I rarely write my congressman. I believe the last letter I wrote was about going to war in Iraq, which I argued did not meet the principles of Jus Ad Bellum. I was a political science and religion double major at Allegheny College who focused on just war theory so I was pretty passionate about it. Suffice to say, we know how that turned out. Yesterday, I saw The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC. To say that one Thinks Different(tm) about the iPhone in their pocket when they discover, through non-fiction story-telling, that it was hand-made, possibly by a 12-year old, in back-breaking wage-slave conditions is a little too glib, but it gets the message across.
This time, I'm doing a little more than writing a letter. I called Congressman Moran's Alexandria office. They suggested I call the Hill office, and they provided me an email to a legislative aid who could help me. I want Mr. Moran to see the show with his constituents and then conduct a townhall meeting afterwards. We need to shine the light of day on these issues; particularly in the context of the acceleration of the wealth gap that we've seen over the last 30 years. I feel particularly affected because I make my livelyhood on these devices. It's the least that I can do; it's the only thing I know I can do.
Unfortunately, I can't find a clip of the play, but here's a clip of Mike Daisey talking about his work and how it changed him. The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs runs through April 17th at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC. Then it's off to Seattle, Washington.