BY SHANE GALIS Ted Kaczynski

“The Unabomber”

Background Born May 22 nd 1942 in Chicago, Illinois Oldest Child of a Polish Couple  Parents were Wanda and Theodore Kaczynski Isolated for a considerable amount of time as a baby due to hives  Parents noted that he had a change in personality His parents pushed him hard academically  Skipped two grades  Graduated Harvard  Studied and taught at the University of Michigan  Doctoral Degree from UM in 1967  Taught at the University of California Berkley, but resigned in 1969

Crimes CrimeDateVictim(s)Punishment 12 Bomb-Related counts May 25, 1978 – December 10, 1994 Killed two people, wounded 23 Suspected 1 Bomb-related count April 24, 1995Killed Timber Lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray 4 Life Terms

Most Recent Crime – April Sacramento, CA Kaczynski mailed a bomb to former California Forestation Association President, William Denison.  Opened by latter president Gilbert B. Murray The package created a very powerful explosion, killing Murray, severely damaging the building, and shattering the windows. Bomb described as the size of a shoebox Gilbert B. Murray

Unabomber Bomb Kaczynski's Bomb Designs Evidence

The found over 40,000 journal writings that described each of the crimes Also found one live bomb that was about to be mailed They found bomb making materials in the cabin he was arrested in Evidence

Sentence Arrested by FBI Agents on April 3 rd, 1996 Charged and plead guilty with 13 “Federal bomb- related charges” Avoided the death penalty, but received 4 life sentences instead

Sociological Theory Anomie theory perfectly explains Kaczynski’s deviance. One of the ways of adapting to conflicting goals according to anomie theory is rebelling against society. Quoting sociologist Robert Merton, those who rebel against society “seek to establish a new social order and embrace a different cultural goal [than the dominant culture].” Ted Kaczynski’s bombing campaign was a means of, in his mind, sparking a revolution that would destroy the industrial world. He wanted to establish a new world order, which in his mind would better serve humanity than the current system. Kaczynski sought goals of independence and autonomy. He felt that his life would be more fulfilling if he did not adhere to mainstream society’s goals of material wealth and social acceptance. Yet he found that living independently was impossible, even in the wilderness of Montana: the forest around him was slowly being destroyed by logging and human development, and the government was beginning to force him off his land. The only way he thought he could reach his goals was to resort to terrorism and try to cause a revolution against the establishment he so deeply hated.

Quote “Rebellion against technology and civilization is real rebellion, a real attack on the values of the existing system.”

Cultural REferences Unabomber: The True Story (1996) The Net: The Unabomber, LSD and the Internet

Sources ber/29229.stm ber/29229.stm