It is with the utmost respect and admiration that I write to you concerning a growing problem which has been largely ignored by your predecessors. While I am aware that you are hard at work trying to solve the many challenges which face us currently as a nation and global community, I think that you, as well as many of my fellow Americans will agree with me when I say emphatically that this is a problem which calls for your immediate attention. To say that I was inspired by you and your campaign two Novembers ago would be putting it lightly. It is because of the faith in our government which you have awakened in me that I am boldly confident in your ability to remedy the situation at hand.
I do not wish to diminish the importance of the issues which, at the present, are occupying your time and attention. Circumstances both at home and abroad are such that I am neither surprised nor resentful of your seeming lack of awareness regarding the issue of my concern. The vital importance of both Health care and the recovering economy is unquestionable. Likewise, a stable Middle East is a goal I am proud to see my President working towards. However, the issue which has compelled me to write to you is, in my humble opinion, of equal importance and I am hopeful that you will see why.
Sir, I am an avid movie goer. I enjoy going to the theater and participating in something which has for decades been an American past time. The unique American spirit is palpable in the lines for tickets and snacks. Unfortunately, there is another part of the theater experience which, sadly, is also a proud American institution. Getting ripped off.
To put it simply sir, I have been quietly bent over for the last time.
Allow me to share with you the theater experience I had just this afternoon. Perhaps it is an anecdote you can use at your next town hall meeting. First, let me address the hackneyed response which I have often heard when discussing this topic. "Go to a matinee." Sir, as smart as you are, you know what I know. The suggestion that matinee prices will save ones bank account from what can only be described as financial sodomy is insulting. That said, today I did go to a 1:40 showing, a decision which saved me a dollar at best, joining the disenfranchised masses (read: senior citizens) for Crazy Heart. After the initial affront I arrived at the snack counter and again I must pause to address yet another misguided "solution" to this problem. "Don't buy snacks or bring your own in the theater." Firstly, with regards to not buying snacks, consider this; would you solve the health care crisis by suggesting Doctors simply stop using stethoscopes? Fact-popcorn and a soft drink are as vital to the experience of watching a movie as the projector. Suggesting that forsaking them solves anything is akin to saying that if homosexuals would simply become straight, they would be entitled to the rights they seek. Secondly, on the subject of bringing one's own snacks to the theater; the idea of replicating the popcorn buttering technique at one's home may be simple to the privileged elite, but to those of us who are not the heirs to large petroleum companies or investment firms it is less feasible. But I digress. I should make it clear that while I do purchase a popcorn and soda I do not do so excessively. Were I buying more than my share, then perhaps my complaint should be dismissed, but I think you and any real American would agree that a bucket of popcorn and a large soda is a perfectly reasonable one-man purchase which should not break the customer's financial back.
The point, sir, is that by the time I reached my seat, by myself mind you since I can hardly afford to double the experience described above, despite the joy it would bring me to be joined by my lovely fiancee, I had spent more than the copay at my last Doctor's appointment. The conclusion that I came to is this; I sincerely believe that if granted more reasonable prices at the movie theater, the citizen, who today is unable to insure themselves medically, would be willing and able to do so. As it is, we are being hit from both sides and frankly can not take it much longer. At the present, we do not need government run health care which will treat us and heal us affordably only to send us out to the wolves at the theater.
What is most offensive, and with this I will close, is that after being essentially beaten and robbed in the lobby, a full theater is subjected to what is nothing less than nationalistic propaganda. I am positive that I sat through a military "commercial" this afternoon that would make the Third Reich's Ministry of Propaganda squirm in his seat. While I do not intend to imply that you are directly responsible for this pre-film offense, I do find it to be just that. To strip people of their hard earned money and dignity at the door only to suggest that they then call their nearest recruiter is insulting at best and exploitive at worst. Furthermore, despite the loud rock music and victorious scenes on the screen I have a feeling that one's actual experience in the military would be slightly different than the one advertised. Perhaps a clip of legless men serving an extra term in an endless war would be more accurate.
It is my sincere hope that you will consider my concerns and discuss them at length with your advisors. I would be more than happy to take part in a round table discussion or televised summit regarding this issue. In the mean time, I will do my best to keep afloat despite the best efforts of the local cinema. You received my vote because of the hope you inspired, the change you promised and those irresistible pop-art posters. I know that you will not let me down. Thank you for your time.
Your humble constituent and fellow American,
Steven Hale
