Do the Right Thing: Bootleg Movies and Deployed Troops

Some have likely read the story of Hyman Strachman, the 92-year-old World War II veteran who has shipped thousands of bootleg copies of movies to the combat AOR:

Hyman Strachman [is] a 92-year-old, 5-foot-5 World War II veteran trying to stay busy after the death of his wife. And he has sent every one of his copied DVDs, almost 4,000 boxes of them to date, free to American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even Strachman admits the “error” of his ways: 

“It’s not the right thing to do, but I did it,” Mr. Strachman said, acknowledging that his actions violated copyright law.

Bootleg movies near US bases on foreign soil are nothing new.  As noted in Christian Fighter Pilot is not an Oxymoron,

The movie Star Wars III was available on DVD on the street outside Osan Air Base less than 24 hours after it hit theaters in the states.  Many military members — including some Christians — seemed to have no problem purchasing a $5 DVD even though it was obviously pirated; many rationalized it…

Mr. Strachman’s work makes for a good newspaper story, but it doesn’t make it right.  Illegal copies of movies are precisely that: illegal.  That’s not right for anyone, including members of the American military, who hold themselves to a higher moral standard, and Christians in the military — who should hold themselves to the standard of Christ.

Do the right thing.  It’s not always fun — but its right.