Gary McKinnon has Asperger's Syndrome and this is his tenth year since his arrest for computer misuse.
Janis Sharp, Gary's mum is launching the Poetic Justice For Gary campaign with the help and involvement of Liberty the Human Rights Organisation, Bell-Yard promotions and The National Autistic Society.
For more information GaryStays.co.uk
If you want to help Gary in other ways click here
This is your opportunity to write a poem or short prose to remind Gary that he has not been forgotten. A selection of the poems and prose submitted will be included in a book which will be available via Amazon and the web, and a random selection will also appear on the Liberty and other websites.
We'd like you to express what you think the last ten years have been like for Gary McKinnon since his arrest and to write a poem or short prose that demonstrates how long ten years actually is by focusing on writing about what the last 10 years have meant in your own life, and/or what you think it must be like for Gary, someone with Asperger's Syndrome, being kept in limbo in a heightened state of fear for ten years... And what the loss of ten years of your life and your youth can deprive you of.
All poems/prose should end with the added tagline “don’t let Gary go” which is a direct appeal to the British Government to keep Gary in the U.K.
Your poem/prose can be happy or sad, tragic or traumatic, inspiring or devastating, about loss or gain, depression or mental illness, or feeling alone without hope of change or of any light at the end of the tunnel.
Please read the full terms and conditions of entry but here are the important points:
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You can email your submission to submissions@poeticjustice4gary.co.uk. Optional - Please include your name, age and contact details these will not be made public.
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Hard copies can be written on any paper or card, or on a Birthday card to Gary and posted to - Poetic Justice for Gary, PO Box 468, Hatfield AL10 1FR
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Please ensure your submission is legible and write your name/details on the reverse of your poem/prose and send it to us by 10 March 2012 .
Poetic Justice for Gary
PO Box 468
Hatfield
AL10 1FR
submissions@poeticjustice4gary.co.uk
We must never allow the erosion of Civil liberties that have always been at the very core of British Justice and which brave men and women died to attain. Compassion is the mark of civilization and is exactly what distinguishes our society both from anarchy amd from tyranny