No joke, the kid who guessed that famous Wasilla person (and former half-term governor) Sarah Palin was from “Wasilla” is now facing up to 20 years in prison for doing so. It seems Sarah Palin had a Yahoo! address, and used the security question: “What high school did you attend.” After literally zero research, David Kernell guessed “Wasilla High,” and had access to Palin’s email. Yes, the governor of Alaska’s email was that easy to hack. Is that even considered hacking — figuring out a rube’s password?
Meh, apparently it is, and now Kernell is probably headed to the slammer. Palin put the whole situation in perspective on facebook, of course.
My family and I are thankful that the jury thoroughly and carefully weighed the evidence and issued a just verdict. Besides the obvious invasion of privacy and security concerns surrounding this issue, many of us are concerned about the integrity of our country’s political elections. America’s elections depend upon fair competition. Violating the law, or simply invading someone’s privacy for political gain, has long been repugnant to Americans’ sense of fair play. As Watergate taught us, we rightfully reject illegally breaking into candidates’ private communications for political intrigue in an attempt to derail an election.
Right, because no one knew that breaking into candidates’ communications was bad before Nixon. That said, is it fair to compare some stupid kid guessing a retard’s password hint to a break-in of Democratic Party headquarters that the President of the United States knew about? Of course not. But hey, shock of shocks, Sarah Palin has no perspective on life or history.
Let us not forget that she also has no perspective on legality. While yes, it was bad of a 20-year-old college student to figure out her easily-figured-out password, one thing that shouldn’t be forgotten is that because of that intrusion, we learned that Palin was using her personal email to illegally conduct government business. From Harper’s:
The Justice Department seems to be setting one of its amazing new rules. When a Republican political figure is damaged in her expectation of being elected to office, it is telling us, that’s a felony. And why is that the case here? Because the hacker helped establish something important: Sarah Palin has been systematically violating the Open Records Act. As David Corn has noted at Mother Jones, Palin relied heavily on private email accounts for improper purposes. As governor of Alaska, she was obligated to maintain as public records her communications with respect to her discharge of official duties. Palin skirted this obligation by turning to private email accounts for government related dealings. In fact, the hacker in question helped flush out Palin’s violations. The hacker also helped establish a motive for the illegal conduct: Palin regularly involved her husband in official business, and it’s easy to understand why she did not want to leave behind evidence of her husband’s involvement.
We also learned from Watergate that when government officials do illegal things, they’re usually punished. Sarah Palin is a famous rich celebrity now, though, so perhaps the rules just don’t apply to her. We’re still hoping they do.
20 years in prison! Oh brother. That’s ridiculous. The only thing this youngster is guilty of is his own curiosity. And who really cares about that wanta-be? You are right! Ignorant people do!
Your argument is like saying a thief that steals something out of your car is innocent and your guilty for leaving your car unlocked. Liberal reasoning at its best.
Hey Dan – go fuck yourself.
+1
Translation: “I’m not smart enough to actually refute your argument, so I’m going to toss profanity at you instead. I’m such a badass!”
You don’t think you’d deserve any blame if you left your car unlocked and someone stole things out of it? Would YOU do that? Would YOU leave your car unlocked? Of course you wouldn’t; that’d just be negligent. It doesn’t make it right to break into the car or into the email, but geez, we’re taking basic security steps here.
That said, of course the kid did something wrong. He shouldn’t have been snooping around for a way into her emails, and he sure shouldn’t have posted them online. He should be punished. But really, does he deserve 20 years because he was smart enough to figure out that Palin went to Wasilla High?
Palin’s great at playing the victim card, and now’s no different. Look at her comparing a kid hacking her emails to freakin’ Watergate. It’s ridiculous. She’d do us all a favor if she just went back to Alaska and spent the rest of her life enjoying the $12 million she’s made off suckering other morons in the past year.
I think the article clearly states that he wasn’t in the right. However, let’s look at the major issue here. The one that affects us all. Political officials breaking the law. I agree with David, go fuck yourself.
Yes, having the common sense to lock your car if you don’t want items stolen from it…Liberal reasoning at it’s best. I’d hate to know what conservative reasoning is according to you.
So lets say someone broke into your car and found a 50 pounds of blow. Does that make you innocent of drug trafficking and possession, because your car got broken into?
No…i’m pretty sure it is the person’s fault who left their car unlocked. Actually, if someone is that stupid (like Palin is…), they DESERVE for it to happen to them. Don’t defend the idiots of the world. Let them die of their own stupidity.
…Social Darwinism at its best
No, Dan, what it’s SAYING is that she’s a well known Politician, how /hard/ is it for someone to figure out where she went to high school? Not, effin’ very. In fact, it’s not hard to find out where ANYONE went to high school, and anyone with an ounce of sense (that this woman OBVIOUSLY doesn’t possess), and who is keeping evidence of illegal activities in their email, know that you never answer password retrieval questions correctly. If they question is “What high school did you attend?” You answer something like, “Her name was Lola.” You get the idea. Sarah Palin is a moron, simple as, a moron who thinks she’s a politician, and gives a bad name to women.
But, you know, if you like your children force fed religion, women forced to give birth to children they don’t want, the further depletion of natural resources, and the extinction of endangered species, go ahead and like Palin. And, if you want someone who doesn’t understand basic history, and thinks that seeing Russia out of her window (which she can’t in the first place) means she understand world politics in office, vote for her in 2012. Personally, I’ll be keeping far away from that mess.
dan – You’re an idiot. Yes, it’s “you’re,” not “your.” Please go back to elementary school, if you aren’t still stuck there. Your analogy is shit. Josh is saying people should be punished for illegal things even if we found it out by dubious means. You simply likened that to an innocent victim being punished for failing to not be robbed (illegal). It’s also assuming that in the event the criminal found a chopped up body in the car they were robbing, the victim shouldn’t be charged with murder since the robber shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Herp derp tea bags.
I can’t say that I wouldn’t be pissed if someone hacked Obama’s or another Dem’s email account, but if they were doing something illegal, then it would matter for people to know. 20 years time is bullshit.
Palin’s just trying to get the sweat off of her activities. Poor kid. Shouldn’t have been snooping, but since he was, they should at least take his findings as payment for his “crime.” No, I don’t like people digging in my email, either, but if I want something kept secret, I won’t leave it on THE FRIKKIN’ INTERNET. Email included.
He should have raped her… would’ve had to serve less time.
So true, nicely put!
The sentence is ridiculous, as is her damn stupid analogy. But the thing is, our whole freedom from illegal search and seizure kind of protects Sarah from any repercussions based on what was in the e-mail, because no one had a right or warrant to check it out.
It’s like if the cops bust into your place looking for pot, but find coke, they can’t bust you for the coke if it isn’t included in the warrant.
I don’t know the p’s and q’s of how this applies to someone who isn’t a law officer finding it, but I imagine it would be pretty tough to use it as evidence.
Now, would it be hard to get a warrant to check out/ask her for said questionable e-mails, and then find them officially? Not anymore, no
.
Hey Dan–
Go fuck yourself.
You guys amaze me attacking Dan calling him the idiot. Your just Typical ,probably, liberal punks who don’t get it. The point is to punish people who, illegally, hack into people’s computers or email accounts that are private and try to ruin there lives & reputations. Just like the scumbags who send out viruses on the network and sabotaging people computers costing them hundreds of dollars for fun or because they hate Microsoft. I know the punishment is extreme but it needs to be too stop scum for doing such evil acts ever again. But nice come back Josh using the analogy if I leave my car unlocked and it gets pillaged that its our fault and not the thief. WOW!! This is what our country has become. Blame everyone else and no accountability anymore. And Bif(nice name) you are right if he had raped her he would have gotten less thanks to our liberal Judicial system that protects the scum who have more rights than the victims. But in all its quite simple if you think about it instead of blaming her because of her political affiliation. Wake up America!
“Just like the scumbags who send out viruses on the network and sabotaging people computers costing them hundreds of dollars for fun or because they hate Microsoft. I know the punishment is extreme but it needs to be too stop scum for doing such evil acts ever again.”
There is a big difference between putting the time and effort into creating a complex program specifically for the purpose of infecting a computer, or stealing personal/financial information and guessing the simple password hint of a political icon. If you think these two acts should be punished equally, then you should seriously consider reflecting on your value system.
I agree that the unlocked car analogy is stupid. How can typing a few characters on a keyboard, reading some text, and publishing it be compared to walking down the street, physically checking to see if a car door is unlocked, opening it up, rifling through and stealing the persons stuff? It just doesn’t make sense.
For a political figure like Sarah Palin, having such an unsecured email address is like a normal person losing their credit card and not bothering to ever cancel it. Eventually someone will manage to screw you.
Yeah, that analogy wasn’t actually mine, Ricardo. If you’d take a second, you’d see it came from the person I was responding to. More importantly, I didn’t say having your car broken into would be your fault and not the thief’s.
My point — again — is that in that situation or in Palin’s situation, you can’t afford to be negligent or just straight cold dumb. She should’ve been much more careful than to have an easily-figured-out password hint, especially considering she was running for VP and was using her personal email for government work.
Thieves and hackers put in a lot of work and effort to take things. People like Palin and folks who leave their doors unlocked do them a favor when they act like fools.
I hope the kid gets the 20 year maximum sentence.
Maybe it might get through to the true retards posting on this article who don’t quite understand our system of laws and punishments that go with breaking those laws.
First of all if you start calling people “retards” for expressing an opinion different to yours, no one is going to take you seriously. This kid should get a year or two probation and 100-200 hours of community service to be completed within 1 year of the conviction.
Also how do you feel about Palin’s violation of the law and what do you think should be done?
I applaud the kid and I thank him for revealing how much of an idiot this possible future VP/Pres was/is.
That said: The law is what it is like or not and what he did was illegal. He should be held accountable to the law no matter how great the “service” he did for his country.
Do I think he should get 20 years? Absolutely not. The punishment should fit the crime at all times, otherwise it is not justice that is being done but rather vengeance, which Kevin and many of his other tea bagger buffoons are clamoring for.
Yet, even if I was sitting in that kids shoes and I got the maximum. I’d wear the verdict like a badge of honor. I would say to myself: “I did what I had to do to protect my fellow American from a complete idiot from being a feint heartbeat away from running and ruining my country.”
I’d have no regrets or apologies.
On the flip side this kid was no “government agent” anything he revealed through his illegal activities is not subject to the protections of illegal search and seizure. She should be in a court room also facing (weather civil or criminal I’m not sure) charges for her illegal activities as well. The law is what it is and there should be no exceptions for anyone. Though, I am an idealist when it comes to the functioning of law and this land’s legal system causes many exceptions. So what “should” and what “actually” happens are often two very different things.
(P.S. I am not a liberal)
Seems to me a slap on the wrist – like a warning and some public service time – would more than suffice. Palin’s a public figure, and she should have known better than to leave her emails so vulnerable. As a governor – back when she was a person with actual responsibilities – she could have put her state at risk with idiot moves like improper passwording. The kid’s “crime” didn’t amount to much more than a prank.
On the other hand, you could throw him into a high-security federal prison with the guy from Gizmodo who committed crimes against humanity by showing us a lost iPhone.
I think 20 years is way to much time for snooping .
What about the Palin daughter that got on the stand and told how scared she was—people calling her on her cell phone, but wait—–she had her cell phone takin away from her during this trial. And what about all those FBI men that were stationed in front of the house???? WOW—I would be soooooo scared that someone was going to bust thru the door. And then the mother—-who used a yahoo acct for Gov business—–what about that? Should she be charged????
Things just don’t add up as far as I am concerned.
We are all supposed to forgive the Palins for all of their sins, but as far as other children——OH WeLL—What the Hell!!!!!
The author of this piece makes it sound like the kid has already been sentenced: “[he]…is now facing up to 20 years in prison…”
Truth of the matter from the linked website: “Judge Thomas Phillips has discretion in sentencing, but the maximum possible would be one year on one conviction and 20 years on the other.”
I am from the Knoxville area, and have followed this case on the local news. The public sentiment is that he will most likely receive a heavy fine and probation. That being said, I do hope that the punishment is severe enough to discourage other “pranksters” from committing similar offenses, no matter how easy the prey is.
In addition, I hope that Sarah Palin’s 15 minutes of fame will soon come to an end.
Regards
[...] Tenn. kid guilty of guessing moron’s email password hint No joke, the kid who guessed that famous Wasilla person (and former half-term governor) Sarah Palin was from [...] [...]
couldn’t he just use the old bush adminsitration mantra – “I accept full responsiblity” – and go on his merry way (like they did?)
palin is a serious contender for “most worthless person alive”, competing mostly with the people who support her, but stupidity isn’t illegal, and what the kid did, was.
The only moron here is the person who wrote this article. ‘Fraid I have zero respect for nose-pickers who sit at their computers downgrading other people who try to make a difference in their State or country instead of surfing for porn and people they can criticize.
Grow up kid!!!
Right, Sarah Palin did quite a job “making a difference for her state” when she quit halfway through her four-year term to go make money for herself.
Oh, and what is it again that you were doing this morning? Surfing for porn an dpeople you could criticize? Hmmm.
Oh, ‘scuse me…just noticed you’re an old-timer. You ought to know better gramps!!!
@Dan
No, a thief is not innocent for stealing from your unlocked car. Yes, in some places you are also guilty of leaving your car unlocked and face a fine for doing so.
This is because being stupid causes inefficiency due to others needing to clean up the messes stupidity leaves in its wake. It is not really liberal reasoning, unless you consider the police and insurance companies to be bastions of liberal thinking.
Sure, this guy probably shouldn’t of gone on her email. But, if you were in his shoes, who the hell wouldn’t? This is Sarah Palin we’re talking about. One of the dumbest political figures out there, and you just got a chance to browse through her emails. I could murder someone and get less than 20 years. Fuck this country.
If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime!
Bring the lube and don’t pick up that soap, boy
Let’s defense all those poor guys that rob us, they are just prankters!
I hardly think it is fair to blame Palin for having an insecure password, and want to exonerate Kernell. Sure, there’s a big difference between hacking an email and breaking into the Democratic Party headquarters, but that’s not to say that what Kernell did is by any means acceptable.
If you put the shoe on the other foot and if some kid found out Obama’s email password (it is “NoBirthCertificate”) and snooped through his emails, you would hear these same elitist sanctimonious liberals screaming for the death penalty for the kid because he committed a hate crime. This kid broke the law. He knew it was illegal and did it anyway. That in most sane people’s book qualifies him as a criminal. He is nothing but a creepy electronic peeping tom to most of us. To the Democrats he is a hero. Add that to supporting illegal immigrants, the mosque at Ground Zero, a moronic healthcare reform law, more and more and more and more stimulus, and a president who is totally clueless.