92 year old WWII vet bootlegs 300,000 DVDs and sends them to American soldiers in Afghanastan

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Um....if he was going to spent that much time and money on a gift, couldn't he have spent it on something legal? I'm sure $30k can buy the soldiers something awesome they would greatly appreciate without breaking the law, which I'm sure they wouldn't want him doing on their behalf anyway.

And this will probably be unpopular but I don't like the idea of someone being able to break the law just because of their age and because it was nice. Sure he wanted to do something cool for the soldiers but he didn't have to commit a crime just to do it. The fact that he did means he should be punished, how much is for the courts to say but it wouldn't be right for him to go 100% scot-free for this.

Community service would give him something to keep occupied now that he's out of the DVD burning hobby with the troops coming home. Maybe something working with other veterans or possibly a youth center setting up AV equipment (for an old guy he seems pretty sharp with the tech). The guy is 90+ and I don't see jail time in with hardened criminals as appropriate for this "offense" really. A hefty fine might put him in poverty for the last years of his life too. So, yeah okay if they give him some probation/community service just to acknowledge that "it's not okay to break the law just because you're doing something nice for people by doing it" then fine - otherwise I'm pretty sure there will be protests and very unpleasant PR firestorms for whatever multi-media hollywood conglomerate decides to get their panties in a twist.

 

[manaman]

Being a former member of the US military I have to ask:

What the heck are they doing over there now? Maybe it was different being on an Air Force base, but there where hundreds of hours of movies, music, and games available on the networks while I was deployed and that was years ago. Maybe they started cracking down on the rampant piracy going on, but I really doubt that.

 

[Xangba]

I don't see why people think soldiers deserve such special treatment. They get paid over there, they aren't saints or something. And being a WWII veteran doesn't really give him leave to break the law.

Note: I am not attacking you, just hoping to give some perspective as you don't seem to have a very decent opinion of soldiers. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I joined the Marines straight out of high school, got medically discharged, and still have contact with all of the guys still in. The military is hard. These are people that knowingly are putting their life at risk in a hostile environment. Few supporters claim they are saints, especially me, but it is a conscious decision to voluntarily risk your own life for years. I've had to listen to a pacifist in the area tell me how horrible I am. I see news reports of moronic idiots giving the military a bad name, because the damn media can never say "_______ did this" it's always "Marine (or Army, or whatever other service branch) did this" because associating it with the entire group sells better, and believe me those morons are hated by the members of the military probably more so than everyone else (same issues with police, equally infuriating). Personally I volunteered because I wanted to actually offer something to the country, and the funny thing is that's the reasoning for all the other guys in my D.E.P. (minus two, hated both and was sorely disappointed when they graduated) and a majority of ones I met while serving. A lot enjoy the idea of being the protector of your home. We're just crazy people who asked to be able to risk our life for some crap pay and decent benefits. By the way, not a whole lot of us ask to be put on a pedestal, but a lot of people see offering your life as praiseworthy and worth recognition.

P.S. Those other under appreciated jobs you mentioned, like sewer cleaners, yeah I highly appreciate them as well. I'd rather go back to Parris Island than do their jobs.

Suddenly realized I have yet to comment on the OT: Good intentions and act, though not handled the best way as this forum shows.

 

[accipitre]

I swear, I feel like half the people in this thread would have had Robin Hood hanged.

I must be ignorant of the story where Robin Hood steals from the rich and gives to the people who weren't really being victimized by these particular rich people, just for their entertainment.

I have a feeling you're one of those people that doesn't complain about DLC abuse and supports the MPAA for wanting to make people buy new copies of a movie when they want it on a different medium.

And if not, I seriously don't know what your deal is.

 

[Warforger]

Because sweatshop workers aren't generally in danger of being shot or blown up.

They're jobs are about as dangerous though is my point. Besides, sweatshop workers often don't have much of a choice when going in, if a soldier goes to war it's usually because he had a choice thus he knew that he might die if he did.

Also, nice job attacking soldiers with unsubstantiated claims. TIL all US soldiers murder and rape, and everyone gets away with it. Nice one bro, but please save it for less civil forums... I doubt DrMegaNutz up there with the Rainbow Dash avatar appreciates being called a rapist.

Um do you know what "many" means? Keep in mind I don't hate the military and I would never say all soldiers do commit crimes, what I do hate is the unhealthy overbearing patriotism that soldiers do no wrong and the terrible justification for the job people seem to have. It's stuff like that that keeps people from addressing the more pressing issues like I said.

 

[bipolarpatient93]

what he did was right, he broke the law thats all he did wrong, but what he was doing was right.

 

[bipolarpatient93]

also not everyone in the military signs up to got to war some sign up for a degree as a medic mechanic or even a cook when suddenly the head shed needs more rifleman and you're the lucky one who goes from kitchen to afganistan, and who would you complain to?

 

[backinthepresentfuture]

bravo. damn fine! i'm glad at least a 92 year old man is doing something right in this crappy world

 

[Phisi]

I have to agree with the article, the MPAA could have easily done what that guy did and received all the goodwill will but didn't because it'd be bad for business. While I don't think soldiering is the most important job or the most honorable it certainly is close. Soldiers offer their life to their country and I can't blame them if the war is unjust because they have no say in the matter, they are just told to ship out, it could have been a just war against murderous evil-doers and they would be the first ones there to protect innocents with their lives. The MPAA doesn't have case here I think, anything they do will turn the public against them because they would be going against someone the public admires. All what they can do is apologise for being out of touch and promising to do the exact same thing he did.

 

[lacktheknack]

This hurts me inside.

On the one hand, I have great respect for soldiers. Because they actually actively risk their lives for our safety, we isn't something the binman does.

On the other hand, I'm a flaming anti-pirate.

Wat do?

 

[drosalion]

I love the hypocrisy up in this thread. Almost everybody has just advocated piracy.

I fail to see how thats hypocrisy, unless they otherwise wouldnt be advocating piracy