Rosenberg Was a Spy

In the Wednesday Metro Section, I read an article bout the children of the late Rosenbergs and their reaction to the news that their parents were indeed spies. The entire time I read the article, I could not stop myself from thinking what a great movie that would make. The Rosenbergs were accused of giving nuclear weapon secrets to the Soviets during the Cold War, and ultimately were executed at Sing Sing in 1953.
Recently, one of the former spies, has come forward about his involvement and the involvement of those who were accused. They have said that the boys Mother, Ethel Rosenberg was set up to be guilty, and she was actually quite innocent. Unfortunately, she suffered the same fate as her very guilty husband- execution. Morton Sorbell is the man who has come forward and changed the lives of the children of the Rosenbergs. The sons, Michael and Robert Meeropol (both were adopted after their parents death), are reacting to the news with regret. They had always tried to maintain their family's innocence and until last week that was possible.
Michael Meeropol said tht they had laways pushed their parents' innocence and that he and his brother had felt their parents were set up by the governement to "feed the cold war hysteria", but in 1975, he says that he realized that, "whatever happens it doesn't change me... the truth is more important than our political position".
Both brothers have been very successful in their lifetmes, Michale works in Springfield, Ma. as a professor and Robert is now a lawyer also in Ma. and runs an adocate prgram for children whose parents have "suffered because of their progrssive politics". The brothers said they knew their parents were communisits but that they also knew, "it's much harder to prove someone innocent than to prove them guilty".
The brothers saw their parents the day before their execution, and their 14th wedding anniversary, June 18, 1953, and Michael screamed "One more day to live" and in middle of the death house. This invoked his parents to write, "Always remember that we were innocent and could not wrong our conscience", the very next day. The bothers say they do not hold any anger towards their parents for this lie, they say, that their parents were not guilty of the crimes they were exectued for. They say that the testimony was more about their friends and the circle they were involved with. Robert says, "My parents would have to have made a bigger betrayal to avoid betraying me, and frankly I don't consider myself that important".
The story of the Rosenbergs is one I remember learning about in history class, and I remember my teachers always talking about the controversy surrounding the case. However, that controversy no longer exists, the truth has been revealed.