What's so sad is that Nick Berg was a passionate believer in the cause of democracy and human rights in Iraq, and risked his life knowing he could die in that cause.

Yes, that is true, it is sad. No one is talking about the good deeds I'm sure he performed during his short time in Iraq and in his lifetime.

I hope I can convey how I feel here, properly.

Here, you had a young man (Nick) who believed in the cause of what was being done over in Iraq. He wanted to help, and did so. Catching an interview with Berg's father before his death, it was obvious that Mr. Berg did not share the same view as his son. Fine.

From my point of view, Mr. Berg is not honoring Nick by using this opportunity to exploit his own view of the war and the administration (and the operative word here is exploit). He certainly is entitled to his opinion of the war (a gift his son was helping the Iraqis acquire) - and, God, I can not begin to understand what it is like to have your son's head chopped off - he must be so devistated and livid.

However, (and I thought about this for some time); if I were to die, I would want my family to respect my values and opinions and not use my demise to speak out publicly against them.

Charles Johnson (Little Green Footballs) has more:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=11106_Bergs_Dad_Dishonors_His_Son

"People ask me why I focus on putting the blame for my son?s tragic and atrocious end on the Bush administration. They ask: "Don't you blame the five men who killed him?? I have answered that I blame them no more or less than the Bush administration, but I am wrong: I am sure, knowing my son, that somewhere during their association with him these men became aware of what an extraordinary man my son was. I take comfort that when they did the awful thing they did, they weren't quite as in to it as they might have been. I am sure that they came to admire him.

I am sure that the one who wielded the knife felt Nick's breath on his hand and knew that he had a real human being there. I am sure that the others looked into my son's eyes and got at least a glimmer of what the rest of the world sees. And I am sure that these murderers, for just a brief moment, did not like what they were doing.

George Bush never looked into my son's eyes. George Bush doesn't know my son, and he is the worse for it. George Bush, though a father himself, cannot feel my pain, or that of my family, or of the world that grieves for Nick, because he is a policymaker, and he doesn't have to bear the consequences of his acts. George Bush can see neither the heart of Nick nor that of the American people, let alone that of the Iraqi people his policies are killing daily.

Donald Rumsfeld said that he took responsibility for the sexual abuse of Iraqi prisoners. How could he take that responsibility when there was no consequence? Nick took the consequences."

Now, I've heard just about everything. Bottom of the pit. (if it _has_ a bottom!)

I'm sure those nice boys who flew those planes into the twin towers made an effort to go back into the cabin to feel a minute of pity for *their* victims too.

It is indeed scary that so many people in this country just have no clue how much these terrorists *DON'T* care about human life - and how they want to bar-b-que every last ONE of us. They are true barbarians. Unfortunately, a crowd like this cannot be reasoned with.

I do believe there is good in everyone. It is sickening that this group of people were able to be molded into remorseless homocidal mad-men (on a good day). It seems good was snuffed out in them long ago.

Just to be clear on this: I hope nobody thinks I was _agreeing_ with that spiel I quoted. As I said at the end, it's the bottom of the bottomless pit as far as I can see. I'm glad that wasn't _my_ dad, that's for damn sure! I'd rather have a dad that got drunk and came home and beat me up every night than have a dad like that!