Expert Fears Violence in U.S. Is Going to Get Worse
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, 1\i y 3 3 17V Expert Fears Violence in U.S. Is Going to Get Worse By WILLIAM K. STEVENS George Metesky, the "mad takes out his grudges against of the old - time anarchists A psychiatric specialist in the bomber" who planted 47 bombs society." whose anger and frustrations study of violence said yester- in public places in the city be- "When you examine a person brought about a bomb-throwing day he saw in the current wave tween 1940 and 1956. who has been fabricating reign of terror. in late 19th- A New York City bombings the Metesky, now in a mental bombs, you almost always find century Europe, he added. People who share such char- )nset of a period of American hospital, was diagnosed as a a frustrated, almost helpless in- paranoid schizophrenic, and dividual, he said. "It doesn't acteristics "have any uncanny aeo-anarchisman era of "group tendency to seek out people of therefore a psychotic, Dr. happen just like that. It takes violence" based on a collective a long time in development." their' own make," he said, "and .:onsciousness of society's ills, Abrahamsen said. "But these fired by individual feelings Because there has been no there you get conspiracies." 3ut people who throw bombs don't fundamental change in the The similarity between assas- A loss and hurt. necessarily have to be psy- "And I'm afraid it's going to character of American society, sins, political arsonists and chotically insane," he added. Dr. Abrahamsen continued, bombers, Dr. Abrahamsen ex- let worse," Dr. David Abraham- "They' may merely be highly many present-day radicals have ;on said in an interview in his plained, is "that they want to c dissatisfied persons with a now become desperate. "And annihilate a symbol of what )ffice-apartment on Fifth Ave- grudge against society?' so through bomb and threats aue at 85th Street. As he spoke, they hate, and they want to c buildings farther downtown Metesky's specific grudge they are now attempting to show that they have power over were being evacuated because was against the Consolidated turn over our society," he. said, people." A bomb threats. Edison Company, his one-time "almost like anarchy." Arab terrorists who bombed employer, which he felt had The bombers "are using The bomb-planters of 1970 the passenger terminal of El p tufts, frustrations and grudges hurt him personally by failing desperate aim, which reflects to compensate him properly Ai, 'the Israeli airline, in Athens igainst society that inspired their own desperate attitude,' last November killing a, boy and r. the deeds of Nazis, old-time when he was accidentally he said. '"They are hostile and gassed while in the company's injuring 15 other persons, share a anarchists and Presidential as- fearful, and having been funda- S service. mentally threatened, they this urge to kill off the. symbol sassins, Dr. Abrahamson sug- —in this instance, "whatever is gested. The fundamental grudge of threaten others." today's politically oriented Further, Dr. Abrahamsen ex- stands for Israel—be it an air- Dr. Abrahamsen is the -ie author of "Our Violent Society," bombers, who may or may not plained, the.bomb-planter most plane of an air terminal," 1 a study of American violence be psychotic, is directed against likely hasn't made his mark in said. published last Jan. 28. He society at large, Dr. Abraham- the world, but badly wants to. What makes one political testified on political assassina- sen said. Bombing, he suggester, is a malcontent pick assassination, tion before the National Com- This grudge, he went on, way to call attention to himself. another arson, another bomb- mission on Violence and serves grows out of something per- Similar Pychology ing? as an overseer of the Lemberg sonal—"some hurt, some loss, "We don't know the answer," Center for the Study of disharmony in the family, disap- "And so while his inner con- Dr. Abrahamsen said. "It all Violence at Brandeis University. pointments, _personal grudges." flict is personalized, he directs has to do with the milieu, the Somehow, Dr. Abrahamsen his aggressions at society to timing, what happened in the Metesky Case Recalled said, the bomber "twists his displace his anger," he said. person's early life, his person- In the late nineteen-fifties, he own personality conflicts into In this there is much of the ality reactions." The vehement carried out a court-instituted believing something is wrong psychology both of the men anti-military, - anti-industrial psychological examination of with society, and therefore he who made the Nazi party, and1 stance'of the radical left might have something to do with the choice of bombs in New York today, he added, since the vio- lence is "more directed to the establishments in society, in contrast to hitting the Presi- dent." , any event, he said, the politics of Violence is an expres- sion of "the most violent and Primitive emotion — revenge; here, revenge against society." 'We live in a climate of vio- lence in America," he added, "and where you have a climate of violence, everything goes." The New York 'Rules (by Edward Hausner) ' AT GENERAL TELEPHONE BUILDING: A plumber surveying damage on 21st floor before starting to make repairs t THE NEW YORE 71MES, FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1970 e The New York Times 4.17I4enin • AT SOCONY MOBIL BUILDING: A policeman views bomb damage through holle in ceiling .