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Cindy
Corrie's Speech
We are profoundly honored to be
here with you this evening as you dedicate
your Center for Peace and Nonviolence to the memory of our sweet
daughter
Rachel. Rachel loved all the world. Though she was born,
grew up, and
went to college in the same small town, Olympia, Washington, in the
western United States, she was really always a child and citizen of the
world, always feeling the tug to travel, to see other parts of God's
creation, and to understand the rhythms of different people and places.
How she would have loved to stop here in Ovada to get to know you and to
learn about the peace work you are doing. We are so very grateful
to you
for your efforts to keep Rachel's story alive, and we look forward to
learning more about the work that you will carry on in her name.
Kahlil Gibran wrote, "When you are sorrowful, look again in your
heart and
you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your
delight." After Rachel was killed, Gibran's words help us to
remember, to
stop and recall all of the quiet, thoughtful, adventurous and playful
times we had with Rachel; to remember all that she was in our lives, not
only what she has become. This quote scrawled on a piece of paper
and
left for us anonomously is just one of many kindnesses shown to us, by
one
of the many people who continue to reach out to us with love, support,
and
inspiration. We have in these past months become very aware of the
loving
human family of which we are a part-people spread across the globe who
are
filled with goodness and compassion, and who reach out to others who are
hurting. They give us hugs, send letters, e-mails, poetry, and
songs. We
are sometimes surprised to find that low moments can become brighter as
we
absorb the hugs, the poetry, the songs or glance at an olive wood angel
carved in Bethlehem, sent to us by a thoughtful stranger.
Rachel was a beautiful, unique, loving, playful human being. It is
a
comfort to us to know that though her time here was too brief, that,
still, she lived a rich life-filled with wonderful experiences and
marvelous thought. One of Rachel's college faculty wrote of
her, "In the
beginning, she was quiet, an intense observer, a passionate witness who
saw deeply into the possibilities. I first got to know Rachel
through her
writings, writings which put me on high alert, that kept me up late at
night with their intensity, beauty, determination, and humor.
Rachel was
searching, always searching and open to the unexpected. She appreciated
things that were not always apparent to others. She cared very
much about
other students and they became devoted friends. With them she helped to
make things possible. In June of last year, writing about her own
community, Rachel wrote, "Studying the history of this area roots
me. It
makes me more conscious of myself and of people around me as actors in
history. We are startled to discover that the places that we live
in are
important. History is motivating. We've certainly waded in
the same
water and wandered on the same beaches as very brave people. It
makes
bravery seem possible."
Rachel told us that going to Gaza was one of the most important things
she
had done in her life. With the International Solidarity Movement,
she
spent nights sleeping at wells in Rafah to protect them from demolition.
She stood between Palestinian municipal water workers trying to repair
wells and the Israeli military towers from which shots rang down,
harassing the workers and internationals. She documented the
destruction
of olive orchards, gardens, and greenhouses as well as harassment that
occurred at checkpoints. She learned Arabic from Palestinian
children and
helped them with their English homework. She became a friend of
the
people in Rafah and wrote to me, "Know that I have a lot of very
nice
Palestinians looking after me. I have a small flu bug, and got
some very
nice lemony drinks to cure me. Also, the woman who keeps the key
for the
well where we sleep keeps asking me about you. She doesn't speak a
word
of English, but she asks about my mom pretty frequently-wants to make
sure
I'm calling you."
In her work, Rachel joined hands with Jewish-Americans and with Israelis
who oppose the occupation and are working for peace. She worked
with
Israeli peace activists as she tried to better understand the
destruction
of the Palestinian water supply. She received guidance from a
reservist
in the Israeli military, a father of two teenage sons, who taught her
Hebrew phrases to use when she encountered bulldozer and tank operators.
Rachel died held and comforted by her ISM friends. One was Alice
who is
Jewish and has cousins in Israel whom she fears for whenever she hears
of
a suicide bombing.
On March 16, my daughter died when she was crushed by an Israeli
bulldozer
while trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home near the
Egyptian border. Rachel had written to us earlier about this place
and
this is what she said: "Today as I walked on top of the
rubble where
homes once stood, Egyptian soldiers called to me from the other side of
the border, "Go! Go!" because a tank was coming.
Followed by waving and
"what's your name?" There is something disturbing about
this friendly
curiosity. It reminded me of how much, to some degree, we are all
kids
curious about other kids: Egyptian kids shouting at strange women
wandering into the path of tanks. Palestinian kids shot from the
tanks
when they peek out from behind walls to see what's going on.
International kids standing in front of tanks with banners. Israeli kids
in the tanks anonymously, occasionally shouting-and also occasionally
waving-many forced to be here, many just aggressive, shooting into the
houses as we wander away."
There is no quick or sure way that we know of to sort out our lives
after
losing our child. So we continue to move day by day and to trust
that by
sharing Rachel's story and by participating in the dialogue on the
Israeli
Palestinian problem and the U.S. role in that problem, that we continue
Rachel's work and hopefully bring the day closer when there will be no
more killing in Israel and Palestine, a day when there will be a just
peace with self determination for the people of Palestine and security
for
the people of Israel. Rachel would plead for us to focus less on
her and
to focus so much more on those who continue to suffer and die in
Palestine
and Israel. She would want us to do all that we can to support
those who
courageously and creatively work for a nonviolent end to the occupation.
Rachel wrote to us from Gaza, "Many people want their voices to be
heard
directly . rather than through the filter of well-meaning internationals
such as myself. I am beginning to learn from what I expect to be a
very
intense tutelage, about the ability of people to organize against all
odds, and to resist against all odds."
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