My e-mail to Senator Hatch.
Dear Senator Hatch,
I find your remarks today in support of destroying the computers of downloader’s disgraceful.
I'm a 45 year old Conservative member of my local REC and a full time Conservative activist.
I do not support the illegal downloading of music.
However I do take offense at the recording industry's refusing to make their products available in the way that consumers want to buy them.
Many times in my life I have spent $20 to buy a CD just to get one song. It’s annoying but I can afford it.
Obviously others that can’t go ahead and just download the music. If I were fifteen I might do the same thing.
The record industry will lose this battle because it refuses to bow to the will of the public it serves.
I'm sure the horse and buggy makers had some powerful politicians on their side against the car manufacturers.
Neither you nor they can stop technology or a changing industry with spiteful and petty reprisals.
I'm shocked that a Republican Senator would even think of supporting such tactics.
There would be a massive backlash against anyone that employed or endorsed such tactics and it wouldn't be just from fifteen year olds either.
However I do take offense at the recording industry's refusing to make their products available in the way that consumers want to buy them.Many times in my life I have spent $20 to buy a CD just to get one song. It’s annoying but I can afford it.
Many people in this country are sheep. I'm sure I'm pissing somebody off by saying that, but they are so conditioned by the recording industry to buy music the way the recording industry wants and not the way they want, that they lose site of things.
There is a reason why that $15 or $20 CD has just a few good songs that you like - it's because the rest is filler. They throw it on there to pad the album and make you feel like your somehow getting your money's worth, when they are just feeding you garbage.
Although I haven't tried it yet, Apple did right - $0.99 a song, just the songs you want. Of course the record industry complained and moaned that people would only buy single songs here and there and not ablums. Surprise! Half few million songs they sold in the first week or two were complete albums.
I think of it like this - If I want a hamburber, I should not have to order a dozen other things just to get the hamburger. If I want to see a football game, I am not required to see every football game that season. Apple has it right, and I don't just say that as a Mac fan either. People should be able to buy products the way they want.