Michael Berg
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Michael Berg, a retired teacher and antiwar activist, ran for Congress in the state of Delaware on the Green Party ticket in the 2006 midterm elections. He is most well-known as the father of Nick Berg, one of the first American civilians to be abducted and executed by insurgents in Iraq.
Michael Berg was born in Philadelphia on March 3, 1945. Berg earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and a teaching certificate at Bucknell University in 1967, and a master’s degree in education from Temple University in 1969.
Berg, a longtime antiwar activist, was involved in the protests against the Vietnam War beginning in 1965. According to his website, http://bergforcongress.us, "In 1991, when the United States invaded Iraq in the Gulf War, Berg intensified his protest activities despite reprimands from his school's administrator. He has protested the current administration's invasion of Iraq as well, organizing local marches, protests, and vigils and traveling to Washington, D.C."
Berg's son Nick, a telecommunications contractor, was detained in Iraq for thirteen days in March 2004 by U.S. military and the FBI. After his release, and in the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib revelations, Nick was abducted and murdered on May 7, 2004. A video of his decapitation was posted on the Internet, leading to international media coverage of Michael, his family, and his antiwar stance.
Since the day his son Nick was killed in Iraq, Berg has repeatedly demanded answers from the American government. Berg has blamed George W. Bush and Donald H. Rumsfeld for killing his son, not Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. [1] [2] [3] Berg claims that his son's death was the fault of President George W. Bush.[4]
In August 2004, he was presented with the Courageous Resister Award at New York University.[5] A year later he received the Adele Dwyer St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award.[6] In 2005, Berg moved from Chester County, Pennsylvania, to Wilmington, Delaware, where he registered as a member of the Green Party. According to Democracy Now!, he said he was approached by representatives of the Democratic Party but will run with the Green Party because: "the Democrats have the money to get the message out, but they have the wrong message."[7]
Following the June 2006 killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Berg stated that he mourns the recent death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, former leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, as he would the death of any man.[4]
In the 2006 race for Delaware's at-large congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives, Berg ran as the Green Party candidate. He challenged incumbent Michael N. Castle of the Republican Party, along with Dennis Spivack of the Democratic Party, and Karen M. Hartley-Nagle of the Independent Party. Castle was reelected with 57% of the total vote. According to his campaign website, Berg received 4,463 votes or 1.8% of the total vote.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The following link was formerly but is no longer available: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-06-08T122308Z_01_N08295664_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-ZARQAWI-BERG.xml
- ^ Soledad O'Brien. "Beheaded man's father: Revenge breeds revenge" (Interview), CNN, June 8, 2006. Retrieved on September 13, 2006.
- ^ Scott Whitlock (June 8, 2006). All Three Cable Networks Featured Nick Berg's Dad, Who Compared Bush to Zarqawi (Blog). NewsBusters.org. Retrieved on September 13, 2006.
- ^ a b Marie Therese (June 9, 2006). FOX News Interview #2: Michael Berg Speaks His Truth. Two Minutes Is All FOX Hosts Can Take (Blog). News Hounds. Retrieved on September 13, 2006.
- ^ Unconventional Heroes: An Evening of Performance to Honor Courageous Resisters. Refuse & Resist (2006). Retrieved on September 13, 2006.
- ^ Center for Peace and Justice Education. Villanova University (January 24, 2006). Retrieved on September 13, 2006.
- ^ Michael Berg Announces Congressional Run. Headlines for March 30, 2006. Democracy Now! (March 30, 2006). Retrieved on September 13, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Al-Zarqawi's Death is No Cause for Rejoicing,by Michael Berg, Minnesota Star Tribune, June 9, 2006. "...every time we kill anyone, we are creating a large number of people who are going to want vengeance. And, you know, when are we ever going to learn that that doesn't work?"
- Berg for Congress
[edit] See also
- Nick Berg Michael Berg's son
- Delaware congressional election, 2006
