It's hard to hate on Hyman Strachman. He's a 92-year-old World War II veteran who was featured in The New York Times over the weekend because he's sent some 4,000 boxes full of DVDs to members of our nation's military serving overseas. Sounds like quite a mensch? Well, that and one of the world's biggest bootleggers.
Shocked you, didn't I? Now you know why he ended up in the Grey Lady. But what really shocked me is the response Strachman's DVD piracy is getting from our troops.
They adore him! Literally, he's been dubbed "a hero to soldiers."
Even though they know exactly what he's been doing in his home in New York. Kind of ... odd, don't you think? Considering our military is charged with protecting the American way of life, and here Strachman is breaking American law. Shouldn't they be angry with him? They are supposed to defend our Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. And he's a domestic threat of sorts ... albeit in a pretty tame way.
The guys who spoke out on his behalf make a good case for him. The number one request from servicemembers serving far from home is movies. It's the kind of thing that keeps them entertained when they're off duty, the kind of thing that gives them an escape from the hard work they do every day, the kind of thing that connects them to home. And the only thing they get from movie studios is old-fashioned reel-to-reel films and projectors. It's like a bad flashback to the 1970s.
I respect the heck out of what they do, and I have donated many times over to charities that send boxes to our troops. I think they deserve something better than what they get right now.
I just don't think bootlegged movies are "better." I think Strachman means well, but what he's doing is really a slap in the face for our military. They fight for us so some guy can sit in his house stealing movies and costing the government thousands in taxes that are levied on the movie industry, costing the movie industry thousands that would be fed back into the economy via their employees' paychecks?
I don't hate Hyman Strachman. But I certainly don't think he's a hero.
Is this no big deal because it's a bad thing for a good cause or something so illegal you can't look past it?
Image via bizmac/Flickr
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Comments 50
If you have never had a service member beg for things in a care package you cant really understand. I have sent some things that would have been questionable, but not illegal. I agree with Tracy l Caruso about this. If the the Gov't / hollywood really thought about it they are the cause of this particular issue. I know Service members who bring huge external HD with every movie imaginable so they can share with their fellow troops. and if someone wants a copy of it, it is made. Are we really going to hunt these guys down and charge them due to the fact they have NO access to the movies they desire? If the movie studios were so worried about bootleg copies going to our troops they would make sure that movies were available either via camp/base exchanges or make it easier for them to be purchased online. An example is Amazon and their complete lack of ability in getting my service member anything while he was deployed.
Bootlegging is making copies for profit. I admire this veteran because he cares enough to give his all. If he was selling them to our troops, that would be a crime. The movie industry would rather the movies sit on the shelf and those that don't sell, go to the discount bin at Walmart. If the soldiers could be home to buy those movies, I'm sure they would, but they're not. I would like to know how much taxes we are talking about that would bankrupt the government? If this was wide spread I can see where there might be a problem, but a 92 yr old veteran? Maybe they should ask if they can help distribute the movies as a good-will gesture.