Alicia Young
Staff Writer
Imagine you are 23 years old. Now imagine your life ending because you were trying to protect a family’s home.
Fortunately, this won’t be the case for most of us; most of us will live long, healthy lives. But that wasn’t the case for Rachel Corrie.
On March 16, 2003, Corrie was bulldozed by an Israeli soldier. On that day, the pretend scenario I proposed earlier came careening into reality.
And the five other nonviolent human rights protestors who were with her were not the only ones impacted. The Corrie family, her community in Olympia, Wash. and other communities throughout the nation have been grieving her loss ever since.
The story of Corrie’s death has even reached the Santa Monica area. Every Sunday, a memorial to those killed in the Iraq War is set up. The commemorative display involves white crosses being placed in the sand next to the Santa Monica Pier. It is there that flyers are circulated that tell of Corrie’s tragic story.
The cards read, “Rachel, we won’t forget you,” and they urge attendants of the memorial to join in the tide of people across the U.S. who are planning, “commemorations and future actions,” in reaction to what happened to Corrie.
But what happened to Rachel Corrie? How could someone so young with so much potential be killed so carelessly?
Corrie had spent several hours in front of a Palestinian doctor’s home clad in a fluorescent jacket and yielding a megaphone. She was attempting to stop an Israeli bulldozer from destroying the family’s home. Corrie, along with her fellow peace activists, was the only object standing between a Caterpillar and the home.
Despite their efforts, the activists finally decided to abandon their efforts. All of them except for Corrie.
Eye-witnesses claim that the driver hit Corrie twice, running over her first and then again in reverse, all in spite of her friends’ screams and yells. Her last words were, “My back is broken.”
Because of Corrie’s death, justice was immediately sought by her family. The Corries filed a federal lawsuit against Caterpillar, Inc. alleging that the company violated international as well as state law by providing bulldozers to Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in full knowledge of their intent to use the machines to demolish homes.
The Corries did not stop there. They also filed a tort claim in Israel against the State of Israel, the Israeli Defense Ministry and IDF for their involvement in the death of their daughter.
Outside of court, Corrie’s story is being heard. A one-person play called “My Name is Rachel Corrie,” has been previewed in New York, London and Seattle, and might make its way to San Diego theater as well. The play is compiled from Corrie’s late e-mails and journal entries.
Ironically, Corrie’s last e-mail to her father read, “Let me know if you have any ideas about what I should do with the rest of my life.”
07-04-2006