This is the tale of one man, two countries, extradition, criminality and morality...oh, and a protest song.
Once upon a time there was a British Citizen named Gary McKinnon. He had a great talent for hacking into computers; he also believed that the US Government was keeping secrets. He believed that the US Government had information about UFOs and he wanted it. Instead of switching on the television and watching the X-Files, he switched on his computer and hacked into various US agencies. In doing so, he has earned himself a place in the unofficial record books, by "committing the biggest military computer hack of all time". I do not seek to excuse his actions; hacking is wrong and he shouldn't have done it. Did he endanger lives? No. Did he highlight vulnerabilities in the US Government's computer systems? Yes. We can only be grateful that it was Gary McKinnon and not a terrorist or unfriendly government.
Anyway, a couple of years later, the US Government sought to extradite him under a new extradition treaty signed with the UK. Avoiding legalese, this treaty allows the US Government to ask for a British Citizen to be extradited to the States and, essentially, after a brief court appearance and a signature from the Home Secretary, the British Government will pop them on the next flight. In Gary's case, the process has been successfully delayed by a very clever legal team making a series of applications, however the initial decision to extradite him was fairly unchallengeable in law.
Don't worry though, if you are a US Citizen then the British Government still needs to make a case against you, with evidence, before you win your free trip. Apparently, you are protected by your government and constitution...
Now Gary McKinnon isn't just a UFO-obsessed computer hacker, he also suffers from a form of autism known as 'Asperger's Syndrome'. This goes some way to explain his obsessive behaviour. It also means he is a vulnerable person; if he is extradited, tried, convicted and imprisoned in the US, his mental health may decline and be permanently damaged. The extradition alone could trigger psychosis or suicide.
There are two serious injustices in this case. The Extradition Treaty is flawed. It was entered into after September 11, without any real Parliamentary debate, on the pretext of assisting with the extradition of terrorists to the USA. Gary McKinnon is not a terrorist. Moreover there is no reason why Gary McKinnon couldn't be tried and imprisoned in the UK. In terms of his mental health, it means his family will be close to him. His
mum should be credited for organising the campaign against his extradition.
Why am I posting this on a musical review website? There is a protest song! Well, to be more precise, there is a cover of a protest song ('Chicago - We can change the world' by Grahman Nash). And it isn't the greatest protest song in the world. We are not talking Bob Dylan's Hurricane, but then I cannot remember the last time I heard a decent protest song. It features David Gilmour, Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde & Gary McKinnon. You can buy it at
Free Gary McKinnon. The song is 'a plea to Barack Obama to come from Chicago, to help Change the World and to allow Gary McKinnon to have his life back'. You decide how much you are willing to pay for the song and the money is then donated to the Free Gary Campaign.
I know most of the readers of
W♥M are based in the USA and by now you be thinking either 'Vu stop Ryan from posting on this site' or 'What can I do?'. Well, there is something you can do! Complain to Vu (about me) or complain to Obama (about Gary's extradition).
Gary McKinnon has lost of all hope of the British Government stopping this and now needs your help. He needs you to write to your President, your congressman or your senator. He needs you to campaign for the extradition proceedings to be halted and for him to be tried in the UK. If you are minded to take such an action then check out his
website.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Ryan
August 1, 2009 14:00 Ryan my♥posts 
freegary.org.uk
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