Do you think Gary Mckinnon should face charges

[Missy86]

He got caught and if he didnt get caught who is to say he wouldnt of done some serious damage!!

He deleted critical files from operating systems, which shut down the US Army’s Military District of Washington network of 2,000 computers for 24 hours <<< Think it says it all really.

He still deserves a jail term like I said 70 years is a bit much but he should go to America, it was their system he hacked, why should he be tried here.. He could have done some serious damage if he wasnt caught. Regardless of whether he knew but had a compulsion to keep doing it it could have been a lot worse if they didnt catch him..

Laura we share a lot of the same views

 

[Laura2919]

He got caught and if he didnt get caught who is to say he wouldnt of done some serious damage!!

He deleted critical files from operating systems, which shut down the US Army’s Military District of Washington network of 2,000 computers for 24 hours <<< Think it says it all really.

He still deserves a jail term like I said 70 years is a bit much but he should go to America, it was their system he hacked, why should he be tried here.. He could have done some serious damage if he wasnt caught. Regardless of whether he knew but had a compulsion to keep doing it it could have been a lot worse if they didnt catch him..

Laura we share a lot of the same views

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

^ Yes, it is an excuse. People with autism have huge issues with what is socially acceptable and also have obsessive behaviour and get totally obsessed with certain interests or hobbies. His brain doesn't work like ours does so I don't think it's fair to punish him on the same level we would be.

Exactly. He wouldn't see the harm, if he DIDN'T mean harm, he wont understand why others could think he does. Does this make sense?

I have searched various things before and you do get linked to site after site after site, obv he got into higher security ones but still, 70yrs is far to extreme.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

My MIL is a teacher who works with children with these issues, they still know right and wrong

I do agree that being sent to America is extreme but I still think he should be punished

I am a teacher who has worked with many children on the Autistic Spectrum. While they may know right from wrong, the nature of obsession means that they will not be able to stop themselves from doing it anyway.

Fair enough if you believe that he has to serve time but 70 years in jail in the States? Really? The avereage sentence for rape in the UK is 8 years and for manslaughter it is 7. 70 years for Gary McKinnon doesn't feel slightly disproportionate to you?

I agree, also "knowing right from wrong" is not something I would say about a child with ASD.

 

[Laura2919]

70 years isnt the actual disagreement being all have said we think 70 years is a bit much.. But he should be given a jail term because he could have done a lot worse had he not been caught. He should also be tried in America, it was their systems he hacked!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Well this is why I skydived out of a plane and I will never give up campaigning for autism awareness as people just dont have a clue.

 

[Laura2919]

Well this is why I skydived out of a plane and I will never give up campaigning for autism awareness as people just dont have a clue.

So because he is autistic he shouldnt be prosecuted? Is that what your trying to say?

I, along with a few others have said 70 years is a bit much but he should still face a jail term. Whats wrong with that?

 

[Nibblenic]

So because he is autistic he shouldnt be prosecuted? Is that what your trying to say?

I think the legal system in the UK and America is baised on knowing right from wrong. You do something wrong you face the punishemnt if you are caught.

You choose to break the law as you can reasonably say that the Law applies to you and you understand that breaking the law would result in punishment.

I think what MF is saying that the system doesnt 'work' for people who do not understand right from wrong and people who do not understand action and consoquence

 

[Laura2919]

So because he is autistic he shouldnt be prosecuted? Is that what your trying to say?

I think the legal system in the UK and America is baised on knowing right from wrong. You do something wrong you face the punishemnt if you are caught.

You choose to break the law as you can reasonably say that the Law applies to you and you understand that breaking the law would result in punishment.

I think what MF is saying that the system doesnt 'work' for people who do not understand right from wrong and people who do not understand action and consoquence

How should it work then? Your either tried for the crime or your not so if I as Midnight Fairy said 'dont have a clue, help me out cos I am struggling to see that she didnt mean he shouldnt be tried, we ALL agree 70 years is a long time but why shouldnt he serve a smaller term? and why should this country be the ones to punish him, its not our systems he hacked.

 

[Thaynes]

I personally think he should be brought to America because he didn't hack the UK government system he hacked a US government system. It was US tax money that had to pay for the damage he caused. The law or atleast the people on the jury will take his condition into account I believe, or atleast I would. Honesty the only thing that I think should happen is that he should not be allowed to ever have access to a computer.

 

[Nibblenic]

The people I know with this condition are a bit off but they definitely know right from wrong.

There is a huge spectrum of autism. I think this statement is incorrect.

I think he meant no harm and he caused no harm. I think a punishment like never allowing him to have a PC again would be fitting and enough

 

[indy and lara]

I personally think he should be brought to America because he didn't hack the UK government system he hacked a US government system. It was US tax money that had to pay for the damage he caused. The law or atleast the people on the jury will take his condition into account I believe, or atleast I would. Honesty the only thing that I think should happen is that he should not be allowed to ever have access to a computer. The people I know with this condition are a bit off but they definitely know right from wrong.

Please don't use language like this to describe people on the Autustic Spectrum. It is very insulting. It is most likely that Gary McKinnon will attempt to take his own life if imprisoned or will suffer the type of breakdown which will result in him becoming catatonic. I fail to see how this outcome fits his crime.
One of the main features of ASD is taking things completely literally. For Gary McKinnon he probably knew he should not have hacked the system. However, he believes that the US government are covering up what they know, so they are the ones in the wrong and he is showing this by finding the information and disclosing it. People with ASD do not see the world the way you or I do. It is a hugely misunderstood condition.

 

[Thaynes]

Edited my post. For my good friend with this condition it is the best way to describe him. It wasn't an insult to all people with the condition it was the best way to describe my friend, no need to act like I said something horrible.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Thinking how other people will perceive things is either very hard or impossible for someone with ASD.

 

[Laura2919]

The people I know with this condition are a bit off but they definitely know right from wrong.

There is a huge spectrum of autism. I think this statement is incorrect.

I think he meant no harm and he caused no harm. I think a punishment like never allowing him to have a PC again would be fitting and enough

I also think your statement is incorrect... You said he meant no harm and he caused no harm.. I dont think $700,000 is no harm

 

[Nibblenic]

The people I know with this condition are a bit off but they definitely know right from wrong.

There is a huge spectrum of autism. I think this statement is incorrect.

I think he meant no harm and he caused no harm. I think a punishment like never allowing him to have a PC again would be fitting and enough

I also think your statement is incorrect... You said he meant no harm and he caused no harm.. I dont think $700,000 is no harm

Sorry I dont deem costing money to a goverment as causing harm. I think you can only cause harm to a individual or group, to something that is alive.

If it is a matter of him causing cost. I dont see how putting him in prision will help this. In the UK i costs 40k a year per prisoner to keep them in jail. I would imagine the USA would have a similar cost per prisoner per year. Which just adds more cost of his actions to the goverment. IF it is about the cost to the Usa goverment/country surely yuo dont want to be paying for his jail time aswell

 

[Laura2919]

The people I know with this condition are a bit off but they definitely know right from wrong.

There is a huge spectrum of autism. I think this statement is incorrect.

I think he meant no harm and he caused no harm. I think a punishment like never allowing him to have a PC again would be fitting and enough

I also think your statement is incorrect... You said he meant no harm and he caused no harm.. I dont think $700,000 is no harm

Sorry I dont deem costing money to a goverment as causing harm. I think you can only cause harm to a individual or group, to something that is alive.

If it is a matter of him causing cost. I dont see how putting him in prision will help this. In the UK i costs 40k a year per prisoner to keep them in jail. I would imagine the USA would have a similar cost per prisoner per year. Which just adds more cost of his actions to the goverment. IF it is about the cost to the Usa goverment/country surely yuo dont want to be paying for his jail time aswell

We shouldnt be paying for anything for this man, his crime was against the US Government so the UK shouldnt have to put him in prison, he should be sent to America.

I do see the cost as harm, he could have also done a lot worse. The cost of prison doesnt even come into it. Everyone in there committed a crime and yes it costs money but they are paying for the crime the committed.

Basically it boils down to the fact he is autistic and doesnt know right from wrong so he shouldnt face jail, to some without working for American Government you wouldnt know the detail of the damage he caused let alone the damage he could of caused. Maybe it would be different. I also dont know the full extent as I dont think its been said in detail but why shouldnt he face a jail time..

 

[Blah11]

$700k to usa government is pocket change anyway. the defense budget alone is $1.415 TRILLION.

 

[Laura2919]

$700k to usa government is pocket change anyway. the defense budget alone is $1.415 TRILLION.

Its still money and he still committed a crime!

 

[Nibblenic]

$700k to usa government is pocket change anyway. the defense budget alone is $1.415 TRILLION.

Its still money and he still committed a crime!

If your 2 year old took something off the self in asda and the first person to notice was the security guard as youd left. Do you think they should be prosicuted for stealing? They comited a crime yes?

Obviously you wouldnt because they dont undersatnd that it is wrong or a crime. They saw something they wanted and took it because that is how they think.

I dont think this is really any different just on a bigger scale