Hi allI don’t usually do forward emails, but this situation is desperate, and if enough people see this email and send a simple text message, maybe we can make a difference.The message that follows is from the mother of Gary McKinnon – if you read it you will understand why I am passing it on. I hope that you will do the same.Best wishes for 2010Claire a twitter campaigner
Hi, I’m writing in relation to the plight of my son Gary McKinnon who has been fighting extradition to America for eight traumatic years.
Despite having done everything I can possibly think of to ensure that Gary is not extradited….I need help…. before it’s too late.
Gary has Asperger’s Syndrome and was searching for information on UFO’s and free energy. When he discovered that there were no passwords or firewalls on thousands of U.S military machines, he left cyber messages telling them their security was extremely poor and almost non-existent. Gary has always been prepared to be tried in Britain, his own country, and to receive an appropriate sentence for what he did – but extradition is totally disproportionate for a non-violent crime and the sixty years maximum sentence that American prosecutors said they would try to attain is terrifying.
Before a court decision or extradition can take place I’m asking people to please help my son Gary McKinnon by texting the word GARY to 65000 now and asking at least ten other people to do the same . If each person that texts asks at least ten others to do likewise and forwards this email to as many people as they can, then the sheer numbers of people texting and supporting Gary, should ensure that in an election year our government has to listen and that compassion and common sense will prevail.
The Text4Gary campaign is purely to demonstrate to the Government the level of support for Gary to be kept and tried in the U.K.. STD rates apply and no profit is made.
Since the very beginning my campaign to keep my son in the U.K has depended soley on the compassion and good heartedness of people that believe in fighting for Justice.
The Text4Gary campaign is powered by the essence of people power and will end on the 1st February 2010. Your help can save my son Gary’s life.
We are all links in a chain for good and I am so grateful to everyone for their help
Many Thanks & Very Best Wishes
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon’s Mum)
from the campaign website…
Time is running out for Gary McKinnon as he nears the end of legal challenges in the UK courts.
The text petition, spearheaded by Janis Sharp, Gary’s mum, and key supporters, urges voters to text the word Gary to 65000, by way of demonstrating their support. (standard rates apply) Evidence of petitioner numbers will be sent on a regular basis to the Home Secretary, as well as to the Conservative & Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretaries in this, an election year.
The ambition is two-fold, first to give voters an opportunity to directly manifest their frustration at a lack of protection for vulnerable UK citizens such as Gary, and second to encourage the main political parties to reform our imbalanced extradition arrangements as part of their manifesto pledges.
Any British Citizen can be Extradited to America without any evidence being presented on a mere suspicion.
THIS HAS TO END
The Campaign to halt Gary’s extradition has been supported by a growing number of people as well as organisations such as the National Autistic Society and Liberty, and Staffordshire adults autistic society.
He is also backed by a wide number of cross-party politicians:
David Cameron MP, Nick Clegg MP, Chris Grayling MP, Chris Huhne MP, James Brokenshire MP, David Burrowes MP, Mayor Boris Johnson, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Keith Vaz MP, Charles Kennedy MP, Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Kate Hoey MP, David Blunkett MP, Andrew MacKinley MP, Lord Carlile QC, Vince Cable MP, Simon Hughes MP, Norman Baker MP, David Davis MP, David Davies MP, Michael Meacher MP, Tim Loughton MP, Peter Kilfoyle MP, Lord Morris of Manchester, Lord Clement-Jones of Clapham, Alan Simpson MP, Tom Watson MP, among others
and other high profile individuals:
Sarah Brown, Trudie Styler, Sting, David Gilmour, Julie Christie, Peter Gabriel, Keith Duffey, Emma Nobel, Terry Waite CBE, Tony Benn, Nick Hornby, Barry Norman, Jilly Cooper, Trevor Baylis, Dr Dawn Heather, Professor Baron-Cohen, Nadine Stavonina, Peter Howson, Dr. Liz Nelson OBE, Richard Madeley, Jonathan Ross, Stephen Fry and Duncan Bannatyne