Do Individual People Matter In The Grand Scheme?

I was deeply saddened on hearing the news that Gary McKinnon was refused the right to appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision to extradite him to the US where he faces up to 60 years in maximum security prison for hacking into US military and NASA computers in 2001 and 2002.

Gary has a form of autism known as Asperger's Syndrome and claims he was looking for evidence of UFOs but the USA say he caused half a million pounds of damage and crippled vital security systems just after 9/11.

Gary is a very vulnerable young man who could easily fall victim to psychosis and suicidal tendencies if he is forced to stand trial in the States where he will have none of the support systems and familiarity he so desperately needs to be able to function, yet our government have agreed to hand Glasgow born Gary over.

Gary has not asked to be 'let off'. Simply to be tried in this country where he has his family and support systems around him that he needs to be able to get through each day. Yet a panel of judges has refused him the right to appeal to the new UK Supreme Court because his case does not raise "points of law of general importance". What is more important than this?

Gary's mum, Janis Sharp said after the hearing: "No other country in the world would so readily offer its citizens to the US as a sacrificial lamb to safeguard a 'special political relationship'. To use my desperately vulnerable son in this way is despicable, immoral and devoid of humanity."

Gary is simply one individual. One vulnerable young man. Are his rights being sacrificed for the greater good of the majority? Maybe. But how can we justify this? I cannot accept that the rights of the individual don't matter. If the rights of one don't count, then none of us count. I would argue that respecting, honouring and protecting the rights of the individual says "You matter" instead of "I matter" and in this way we connect,........ and ultimately "We all matter".

I hope that someone who can change this decision will decide that Gary matters.