So earlier this morning someone posted a comment on a post I made earlier about how it upsets me the Gary McKinnon is using his Aspergers as an excuse to to get away with hacking United States Military computer systems, allegedly disabling national security systems and leaving graffiti in the system during the process. I thought I would write a few words about what this person said.Chris G writes: (my comments are italicized)
I am sorry but the person that wrote this thread makes me sick to the stomach. Your comment made me very sick to my stomach, the ignorance in your comment is very upsetting to me and it makes me worry about your ability to care for your uncle. By the way I fixed your spelling of stomach.
I take care of my Uncle whom has Azbergers, and the person that wrote this has know idea on how they can be or what they are talking about. Its Aspergers, not Azbergers. Shows how much you know what your talking about huh?
My Uncle is like a child really, his concept on right or wrong can be very tainted by the illness. Simple things to us is a huuuuuuge thing to them. I’ll give you peoples concept of right and wrong in social situations is tainted at times, but to outright hack into a military computer system – disable national security systems and put in anti-american graffiti is way after someone with Aspergers would know that what they are doing is wrong.
Silly things that would normally drive me mad, like when i have him at my house he will just go and help himself to my food, he does not ask he just takes. In his mind he is hungry and he needs food. He is a 48 year old man that sits in his flat when i am not with him, playing on computer games (which are his life), all he ever does is talk about them all the time, even to other members of the family that have zero idea what he is talking about. they say “eds we don’t have a clue what your talking about lol” and he just chuckles and carries on with what he was saying. Your comparing a social situation to what someone had to spend time planning, research military systems, etc. This was pretty clearly premeditated. I don’t think your uncle goes to your house with the primary goal of emptying your fridge. As far as the computer games, perhaps you should research enabling an addiction?
They get obsessed with things, and when they do they will move heven and earth to keep that. Yes, we get obsessed with things – yes they can interfere with our lives. I had quite an obsession with Star Trek at once – did that mean I was stalking Jeri Ryan, nope – I did however have a crush on her. I would watch every marathon on Spike TV, I could name every part of every ship, I knew what deck every room was on, and I could call out when Paramount screwed up on Star Trek Technology. I even was quite good at speaking Klingon.
This lad is no different, his obsestion with UFO’s and his illness drove him to do what he did. To him he was not doing anything wrong, he wanted to know the information and he moved heven and earth to get it. Stealing milk, sitting and playing computer games all day, or watching Star Trek way too much are a different type of wrong then hacking into a military computer system, disabling key systems and then leaving files to taunt the military are a completley separate level of wrong.
The stupid Americans want to make there database more secure and also want to be thankful that it was this harmless person that did this. How do us stupid Americans know that this person is harmless? How do us stupid Americans know that he was not doing it for a terrorist organization? How do us stupid americans expect this supposedly harmless person not to say anything about how to get into the system if a gun is held to his head? I often debate in my head if I really would have a problem if the goverment locked Gary McKinnon in a room and threw away the room.
So before you go shouting your mouth off my friend, spend one day with someone with this sad illness. Your view will be changed. My friend, little do you know. I have that sad illness called Aspergers. Its really not that sad, or an illness. Its a neurological disorder that causes some challenges. Calling Aspergers an illness is like calling the female gender an illness because they have periods.
Was I To Blunt?
I’ll admit, maybe I was a little to blunt – but I really think that uisng Aspergers as an excuse for such behavior is harmful and stupid. Do I feel for this person and his uncle – yes. However this person is comparing apples and oranges here.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
*Do I feel for this person and his uncle – yes. However this person is comparing apples and oranges here.
One do you really think i want a person like you feeling for me, answer NO!!!
You want to be ashamed of yourself.
i think your a rude obnoxious self opinionated idiot.
THANK YOU!!
Nah, you’re fine.
Asperger’s can be rather disabling, as it apparently is for your comment writer’s uncle; but you didn’t get personal nor flame anybody.
The one think I think important to add is the emphasis on AS being part of a spectrum. In addition to being different from person to person, AS has a spectrum of disability too–everything from Aspies who need 24/7 care, to those who are more independent than most NTs.
However, AS by definition includes only people who used spoken language at or before their peers, and do not have a cognitive disability. The first one isn’t so important, but that lack of a cognitive disability means that anyone diagnosed with AS, by definition, is capable of understanding the concept of what a law is and how to follow one.
While an Aspie may sometimes be unaware of a law, or break one in a way that is not obvious enough to be apparent to a very concrete thinker, breaking into someone’s computer system is obviously against many laws, a fact that would be evident to anyone who used the Internet and computers enough to learn how to use them to access someone else’s data without their permission.
This was absolutely fantastic. Until recently I have not found people who thought like me, behaved like me, even wrote like me, I finally slightly less alone. The comments were absolutely idiotic and you were not too blunt at all. In fact, you eloquently broke down the paragraphs piece by piece, which is something that I would do. Round of applause!