are full-fledged terrorists. As a matter of fact most are not.

[prion]

I wonder how many of these cheerleaders for Rachel Corrie's death have complained about Palestinians celebrating the deaths of Americans in terrorist incidents?

You have difficulty distinguishing between the death of a player and the death of a bystander?

Why is it that so many people check their Christian values at the door when it comes to the Middle East?

Hm. Tough one. Because we aren't all Christians?

[cicero's_son]

Hm. Tough one. Because we aren't all Christians?

Easy there, fellow. I'm not trying to convert you.

I'm talking about self-professed Christians who suddenly revert to the ethic of an Eye for an Eye when it comes to the ME.

[MarMema]

Why is it that so many people check their Christian values at the door when it comes to the Middle East?

Well I think it's because we're learning that we either get tough or die under islam. And also because sometimes the world is very sick and you have to have some fun.

[MarMema]

What killed me was the series of photos they *did* take of her as she lay there supposedly dying. Your friend gets hurt and you immediately get the camera out and start snapping?

[MarMema]

You did a really, really great job on that one. LOL, thanks for the laugh. Wow, you have it down.

[F16Fighter]

"Newsflash: Not all flag burners are full-fledged terrorists."

No -- They merely feed the frenzy of an occassional homicidal mob.

Btw, I hope by now you've seen THIS "memo":

No Smoking -- GASOLINE IS FLAMMABLE

[presidio9]

Why is it that so many people check their Christian values at the door when it comes to the Middle East?

Because it is easier to demonize your opponents rather than accept the fact that they are human beings with a different point of view.

[cicero's_son]

Well I think it's because we're learning that we either get tough or die under islam.

It's a lot "tougher" to remain true to our Christian ideals than it is to mimic the Mohammedans.

And also because sometimes the world is very sick and you have to have some fun.

I know...and I'm not condemning the people who are still whooping it up over this one year later...just wondering why they get such a kick out of a stupid young girl's death.

[Revolting cat!]

Can we agree that poor Rachel, sniff, sniff, was a mixed up pancake?

[MarMema]

You're right about Christian ideals, but the rest of the world is so overly done with political correctness and all. Here you can actually be a real person for a change.

You really didn't laugh at Owl's post or the IHOP pic?

[MarMema]

She qualified for the Here's your sign comedy.

[F16Fighter]

"I wonder how many of these cheerleaders for Rachel Corrie's death have complained about Palestinians celebrating the deaths of Americans in terrorist incidents?"

HUH??

Ahem -- Rachel Corrie was an American conspiring against America.

OR do you in your high-mind sanctimony believe the U.S. is an agent for evil??

Pretty high-fallootin' to let other do their dirty work, Son.

[cicero's_son]

Well, generally political correctness means that you can't express your Christian ideals, but I do know what you mean.

I'm not here to scold--I plan on dropping it after this post. But it strikes me how far we as a society have fallen when even good, decent, Christian conservatives seem to have so little respect for life.

Christ taught us to love our enemies, no matter how hard that might be. That doesn't mean that we allow them to destroy us without fighting back, but it does mean that we shouldn't be gloating over the death of some idiotic teenager a year after the fact.

BTW, I fully understand the temptation to do so. Every time I hear her a-hole parents on television leading some ridiculous protest against Caterpillar, my blood boils. They learned NOTHING from their daughter's death.