Poem: "The Right to Repair"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This is the freebie for the May crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from alexseanchai. It also fills the "WILD CARD: Repair" square in my 6-1-19 card for the Cotton Candy Bingo fest.


"The Right to Repair"


If you can't fix it,
you don't own it.

If someone else gets
to decide what you can
do with something --

if they can turn it
on and off, change
its settings, make it do
what they want it to do --

then it's not yours, it's theirs.

You only own what you control.

Repair is better than reuse
or recycling, because it keeps
things as high up the ladder
as long as possible, before
entropy drags them down.

Repair saves you money --
it's cheaper than replacing things,
and if you learn to do it yourself
then the labor costs you nothing.

Repair teaches engineering
and creative problem-solving.
To know how something works
is to have power over it.

Repair saves the world.
Earth is a finite planet with
a limited amount of resources,
which repair conserves for
sustainable use in the long run.

Repair connects people and things,
and people to each other and
things to all different things.

We have a right to devices
that can be opened and
stickers that can be removed.

We have a right to documentation
for everything, to error codes and
wiring diagrams, to flowcharts
and troubleshooting instructions.

We have a right to standard tools
and non-proprietary fasteners,
to service parts at fair prices.

We have a right to choose
our own technicians, or to make
repairs in the privacy of our own homes,
and to replace consumables ourselves.

We have a right, and if corporations
won't give it, then we'll take it.

We'll take it with better products
and customer relations, with
transparency and sustainability.

Corporations that mistreat customers
are just like any other bad part:
they can be replaced.

Repair is a right because
it grants independence, it
inspires pride in ownership, and
it makes consumers into contributors.

Repair is a war on entropy, and
that may not be winnable, but it
can achieve a fighting retreat.

Repair is syntropy with
duct tape in one hand
and WD-40 in the other.

* * *

Notes:

The right to repair is detailed in this manifesto. I used a lot of the same phrases in this poem, but much of this is stuff I've been saying for years. You may also remember the one I got from my grandparents:

Eat it all, use it up, wear it out.
Make it do or do without.

Repair instructions are available for clothes, electronics, toys, and other household items.

Repair kits are essential for effective repairs. While specialized kits are available for many items, some general kits are good for many purposes. These includes a backpacking repair kit, roadside emergency kit, sewing kit, and long-term survival kit.

Comments

Re: Hear Hear

[ysabetwordsmith]

Go you!