Wall St. Journal mocks Rachel Corrie’s death

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on January 14, 2004). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

On March 16th of last year, Evergreen student Rachel Corrie was run over by an Israeli bulldozer and killed while trying to protect a Palestinian home being demolished. Now, right-wing weblog Little Green Footballs has awarded her their “idiotarian of the year” award, and the Wall Street Journal has seen fit to include this in a “Best of the Web” roundup under the headline “A Well-Deserved Award”.

Little Green Footballs has given out its second annual Robert Fisk Award for Idiotarian of the Year. This year’s winner: Rachel Corrie, the terror advocate who died in a bulldozer accident last March. Corrie picked up 28.8% of the vote in the 10-candidate finals, edging out Michael Moore (26.7%), who also finished second (behind Jimmy Carter) in 2002. Moore, who we hear dedicated his most recent “book” to Corrie, is the Susan Lucci of idiotarians. As one LGF commenter writes, “Michael Moore has to be crushed he didn’t win.”

The WSJ’s wording of the account is especially troubling. From what I’ve read, Rachel was a peace activist using non-violent means to try to intervene in the conflict in the Gaza Strip — hardly someone I’d describe as a “terror advocate.” I also see a large gulf between a “bulldozer accident” and a woman in a flourescent jacket wielding a bullhorn being run over by a bulldozer, which then drops its blade and backs over her a second time.

No matter which side of the Israel/Palestine conflict you stand on (an issue which I haven’t investigated enough to truly have an opinion one way or another), or how you feel about Rachel Corrie’s goals and methods (something which I have my own doubts about), to so blatantly and callously mock her death is truly despicable.

(via Kos)