The unlikely death of Rachel Corrie

The phrase "it's the exception that proves the rule" is often misused, but has a lot of wisdom when applied correctly. If something is seen as an exception or a fluke, that implies that the rest of the time things are different.

That is the unspoken significance of the death of Rachel Corrie 10 years ago today. Corrie was an anti-Israel protester who threw herself in front a a bulldozer that the Israeli government was using to demolish buildings in the Gaza strip. Anti-Israel protesters capitalized on her death and turned her into a martyr, claiming her death proves the evil disregard for human life held by Jews Israelis.

Her image has become a part of a large propaganda campaign. The anti-Israel force wants her to be remembered as a rich white carefree 20-something and use this photo:

They don't share the photos taken of her the day before she died when she burned a handmade paper American flag while screaming in a group of Palestinian children:

Her death is an example of the opportunistic nature of radical left groups and their willingness to lie in the name of a cause. Her fellow protesters claim that after two hours of throwing themselves in the way of the bulldozers one intentionally ran her - just her - over and then spared the others, then stopped everything so she could receive medical treatment. The driver said he couldn't see her, which is easy to imagine with a vehicle with a large block in the front. It is remotely possible that the protesters are telling the truth, in the same way it's possible the universe rests on the back of a giant turtle, but they have presented no evidence other than their own testimony.

I can't help but notice that the fringe groups that use human shield tactics always claim that they are targeting brutal, oppressive groups that are willing to use violence. If that were true why isn't every protester who purposely makes themselves easy to kill ground into dust the moment the cameras go away? Corrie and the other protesters were at the mercy of the Israeli government the entire time.

The most likely explanation is that with all these protesters throwing themselves in front of tanks, logging trucks and military bases it would be shocking if one of them doesn't slip up and get crushed by accident.

Corrie's death is a tragedy, but only in the sense that entries in the Darwin Awards are tragedies. Her death and subsequent following is not a reflection of the evil in the hearts of Jews Israelis, but shows what happened to her is the exception that proves the rule.