The Unabomber Is Pissed

Ted Kaczynski was/is a prolific writer. Now, 40,000 pages of his insane ramblings are to be auctioned off, along with other personal possessions, and the money given to his victims. He has sued to block the sale.

This moose's knee-jerk reaction was, "Cool. That shit ought to fetch a lot of money, and there's nothing wrong with trying to compensate people for their suffering."

Then I stroked my massive dong for a few minutes, and pondered further. And I decided it's not such a hot idea after all.

I mean certainly, the Unabomber shouldn't get to profit from his crimes by selling the writings and other items and pocketing the money himself. But that wasn't ever a solution that was under consideration.

So hey, sell the shit and give the money to the victims. Why not?

Um, mostly because, think about the creepy fuckers who would want to own a piece of Ted Kaczynski memorabilia. He's a cult hero amongst anarchist nut-jobs. They wouldn't be buying the items for a glimpse into the mind of a madman, but rather in celebration of his twisted genius.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it, any more than I see anything wrong with the sale and collecting of Nazi memoribilia. I might feel differently, however, if one of my people had been a victim of the Unabomber. I'd feel like I wouldn't want a bunch of gloomy-looking anxious anarchists tossing off while reading the seventeenth draft of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto.

But hey, maybe that's just me.

A side issue is that I'm not sure it's right to sell a man's personal correspondence, no matter what he's done. The letters you exchange with your family and friends ought not to be made public until all parties involved are dead, unless said parties unanimously consent to it.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the law doesn't see it my way. But selling private letters for everyone to read and gawk at is just... unseemly.

Problem is, if the items aren't sold, they will revert back to Mr. Kaczynski, ostensibly a bad thing. Other options that have been suggested are that everything be destroyed, or sealed for a hundred years and then turned over to seeeeeeerious scholars.

Well, sorry, but no mater what you think about ol' Teddy, shit-canning his work is the wrong way to go. Besides the fact that his diatribes are legitimate fodder for study, if you REEEEEALLY want the odd lots and broken sizes to go all ga-ga for him, start a fuckin' huge bonfire using his work, and watch what happens.

"See? SEE?!?!" they will yell. "He was so important that THE GOVERNMENT SILENCED HIM!"

*cue ominous music*

Duh da duh dunnnnnnn...

There is another option, one that seems to be unpopular mostly because the 'Bomber himself suggested it. If the writings and other items revert to him, he cannot sell them. So he proposes to donate the manuscripts, diaries, and other rantings and ravings, to a library, perhaps the one that already has a collection of his work.

It really is a good solution, as it keeps the whackos at bay, doesn't give the Unabomber any any PR, protects the privacy of his family, and allows for study of what went into making him tick.

Ah, yes. It's a good idea. Therefore there is no way in hell it will ever be implemented.

(I like the word "implement." Do you like the word "implement"?)

Anyway, check back in two years, and I'm sure all this will be settled. Meanwhile, I'm going to go back to pondering while I palpate my penis.

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