BROTHERLY LOVE

I don't want to give you the impression that I am pro-anthrax terrorism -- as a rule, I am not, mostly -- but here are some choice quotes from alleged anthrax terrorist Dr. Bruce Ivin's beloved brother, who hadn't spoken to him in 23 years:

The workaholic Ivins' psychological seeds were sown in a strict, religious household dominated by a smothering mother, his brother told The Post... "He was a mamma's boy," said his oldest brother, Tom. Their mother turned Ivins and other brother Charles into "wussies."

[snip]

Growing up, household rules were strict. Tom remembered how he once borrowed his parents' car and failed to come home one night. His mother never let him use a car again, he said.

Family ties were strained among the children as well, and the differences between Tom and his younger brothers were stark. Tom lettered as an athlete in high school, but the younger boys, who were much closer to their mother, were forbidden from playing sports.

"When my brother went into high school, he was sheltered," Tom said.

Indeed, Bruce, a slight-framed, gawky teenager, sported dark-rimmed glasses and hit the books rather than the gridiron. He racked up academic achievements as a member of the National Honor Society and was a member in many extracurricular clubs, according to reports.

[snip]

"He had a master's degree and a Ph.D. - he thought he was a big deal," Tom Ivins said. "He had the feeling that he was lord and God and everything."

Ivins remained devoted to his mother even after he moved away to work for the Army. He fed and nursed her as she was dying of cancer in 1979, caring more for her than his own father, according to his brother.

"He was completely dedicated to her," Tom said.

He was surprised when Ivins married.

"He was a wussy, not a woman's man. He wasn't sociable. He wasn't attracted to the opposite sex. I don't know how he married that woman," he said.

Rage much, Tom? I mean, I know your parents were mean and wouldn't let you do whatever you wanted to do, but someone needs to get over himself.

You know, if Bruce Ivins had sent boorish brother Tom one of his little presents, I'm not sure anyone would have cared much.


UPDATE: It would probably help if I gave you the link to the story, right? (See pages 2 and 3.)