Washington Wednesday on Rachel Corrie resolution
09 April 2003
Washington Wednesday on Rachel Corrie resolution
AMERICANS URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT RACHEL
CORRIE RESOLUTION
Americans throughout the country will direct calls, faxes and e-mails to Congress on Wednesday, April 9 urging support for H.CON.RES.111, a resolution expressing sympathy to the family and friends of slain American citizen Rachel Corrie. The resolution also calls on the United States Government to conduct an independent investigation into her killing and ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again.
The April 9 national day of advocacy, dubbed “Washington Wednesday,” is the American people’s response to Rachel Corrie’s tragic death and the continued need for an independent American investigation into the circumstances of her death.
While nonviolently trying to protect a Palestinian civilian home from demolition, 23-year-old Rachel Corrie was run over in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003 by an Israeli military bulldozer. In the words of Congressman Jim McDermott, Rachel Corrie was acting “in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King….” when she was killed. Rachel Corrie was an international observer engaged in actions that have a long and proud tradition in American history: She promoted non-violence as a means to defend human rights. The United States Government has an obligation to defend our nation’s values and citizens by ensuring that Rachel Corrie’s death is thoroughly investigated. As Rachel Corrie’s parents stated in a March 31, 2003 letter to members of Congress, “Rachel was an American citizen killed by a foreign country’s military. An American investigation into this incident is not too much to ask.”
Participating organizations: American Muslims for Jerusalem, Arab American Institute, Council for the National Interest, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), NAAA-ADC (the government affairs affiliate of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee), Partners for Peace, and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (a nonsectarian coalition of more than 50 organizations, including the American Friends Service Committee, MADRE, the Center for Economic and Social Rights, and Black Voices for Peace).
Partners for Peace recommends calling your member of the House of Representatives and urging support for H.Con.Res 111. Dial 202-224-3121 and ask the switchboard operator to connect you to your representative.
TALKING POINTS
Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while non-violently protecting the home of a Palestinian doctor. Israeli investigations regularly result in a whitewash. Indeed, the driver of the bulldozer that killed Rachel is already back on the job. A full and fair American investigation is needed to determine without doubt what happened to Rachel. As the resolution suggests, an investigation would help protect Americans in the future from this sort of terrible incident.
Conclude by urging the representative to support H.Con.Res 111.
The text and co-sponsors of the resolution follow below.
H. CON. RES. 111
Expressing sympathy for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2003
Mr. BAIRD (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. DICKS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. WU, Mr. HONDA, Ms. ESHOO, and Mrs. CAPPS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing sympathy for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003. Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress–(1) expresses its sympathy to Craig and Cynthia Corrie and to their extended families, friends, and co-workers for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003; (2) calls on the United States Government to undertake a full, fair, and expeditious investigation into the death of Rachel Corrie; and (3) encourages the Government of the United States and the Government of Israel to work together to determine all the circumstances that led to this incident and to ensure that an incident of this kind never occurs again.
Sponsor
Rep Baird, Brian – 3/25/2003 [WA-3]
Cosponsors
Rep Abercrombie, Neil – 3/31/2003 [HI-1]
Rep Blumenauer, Earl – 4/3/2003 [OR-3]
Rep Capps, Lois – 3/25/2003 [CA-23]
Rep Dicks, Norman D. – 3/25/2003 [WA-6]
Rep Dingell, John D. – 4/3/2003 [MI-15]
Rep Dunn, Jennifer – 4/3/2003 [WA-8]
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. – 3/25/2003 [CA-14]
Rep Honda, Michael M. – 3/25/2003 [CA-15]
Rep Inslee, Jay – 3/25/2003 [WA-1]
Rep Larsen, Rick – 3/25/2003 [WA-2]
Rep Lee, Barbara – 4/3/2003 [CA-9]
Rep Lewis, John – 3/25/2003 [GA-5]
Rep McDermott, Jim – 3/25/2003 [WA-7]
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II – 3/31/2003 [WV-3]
Rep Smith, Adam – 3/25/2003 [WA-9]
Rep Wu, David – 3/25/2003 [OR-1]
