From: Baines, Thomas B. (tbainesANL.GOV)
Date: Mon Apr 02 2001 - 10:21:01 CDT

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This debate about Mitnick is intersting, not because of the specific case,
but because it is part of a trend that I find disturbing. Whenever someone
engages in antisocial behavior these days;, the rush is on to find a
*"cause" that precludes personal responsibility on the part of the
individual or those who were ahcarge with this or her care and feeding while
in the development years. My wife, who is a Psychiatric Social Worker, says
that I am something of an old fart, so my statements must be taken in that
vein.

I reached puberty and the discovery of some interest in science and
technology in the 1950's. At that time, the
ohmagod-the-Russians-have-Sputnik-so-our-way-of-life-is-threatened feaver
was running rampant throught he land, and everyone looked to science for a
cure. I later studied engineering and went into military aviation. I
suspect that, had I been born 30 or so years later I would have gone into
computer science when the
ohmagod-the-internet-has-changed-everything-and-nothing-my-parents-thought-i
s-true-anymore virus struck. I was a tech-geek, but I also had a life. I
built ham radios, servo-controlled devices, and computers. A pal and I
built a quite interesting digital computer to do statistical calculations
out of junk parts from his father's juke box and pinball company. I also
played football, build rods (custom cars for the unaware) and chased girls.
I have two stepsons who are also technically inclined. One is a research
engineer, and the other is in applied medical devices. My daughter is a
landscape architect (of the combined civil engineering and aesthetics
school). They all seem to have arrived at the same conclusions about
personal responsibilty that I did: it is wrong to use your technical skills
to do something unethical or illegal. You can't blame your horific parents,
the chemicals that you were exposed to in utero, or Western Society.
Antisocial behavior is not forgivable as a disease. Even if it stems from
something truly awful such as abuse or neglect, it is only explainable, not
forgivable. I am aware of the code of forgivness extant in most major
religeons, and I am a practicing member of one of them, BUT! If you choose
to predicate your behavior on the premise that, because you can do
something, you must be allowed to do so, you must be prepared to accept the
consequences qwhen someone says "Hey! That's my domain, and I didn't invite
you in." As for those who break into websites to commit defacing or other
vandalism, I would like to see them barred from ever working in a job that
gives them acccess to computers for 12 to 25 years. That's what we do with
burglars with regard to the tools of burglary, which may include things that
one would otherwise use in a socially productive way.

Screw the psychobabel. Let's bring back public flogging!

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