Does anyone remember the name Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski? No? How about the Unabomber? He lived as a recluse in the wilderness from 1971, teaching himself survival techniques. After seeing his environment destroyed by development, he sent 16 mail bombs between 1978 and 1995. Universities and airlines were among the targets. Two things have happened recently. Firstly, it has been announced that he is being investigated for the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders. Secondly, the US Marshals have put his personal effects up for sale in an online auction, the proceeds of which will go to his victims' families. Items include his hand-written manifesto, a code cypher and coded documents relating to the bombings and what appears to be possible items used in the planning of the bomings (and possibly the construction of bombs)... as well as school documents and medical records. Here is the auction: http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucindx/ Why does the US Government think it is a good idea to sell the personal effects of a terrorist, including items relating to his crime? In much of Europe, it is illegal to own or sell Nazi memorabilia, including Hitler's paintings. When they do come up for auction, many people find the sale offensive. So how is this OK?! On another note, anyone want some ex-NASA equipment? http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucitsrh/
Will result in nothing but cults. They don't give Osama a burying site for that reason but then feel free to sell merchandise to what will no doubt be fans.
wrong Cyantist. check out murderauctions Some people find strange items appealing. It's the same reason people would like Russian Launch Keys. It's just a strange thing to have, not idolization. same reason some people own shrunken heads.
That is like asking why people collect anything at all. Different people are just fascinated by different things, Some more macabre than others. As for the auctions I have to say I was surprised that they did that but they probably figured that the pros of helping the victims outweighed the cons. P.S. I don't really understand the need for those laws in Europe regarding Nazi items still existing at this point. I could understand the need at one point in time but now it just seems like running away from history. The Reich isn't coming back and I doubt the law is stopping anyone determined to get their hands on the stuff.
I think most people understand there's a big difference between bans on sales of items related to a regime that waged war on most the world, killing tens of millions of people, and selling the personal effects of one man who killed a handful of people. Besides, bans on Nazi items is only in SOME places, not everywhere, and the US is one of those places you can still buy and sell Nazi related items. So if the US won't even ban those, why do you think they would ban items from a minor serial bomber?
You'd hope so, at those prices! I see that the FBI recreated one of his bombs and it's on display in a museum somewhere. Nice way to learn bomb-making basics! The thing is, technically speaking it's a load of crap that they're selling - and they know that. Only it suddenly has value BECAUSE it was his. It's a bit sick that they'd have the foresight that it would fetch prices that actually make it worth selling. I mean, three dead and 23 injured - that's 26 victims/families to split the proceeds between. As I recall, Buddy Holly's shirts were sold at auction recently and went for I think an average of $300. Now in this case, 58 items, mostly low value items if they belonged to nobody of note. Personally, I wouldn't have thought the items would have sold for more than $200 per piece for the incidentals, more I guess for the manifesto etc. If you assumed everything sold for $200 a piece, that's less than $500 per victim. "I'm sorry you lost a hand and vision in one eye - here, have $500." That's pretty insulting! At the moment, the total is just over $90,000. A lot of money, sure. However, that would equate to just under $3,500 per victim, shared equally. Sure, a lot of money to most of us but again, a pretty insulting amount. Sure, some victims suffered less severe injuries - and some died. Is it fair to give an equal share? Is it fair to determine one is entitled to more than others? And is it fair to put a price on someone's life? I don't see how they thought that such an auction would generate enough interest to give a worthwhile donation to the victims and their families. It's just weird. Sure, it's different from the Nazi thing, but at the same time bears similarities. How would you feel if it were YOUR relative? How would you feel about items that may have had something to do with the death of your relative being auctioned off? And how much would be enough to make such a gesture not insulting?
You can learn to make a bomb online. Putting a recreation in a museum is nothing. You can find stuff to build a nuclear bomb if you want. Any money is better than no money. I wouldn't care if it was my relative or not. Its a piece of history, like it or not, and shoving it under the carpet won't make it disappear. Allowing the items to be for sale allows a piece of history to live on, possibly in a museum. I, for one, have seen parts of peoples collection of Nazi stuff, usually in regards to items that people who engaged in the war had. They serve not as an item to be worshipped, but to remember the hardships that they brought to many millions of people.
I am also of the mind that the government should not be selling the personal effects of convicted murders. A lot of this shit is evidence in his crimes, it might be needed should he ever go to trial again, for any reason. I don't have any qualms about a private party auctioning off such material, but the government shouldn't be doing it.
At least they're not taking the Ferengi route and selling vacuum dessicated discs of his corpse at auction.
valid point. most of the stuff at murder auctions is unrelated to the actual crimes. a letter from the criminal, a pen he owned (john wayne Gacy's company pen for advertising for example). etc. This is a slightly different case.
I meet a lot of crazy leftist in college, and some of them share an awful lot of things with the unabomber, specially the whole "end of civilization" and "death to technology shit" by means of arson and violence towards those involved with any industry of the kind. Then they wonder why the FBI raids their dorms now and then and take their computers (contradiction much?) to see what they are planning. So yeah they arent as "sophisticated" as nazis were, but its still a dangerous ideology and theres a lot of cultism to it. Yeah me too, maybe because in some cases they went in the exact opposite direction so checking some of their tech like those advanced vacuum tube computers is like seeing an alternate world that drastically diverged from ours. But hey considering they did that both politically and economically its no wonder their tech is the same.
I once saw an ad for the guns Charles Whitman used in the tower shooting. Can't imagine stuff like that making it out of police custody in this day and age.
Well the guy went to court to fight the FBI from selling his items. As you can see he lost the case. But I am with you Why would anyone want this stuff, and why? =Hugh
