I get different stories from different sources. The Mercury News ran a story that says some people say she slipped and fell. Another protester says she "sat down" in front of it. Maybe she slipped trying to get up fast?
From the Mercury News:
..."They'd play chicken with us, and they drive real close," Smith said. "We developed this technique; it was successful because they didn't want to drive over us."
As the bulldozer reached Corrie without slowing up, she began to rise but was trapped beneath the machine's blade and the pile of dirt it generated, said Tom Dale, a member of the group who said he was standing about 30 feet away.
From the Jerusalem Post:
Smith, originally of Kansas City, Missouri, said he had come for one month but plans to stay for four. He said the fact that the IDF had previously taken pains not to hurt the group made him feel safe. It is precisely because the group has so much experience playing a game of chicken with the bulldozers
that it understands this was not an accident.
Many members have stood in front of a bulldozer as Corrie did and then climbed up the mound of dirt, precisely so that the driver could see them. "You look into their eyes and they stop," Smith said.
He said he knows this because he has done it and seen the driver. "That is why this was so surprising and so baffling. He just continued to drive over her.
I just didn't expect it. I kept thinking now, he is going to stop, no, now, no, now," Smith said.
The Mercury News article was accompanied by a large photo from the International Solidarity Movement with a side view of Rachel standing in front of the bulldozer with a megaphone. Unfortunately, the SJM is crappy about posting photos and graphics online, and I can't find that particular picture at the ISM site.
Other shots from the ISM site:
The small visibility port of the armored bulldozer is quite visible in these first two shots.
Before, and after. Nothing showing the incident itself. Nothing showing whether she sat down in front of the blade. Obviously, one would assume that any protester taking photos would have stopped shooting to try and prevent the tragedy, so this is not too surprising. I have not found any objective visual evidence of the occurence.
The Palestinians will say the Israelis are lying in their teeth no matter what they say. Others will say the Palestinians are lying no matter what they say. Both sides have a record of spinning the facts, to put it mildly. The Israelis make it sound like Rachel leaped out of nowhere and got in front of the bulldozer. The Palestinians make it sound like the bulldozer driver, barely able to fit in the cabin of the machine due to the immense horns growing from his head, laughed in insane glee as he crushed the girl over and over again.
The truth, as always, is probably somewhere in between.
It is interesting that an entire pro-Palestinian "human shield" protest movement has been founded on the assumption that Israelis will not deliberately hurt innocent people. This assumption underlies the whole concept of a "human shield." the quotes from the protester make it clear that they count on the fact that an Israeli is not going to kill them on purpose, and are horrified that someone got killed anyway.
Try to visualize a similar approach to protect targets from Palestinian attackers. Who would you put on a bus to keep a Palestinian from blowing it up? Women? Babies? Clergy? School kids? Who could you put in front of a Palestinian rifleman that he would not shoot?
Off Topic » in reply to Not a lot of love showing on her face
Assumptions and some information
The whole thread (53 posts)
- Not a lot of love showing on her face
- It looks like she's in pain.
- Lee, LarryJ, Scott and assorted 'ilk'
- There is actually pretty good visibility...
- Civil disobedience and passive resistance.
- Re: Not a lot of love showing on her face
- Assumptions and some information