Campfire scene from “An American Life: The Journey from Violence to Hope” featuring Gary Wright, David Kaczynski, Bill Babbitt and Bud Welch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDvbUoxn9Lk
Gary Wright (victim of the Unabomber): Brotherhood steps way beyond bloodlines. And I think in our country, the last real hardcore group of guys that really understood that were Vietnam guys.
David Kaczynski: I learned that in the campaign to try to save Manny’s life, because I had a student deferment, I didn’t have to worry about going to Vietnam. So it’s part of my generation’s experience that I only had the smallest little piece of it. I knew more about what I read in the newspaper in Time magazine than I’d ever heard from anybody’s own mouth. And to see those guys come up for Manning and just saying, ‘we’re here, he’s one of our own, we wouldn’t think of not being here.’
Bill Babbitt (turned brother Manny in to police): That’s very powerful. That’s very powerful.
David Kaczynski: That’s very, very powerful.
Bill Babbitt: It’s nice that we did not have to walk this walk alone. That’s why we’re so fortunate. That’s what a brother is. A brother is that person who walks that walk with you.
Bud Welch (daughter killed in Oklahoma City Bombing): [shares a weary smile with Bill.]
Gary Wright: You really, really put it on the line in the face of things that are not popular, because Bud’s done it, Bill’s done it, you’ve done it, and I’ve done it, because I know that our opinion is not always popular.
David Kaczynski: Sometimes it just takes understanding that you haven’t received the sign yet. You don’t know where things are going. And maybe faith for me is waiting to see. see how it develops, you know. Because when you’re really in need, when you’re hurting emotionally, you want the answer, and the answer may happen, and it might just not be. When Ted’s trial, I was saying, well, maybe this is the end of it. And then, you know, like I’m still thinking, maybe it’s just going to be over, you know, behind me, you know, but it’s never behind me. It seems to, the path gets wider somehow, and I’m thinking maybe I can retire in a few years.
Gary Wright: I think when you’re retired, they’re still going to drag you back, buddy. I don’t think you have to worry about that. You do too good of work. I mean, you start combining all of this whole piece of history here. And you know what? We’re part of the biggest parts of American history.