A Tale Of Two Brothers

by Christopher Brauchli

David has led a modest life. He was employed, when he demonstrated what kind of stuff he was made of, as an assistant director for a program that provides shelter to youths in Schenectady, New York. He led a quiet, probably ordinary life until he made an extraordinary discovery.

David's brother is Theodore Kaczynski. Although no one knew it at the time, Theodore was the man called the "Unabomber." Theodore was responsible for killing 3 people and severely injuring two others in a series of mail bomb attacks that began on December 11, 1985 and ended on April 24, 1995.

On September 19, 1995, the Washington Post and New York Times jointly published the Unabomber's 35,000-word manifesto entitled "Industrial Society and Its Future" in return for the Unabomber's promise to stop his attacks. David read the manifesto. It troubled him because it was similar to ideas and thoughts Theodore had expressed in conversations the brothers had had and writings he had received from his brother. Knowing of the evils wrought by the Unabomber he did what he knew he must do.

David contacted a lawyer-friend and through his friend contacted the FBI and agreed to meet with their agents. As a result Theodore Kaczynski was arrested, tried and is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. David received a $1 million reward for having turned in his brother. He paid $215,000 income taxes, $250,000 to the lawyer who helped him work with federal officials and gave the rest to a fund for the victims of crimes of paranoid schizophrenics like his brother. Book and movie royalties, if any, he will donate to victims of the bombing.

Like David, Billy had a bad apple in his family -- crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger. Whitey is wanted in Massachusetts for 19 murders and additional racketeering charges. Whitey has eluded authorities since he fled in 1995 after someone warned him of a pending federal racketeering indictment. No one knows where he is except maybe Billy. And Billy won't say.

According to Grand Jury testimony that was reported by the Boston Globe on December 3, 2002, Billy said he had received a call from his brother shortly after he fled Boston in January 1995. According to the testimony that was leaked to the Globe, Billy said: "I do have an honest loyalty to my brother and I care about him. I don't feel an obligation to help everyone to catch him."

Billy is a very important man. He has very important friends. William F. Weld, former governor of Massachusetts said that Billy is "a man of honesty, integrity, compassion, and strong character." He knows because he worked with Billy on Beacon Hill where Billy, whose full name is William Bulger, served as president of the Massachusetts Senate for 17 years.

From the Senate, Billy entered the same field as David, working with young people. He became the president of the University of Massachusetts where he earns $309,000 and, in addition, is responsible for the education of young people. He leads by example. Here is the example he most recently set.

Subpoenaed to appear before the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform, his attorney asked to have his appearance postponed or to let him testify in private. He was embarrassed to have to testify about what he knew in a public forum. In a separate action his attorney asked a federal judge to extend the immunity from prosecution Billy had when he appeared before the federal grand jury lest his testimony before the Committee accidentally cause him to be charged with a crime. His requests were denied.

The good news is that Whitey is probably not murdering people anymore. The bad news is he's still at large. Billy won't do anything to help change that. His attorney explained why. William Bulger, said he: "has tried to do his best with a family matter that few of us would envy. . . . My client feels a brother's love, and he bears a brother's ache. He imagines a brotherly relationship where much would have been different but lives with what is." So did David.