Another grieving parent knows why Bush fears a face to face meeting

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Mon, 22 Aug 2005 14:05:04 -0500

Another grieving parent knows why Bush fears a face to face

meeting

 

 

 

 

Another grieving parent knows why Bush fears a face to face meeting

08/18/2005

 

Delaware peace activists rallied Wednesday at Rodney Square to show

their support for Cindy Sheehan, the grieving mother who has camped

outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, hoping for a

meeting with the commander-in-chief.

 

A few people held anti-war signs; several stood holding a banner they

asked passers-by to sign before it's shipped to Texas as a symbol of

support. Most hustled by without stopping, but hundreds listened to

the message before scrawling their signatures with Sharpies. A few

even made rude comments before blending into the crowd.

 

The gathering might have drawn more attention if Cindy Sheehan had

been there. Those who paused long enough, though, learned that one

protester -- a graying, sober-looking man holding a sign with a

picture of his son -- probably knows better than anyone else in

America what Sheehan is going through, as both a grieving parent and

an irritant to those who support the war in Iraq.

 

Michael S. Berg's son Nick was the young man whose beheading by

terrorists in Iraq in May 2004 galvanized the nation. Though Casey

Sheehan served in the Army and while Nick Berg was in Iraq as a

private contractor looking for work rebuilding the country, both Cindy

Sheehan and Michael Berg were opposed to the war before their sons

were killed, and became more committed to that stance afterward. I

wondered what Michael Berg might say to Cindy Sheehan about his year

as an anti-war activist.

 

For the most part, Berg said, even those who disagree with his

anti-war activism treat him with kindness and compassion. " I often had

people stop me on the street to offer condolences, and a

disproportionate number were Muslims, " he said. " Many said, 'Please

don't condemn Islam, Islam doesn't preach this, this is just a small

number of fanatics.' "

 

The amount of media attention prompted the retired schoolteacher and

his wife to move to Wilmington from their home near West Chester, Pa.

 

" The worst thing that happened was last June in Washington, D.C. There

was a rally in front of the White House, then another in front of

[Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld's house, where there was a

counter-protest. "

 

A prominent banner included a gory picture taken from the video of the

beheading, Berg said. " It read, 'Michael Berg is a coward and Nick

Berg was a ... I never saw what it said, because when a friend saw me

reading it, he tackled me to the ground. "

 

Like Casey Sheehan, Nick Berg was in Iraq willingly, and believed in

the mission of rebuilding the country. In Michael Berg's view, " Nick

was there because he believed the lies George Bush told him.

Unfortunately, Nick never lived long enough to hear the truth.

 

" Before my son died, I was against the war, " he said. " I went to

rallies and vigils, but it wasn't the focus of my life. When I heard

my son was dead, I regretted that it hadn't been. "

 

As for Bush's refusal to explain to Sheehan why the deaths of

Americans in Iraq are a noble cause, Berg said he's not surprised. " It

shows he's afraid of her, " he said, adding that he knows why:

 

" What answer can he give to Cindy Sheehan? What answer can he give to me? "

 

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050818/NEWS08/5081803\

60/1001/NEWS

 

Al Mascitti's weblog, First Statements, appears at

www.delawareonline.com. Contact him at 324-2866 or

amascitti.