A warning.

The unauthorized taking of data of a private citizen of the United States of America (no matter where that data is kept) isn’t funny, harmless, low key mischief, or altruistic in any sense. It’s a violation of privacy, an intrusion into a life that’s not yours.

It’s a kind of rape — it’s violent, and (like all rapists) the perpetrator is a small and pathetic loser who can’t succeed in authentic living. You can only steal, kill and destroy, because you can’t make life — you can only take life — by stealing and threatening and being small and petty. Nobody likes you. Deal with it, and grow up.

If you want a different life, repent and make one. Each person must learn that hell is of their own making — the gates of hells are locked from the inside. If you want friends, make friends.

Be warned. You are no Snowden, no Assange, no hero.

You are not fighting tyranny of government. You’re not “sticking it to the man,” righting wrongs, or acting in the public interest.

You’re simply plundering The People, strip-mining the populace, pillaging the pastoral. You are a pirate, and you will be dealt with as such.

The disquietude of your conduct is irksome and will be met with by intense lawful, appropriate force, by a band of compatriots.

Not every person, not every state, will take data theft laying down. The violence of data theft will be met with by violent reaction. Don’t say you didn’t know. Don’t say you were never warned. Don’t be an idiot.

Civil and criminal penalties to redress the theft of data (brought by government and/or by or on behalf of individuals) are available in EVERY state of the Union — more so in some states than others, but are available in every state. Remedies exist at common law, are statutory, and are provided for by regulation. Remedies are both of recent enactment and are ancient in nature.

One little example, out of thousands:

“Any person who . . . knowingly obtains . . . information with the intent to appropriate . . . information to [] own use or to the use of another, who steals or discloses to an unauthorized person . . . without authority, makes or causes to be made a copy of . . . information

commits theft . . .

‘Copy’ means any facsimile, replica, photograph, sound recording, magnetic or electronic recording, or other reproduction of a [] record and any note, drawing, or sketch of or from a [] record

Theft of . . . information is a class 6 felony.”

§ 18-4-412, Colorado Revised Statutes.

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"You've got to ask yourself a question: 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"