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Putting Things Into Perspective – In a Decent Manner
18 Responses to “Putting Things Into Perspective – In a Decent Manner”
Interesting to see how a polite, fact based campaign has the potential to influence people, as opposed to ‘in your face’ tactics that some groups try to use (Code Pink, for example)
Yes. At the risk of sounding arrogant: most people who visit theaters are highly educated individuals. They tend to listen best to reason as opposed to emotion / drama.
Drawing a line to connect a Israeli Bulldozer with a suicide bomber they are actually supporting the Palestinian opinion that Israel’s military agression is a form of terrorism.
Michael,
Rachel Corrie was killed in her attempt to stop a bulldozer destroying Palestinian homes. Fact.
Our prayers and condolences go out to all those who have lost loved ones in this seemingly intractable war.
Judith only shames herself by using the dead to further the division and hatred that will take many more lives.
Thankfully, unintenionally I’m sure, her agenda is showing- ‘counter-terrorism bulldozer’?
Disgusting.
The tragic fact that many others have died in suicide bombings doesn’t detract from the tragedy of Rachel Corrie’s death for a cause that she so fervently believed in. They are equally useless, tragic deaths, in a useless tragic war.
Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to call Rachel Corrie’s death a ‘tragedy’.
Stupid, idiotic, irresponsible all fit, though.
“Yes. At the risk of sounding arrogant: most people who visit theaters are highly educated individuals. They tend to listen best to reason as opposed to emotion / drama.”
I wish I could agree. At least in the US I have found little difference between the reasoning/curiousity of the educated and that of the “average” person. In fact, many times it’s even worse because a smart, well educated person can create grand philosophical treatsies that are internally consistent while having no basis in reality — so they convince themselves they are right no matter what. Most of the not so educated friends I know hold beliefs that a lot of times rely on ignorance, and if you just show them the facts they will be open to changing their opinion (to be fair a lot of times they change it to neutral or “oh I guess I was wrong, but I don’t think I know enough to tell what the right thing is.”)
That is quite an interesting remark Mikkel. My personal opinion truly is that they are more educated and reasonable. Perhaps both of our personal experiences are flawed? Or, of course, it differs per country?
“My personal opinion” = my personal experience.
Darned English language!
Michael, over here in all aspects of life there is immense pressure to be Right. A lot of times you’ll hear things in campaigns about how someone messed up 20-30 years ago. Even in small groups (like at school or organizations) if you are incorrect even occassionally then there is a noticeable decrease in respect and willingness to listen to you in the future. Basically one defense mechanism is that if you feel you aren’t as good as the other people in the group you just stay quiet so you won’t be wrong. I’ve noticed the people with more simple desires in life often take this tact, and if you point out something they think is wrong then they’ll be more likely to not have any opinion on many other things so they can’t be wrong again.
The people that are most respected are those that continually try to interject their beliefs or opinions. Most of the time being a Leader really means that you just are the most passionate that you are right, and as long as you’re not proved wrong you can retain this position. This is why you rarely hear anyone admit to making a mistake, because that’s “proof” of being wrong. It’s much better to try to weasel out of the situation and hope you are right in the end (or attack anyone that says you’re wrong) rather than to give up. People with higher levels of education/intelligence are expected by the general populace to be “leaders” on just about anything. I am constantly asked my opinions on things that there is no possible reason why I should know what the answer is other than that I’ve always been seen as very smart.
It can’t just be an American thing because many (especially Eastern) philosophies comment about this phenomenon. Personally I’ve always tried to — as the Tao de Ching describes it — lead from the middle. This is where you rarely step forward with suggestions, you sit back and let everyone else do it. Then you figure out all the problems with everyone else’s solutions and create your own that attempts to keep most of the strengths and address most of the weaknesses of everyone else’s. In a way that’s kinda what this blog is.
You won’t catch me shedding any tears for St. Pancake.
Here is how I remember St. Pancake. Love that picture. Rachel Corrie in all her glory!
I can’t imagine why a person would Crush a young women with a bulldozer, especially when she posed no physical threat to the person driving the bulldozer. Just the same as I can’t understand a person packing explosives to blow themselves up and take as many innocents with them
It was a senseless death that hurts Israel’s image as people who fight against senseless violence.
Don’t become a monster to defeat a monster.
Tommy- your last 2 comments went beyond offensive to repulsive!
“I can’t imagine why a person would Crush a young women with a bulldozer, especially when she posed no physical threat to the person driving the bulldozer.”
First, the driver claims he did not see her b/c she was too close. If you’ve ever seen one of these armored bulldozers that is not completely out of the question as driver sight is extremely limited. These are not the same bulldozers that repair roads in the US or Euorope.
Here is a pic:
http://www.idfisrael.com/miluim2004/miluim2004%20(8).JPG
Second, the IDF claims they were bulldozing the house because there were tunnels used to smuggle arms underneath it.
WEVS1
If that’s what the driver claims then why are these people handing out flyers equating her death with suicide bombers?
corvus,
They aren’t equating it. They are simply asking people to look at some other facts that are relevant, so that people understand the whole context (as WEVS1 pointed out, the context of why the bulldozing took place).
C Stanley
Sure they are, They are implying that the deaths of all these Rachel’s are both tragic and un-necessary. And on that note I agree with them.