[Essay Today] Unabomber (Unabomber)

On March 3, 2007, the American newsweekly Time selected twenty-five "Crimes of the Century." This special feature was planned to mark the 75th anniversary of the "Lindbergh Kidnapping Case." The Lindbergh kidnapping case involved the abduction and murder of the son of American aviation hero Charles Lindbergh in Highfields, New Jersey, on March 1, 1932. Time also included the 1911 theft of the "Mona Lisa" from the Louvre Museum in France, the 1994 trial of football star O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife, the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, and the 1999 Columbine High School shooting where two students killed thirteen people on campus.

The list did not omit the bombing terror attacks committed by mathematical genius Theodore John Kaczynski, a Harvard graduate. From May 27, 1978, to April 1995, over 17 years, Kaczynski sent sixteen mail bombs that killed three people and injured twenty-nine. Because his attacks focused on universities and airports, he was dubbed the "Unabomber."

Kaczynski was born today in 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He entered Harvard University’s mathematics department at sixteen and graduated at twenty. After earning a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Michigan, he became an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, at twenty-five. However, he resigned after two years. In 1973, he moved into a cabin in the forests of Montana, living alone and isolated from civilization for about five years. He began his mail bomb terror attacks in 1978.

In 1995, Kaczynski proposed to stop his attacks if The Washington Post and The New York Times published his manifesto. Following decisions by the newspapers, the Attorney General, and the FBI director, Kaczynski’s "Declaration" was published across eight pages on September 19, 1995. The manifesto, spanning over 35,000 characters, contained a passionate anti-science and anti-technology message. Kaczynski argued that revolution was the only way to overcome the ills of modern industrial society. "A continuous compromise between technology and freedom is impossible because technology is a far more powerful social force."

Kaczynski was arrested on April 3, 1996. The FBI found the typewriter and diaries used to write the manifesto in his cabin. The tip came from his brother, David Kaczynski, who recognized the manifesto’s themes and style as similar to his brother’s. In a statement sent to U.S. News & World Report on November 17, David said, "I reported my brother to prevent further loss of life," but also expressed sorrow over the government’s plan to seek the death penalty for him.

The trial began on November 12, 1997, at the Sacramento Federal District Court. Kaczynski faced ten charges, including murder. He opposed his defense team’s attempt to use insanity as a legal strategy and presented his arguments rationally during the trial. On May 4, 1998, the federal court sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole. In his final statement, Kaczynski accused the U.S. government of lying about his anti-technology philosophy and vowed to reveal the truth about the Unabomber case in the future.

Kaczynski wrote extensively both before his capture and while incarcerated. His arguments were similar to those in his published manifesto. Although the U.S. government tried to block publication, the federal court upheld freedom of the press. Consequently, his book was published, with all royalties directed to compensation for victims and their families.

Heo Jin-seok, poet and professor at Korea National Sport University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.