Since Kaczynski had a motive, or manifesto that he wanted to promote, it is interesting to note that he was so successful at not being caught. Often time domestic terrorists are quite bold, and willing to get caught as long as their message is delivered to a large amount of people. Most often domestic terrorists hold right-leaning beliefs, and Kaczynski is no exception (Chase, 2000). His thoughts and anger toward the leftists helped propel him through the UNIBOMBER campaign, and gave him the fuel to both write a manifesto as well as carry out attacks against other U.S. citizens. The familiarity with other citizens also makes the UNIBOMBER case quite chilling, since it is tough for many people to consider the fact that another American is bombing his own countrymen.
Domestic terrorism is often overlooked as one of the most common forms of terror inflicted on U.S. soil. Today, most people consider terrorists to be of international origin, and often have stereotypes about their ethnicity, age, and social background. Many people have the idealize picture of a terrorist in their head when the topic of domestic terrorism is brought up. Terrorists do not only exist in foreign countries, and are not often as easily identifiable or definable as they have been in recent years, with the War on Terror and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. It is important to remember that domestic terrorists often represent more of a danger to society because they can often inflict heavy casualties without raising too much suspicion. They also do not have to worry about things that international terrorists often do like getting into the country and gaining access to a target as well as the language and cultural barriers that might prevent them from successfully carrying out an attack.
Domestic terrorists will likely always be a part of the social fabric of every country. The only way to fight against them is through education...
Kaczynski was very well educated, but he lacked the critical understanding and mental aptitude to understand his own illness. Those around him, including his brother David, were reluctant to raise their voice and notify even the FBI that their brother was likely
suffering from some form of derangement or
mental illness, and that he had the motive and the means to carry out such attacks. Proper medical treatment can also go a long way in helping people who may be prone to carrying out acts of domestic terrorism. But in the end, just as with
international terrorism, there is no true way to predict or prevent these types of
attack (Comey, 2009). They come as part of life in a very large society like that found in the U.S.
Kaczynski is regarded as one of the most infamous domestic terrorists ever. The FBI manhunt, combined with the fact that Kaczynski himself was so successful at both carrying out his attacks as well as remaining hidden, helped to create a national fervor over the UNIBOMBER case. The psychological terror that Kaczynski inflicted upon the nation will likely not be soon forgot. The idea that a bomb could be sent via mail, completely anonymously, triggered bouts of national hysteria and discomfort during the later years of the FBI manhunt. People were afraid they would become the next targets of the UNIBOMBER, since many of the victims felt they were relatively anonymous.
Works Cited
Chase, Alston. (2000). "Harvard and the Making of the Unabomber." The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/06/chase.htm. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
Comey, James B. (2009). Fighting Terrorism and Preserving Civil Liberties. University of Richmond Press: Richmond, VA.
"Interview with Ted Kaczynski, Administrative Maximum Facility
Prison, Florence, Colorado, USA." Earth First
Journal, June 1999.
Kaczynski, Theodore. (2005) the Unabomber Manifesto: Industrial Society and Its Future. Oxford Press: New York, NY.
