patti smith on trampin'
page nine

peaceable kingdom

PEACEABLE KINGDOM by Edward Hicks

Rachel Corrie April 10, 1979 - March 16, 2003

April 10th, 2004 would have been the 24th birthday of Rachel Corrie, the American peace activist from Olympia, Washington. She was killed just over a year ago by an armored Israeli bulldozer. She and seven other activists were in the Hi Salam area of Rafah, Gaza, trying to prevent the razing of Palestinian land and property.

As a member of the International Solidarity Movement, she did her duty. She saw injustice and targeted it. She did not falter. She fought to save the homes and neighborhoods in this small town in Gaza. Most of these homes are now gone and so is Rachel. But human memory and human hope reigns. The song peaceable kingdom was written in memory of her efforts.

Patti Smith's dedication to Rachel Corrie - Austin Texas, March 26, 2003:

I want to dedicate this little song to Rachel Corrie. Rachel Corrie was a 23 year old girl from Olympia Washington, who went over to the Gaza strip to protest the bulldozing of the homes of the citizens of Palestine. She was bulldozed to death. She was run over by a Israeli bulldozer in a tragic accident. No one read anything very much about her. There was no real sense of outrage. If an American Soldier dies, the sense of outrage, and the amount of patriotism and sorrow that instills into the American people is vast. Of course the death of anyone, to someone, is a terrible thing, a sad thing. And we mourn all the citizens and soldiers who die in war. But there was no sense of public outrage for Rachel Corrie. In truth, not many people gave a shit that a young 23 year old activist would be bulldozed to death in the line of her specific duty. So we will think about her. This is for Rachel: