News & Politics - Death of a Hero

TokyoNiGHTS · 04-19-2005, 03:37 AM

Thought this deserved its own thread

Quote:

Marla Ruzicka is one of the heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. While surely there has been heroism and courage shown by the men and women in our military who fight with great honor and courage in what many of us still consider a flawed and stupid war, the courage and heroism is not limited to those Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan who carried a rifle or drove a military vehicle. Marla Ruzicka's tools weren't rifles or Bradley fighting vehicles, but clipboards, computers, emails, and a remarkable ability to earn trust and persuade the powerful to do the right thing.

Quote:

In her mid-twenties, Californian Ruzicka traveled to Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Taliban to conduct an empirically sound count of civilian victims killed by US bombs, and then to lobby for compensation Afghan civilian victims of US bombings. After confirming 824 dead--she figured the actual number was much larger, but those were deaths she was able to confirm--she returned to the US, where she successfully lobbied U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy to sponsor a $3.75 million appropriation for the Afghan victims and their families.

Quote:

In an e-mail message to a friend, Marla Ruzicka described the girl sitting on her lap in a Baghdad photo: "This is Harah, she was 3 mts old when her mom threw her out of the window of the car and all her family members died when a US rocket hit the car - now she is big and healthy - we help her - thought you would like to see the phot

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the...ath_of_a_.html

The whole thing is a great read. Whatever your position on the war is, I think we can all respect what she did. It's a shame that stories like this aren't what takes up the media's attention for weeks at a time. I'd actually like to hear more about what she was doing.

Lexis · 04-19-2005, 07:06 AM

How tragic. These people who go to places like Iraq for the sole reason of helping the people there are just incredible. I'm not a religious person but if there is a God, I really hope he has found a special place for this brave woman.

mh67511 · 04-19-2005, 10:33 AM

That's really sad. I think it was very important that she was doing that as well and I'm glad at least one Senator sponsored an appropriation.

Back in November of 2003 we had two Afghanistan women stay at our home. It was really interesting because they are Muslim and we are Christian, but before we ate one night they said a prayer in their language. They also cooked us a delicious dinner. They were just the nicest most humble people and some of the stories they would tell you would just break their heart!

i really hope they can approve money for this.

Hot Like Fire · 04-19-2005, 10:47 AM

That is sad that she went there to help and died.

sick little jag · 04-19-2005, 10:57 AM

I saw just the shortest of blurbs about this on the news last night. It's really, really unfortunate that none of the media is paying attention to her death. She was a humanitarian fighting to help suffering people and she get's killed by a car bomb. It's tragicly sad. Such good people don't deserve such awful deaths.

Elizajoey · 04-20-2005, 03:11 AM

A great thread title.

The media haven't given this story any time.

I found out about her death through some blogs. I think it's terribly sad because she was over there making a positive difference, trying to make those people's lives better when they have been through so much. She was a humanitarian in the strongest sense of the world and her death, in that manner, is truly a loss.

mh67511 · 04-20-2005, 10:39 AM

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, I saw her picture on the front page of USA Today yesterday.

-Kelly- · 04-20-2005, 06:40 PM

That is so sad

In Fair Verona · 04-22-2005, 04:18 PM

I watched a news report on this and it really made me sad. It's so tragic that such things have to happen to such amazing people. I wish she could have lived longer and kept up all the good that she was doing, it's very inspirational. But, I hope that she is in peace now as well.

JW77 · 04-23-2005, 11:20 PM

Personally, I don't believe that the word 'hero' does her nearly enough justice. But at the same time, I know that nobody deserves that honor more than her. She was a great person...far better than I could ever hope to be.

At times it can be hard to push past the politics to the people that really matter, but she was able to do that. And apparently she did it very well. That seems to have been one of her many gifts. And those gifts, along with her love, will be greatly missed.

It's a shame that more people didn't know of her story before this tragedy. And it's a shame that more people weren't as concerned with what she was fighting for as we probably should've been. God knows that she could've touched more lives if she had been given our attention, and the opportunity.

I think one small thing that has come from her death has been the inspiration that she's given to other people. I know that her story and her actions have inspired me to try and be at least a little better than I was. I just hope it's enough.

From Yahoo! News...

Quote:

U.S. Activist Killed in Iraq Remembered

By BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press Writer

LAKEPORT, Calif. - An American activist who was killed by a car bomb in Iraq earlier this month was remembered Saturday for her dedication to humanitarian causes and her personal mission of counting civilian casualties of war.

Many of the more than 600 mourners, including friends, family, colleagues and journalists who traveled from around the world for her funeral, shared memories of Marla Ruzicka's boundless energy that helped her accomplish much in her 28 years.

Kevin Danaher, co-founder of San Francisco-based Global Exchange, a nonprofit international human rights organization, said Ruzicka's magic was understanding and showing unconditional love.

"That's why a 28-year-old woman from a small town in Northern California has so many people around the world grieving for her," Danaher said.

Ruzicka traveled to Iraq before the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion and later founded a group called CIVIC, the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, whose aim was to tally the number of Iraqi civilian deaths in the conflict. She was also instrumental in securing millions of dollars in aid money from the federal government for distribution in Iraq.

On April 16, she became a statistic herself when she was killed in a car bombing in Baghdad, along with her interpreter and another foreigner.

The Rev. Ted Oswald, who conducted the Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church, said it was sad that it took a tragedy to bring to light all the good Ruzicka did. Oswald said she usually accomplished things in her own quiet way, though there were exceptions.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the good Lord has his hands full right now," he said, referring to Ruzicka's sometimes outspoken nature. "Not only does he have his hands full, but heaven will never be the same."

Oswald also recounted the time when an 8-year-old Ruzicka sold rocks door-to-door to buy carnations for her mother. She even managed to get the flowers on the cheap from the florist.

The upbeat homily brought laughter from the audience, which included actor Sean Penn, who said he counted Ruzicka among his heroes, and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record).

Ruzicka's activism began in this town 350 miles north of San Francisco, where she worked at a convalescent home, helped abused children and started a girl's soccer team in high school. Eventually, it led her around the world — to parts of Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, where she often traveled in harm's way.

With passion for her cause and an unbridled capacity for having fun, she was remembered as a force of nature, a cross between Mother Teresa and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, said Quill Lawrence, a radio reporter for the British Broadcasting Corp.

Ruzicka often arrived in war-torn places unprepared and nearly broke, he said. But Lawrence said she quickly managed to win over the hearts of those she was helping and those whose help she needed.

Lawrence said Ruzicka repaid favors with her friendship, kindness and a ready smile. She organized parties, slipped heartfelt notes under the doors of friends' rooms and hugged guards at military checkpoints.

"She made me feel like I was the greatest person on earth," Lawrence told the crowd. "I have it in writing. And I know all of you do as well."

Bobby Muller, chairman of Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, said the true value of Ruzicka's work was her ability to counter people's cynicism.

"Marla demonstrated the fact that an individual can make a profound difference in this world," Muller said. "This woman was our inspiration."

But Ruzicka was not satisfied with herself, looking in the mirror each day and vowing to do better, said Catherine Philp, a friend and reporter for The Times of London. She didn't know she was already better than most people, Philp said.

Ruzicka's organization, CIVIC, is urging people to honor her memory and her cause on May 3 by holding vigils to bring attention to civilian casualties of war. Another memorial for Ruzicka is planned in Washington on May 14.


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