Tim Cook Accepts 2015 Ripple of Hope Award at RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook accepted the 2015 Ripple of Hope Award at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights on Tuesday night, and gave a nearly twelve minute speech about the need for social change, reports Bloomberg.

Tim Cook at the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights (Image: Bloomberg)​

Cook, who spoke after Evercore's Roger Altman and Unesco ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis, discussed a wide range of ongoing social issues, including the Syrian refugee crisis, climate change, Apple's charitable work, access to quality education, privacy and discrimination.

"Today, more than half of the states in this country still don't offer basic protections to gay or transgender people, leaving millions of people vulnerable to being fired or evicted because of who they are or who they love," Cook said.

"Today, some in our country would turn away innocent men, women and children seeking refuge," Cook said, "regardless of how many background checks they may submit to, simply based on where they were born. Victims of war and now victims of fear and misunderstanding."

"Today, too many children are denied access to quality education simply because of the zip code they live in. They begin their lives facing strong headwinds and disadvantage they did nothing to deserve. We could do better, Robert Kennedy would say, and because we can do better, we must act."

Cook offered praise for Robert F. Kennedy and said he has two photographs of him in his office that he looks at each day. "I think about his example, what it means to me as an American, but also more specifically, to my role as Apple CEO."

Read more about Cook's acceptance speech in the full article on Bloomberg.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Tim Cook Accepts 2015 Ripple of Hope Award at RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights

 

[Drumjim85]

I'm surprised it wasn't brave Caitlyn Jenner

 

[happydude]

well deserved. a compassionate and [given the corporate climate these days] courageous CEO for what he says, does and supports. **queue people saying "yeah, but he didn't do enough" or "he didn't give to my favorite cause so he's terrible" and so on.

 

[Rogifan]

"Today, some in our country would turn away innocent men, women and children seeking refuge,” Cook said, “regardless of how many background checks they may submit to, simply based on where they were born. Victims of war and now victims of fear and misunderstanding."

Sorry Tim, I don't think there's any misunderstanding with Paris and San Bernardino. There's nothing wrong with turning away people that can't be properly vetted. That doesn't mean banning anyone of a certain religion but pausing immigration from countries where groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have a foothold...absolutely.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Problem is that despite being in the land of the FREE, free speech etc.
too many times it is impossible to say the truth or have a different viewpoint/opinion.

Whenever somebody dares, they are being pummeled into "politically correct" until they comply.

We are only here on earth for a short while, so to waste that time being negative, mean and nasty to anybody who doesn't fit the norm a person created for themselves about others, is actually sad.

Nothing will change until people change and there is not even a ripple of hope they ever will.

 

[Woyzeck]

Why not pay taxes ?

 

[Thunderhawks]

Sorry Tim, I don't think there's any misunderstanding with Paris and San Bernardino. There's nothing wrong with turning away people that can't be properly vetted. That doesn't mean banning anyone of a certain religion but pausing immigration from countries where groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have a foothold...absolutely.

America would not exist if people had been turned away for whatever reason.

Why not pay taxes ?

Why only pay what is legally required?

 

[Rogifan]

America would not exist if people had been turned away for whatever reason.

So just let anyone in without proper vetting and if innocent people die blame the NRA. If someone has ties to or sympathies with ISIS we better damn well be turning them away. That's common sense. The feel good gobbledygook Tim Cook is espousing is nonsense.

 

[aaronvan]

"Today, some in our country would turn away innocent men, women and children seeking refuge," Cook said, "regardless of how many background checks they may submit to, simply based on where they were born. Victims of war and now victims of fear and misunderstanding."

Sorry Tim, I don't think there's any misunderstanding with Paris and San Bernardino. There's nothing wrong with turning away people that can't be properly vetted. That doesn't mean banning anyone of a certain religion but pausing immigration from countries where groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have a foothold...absolutely.

When Apple stops hiding hundreds of billions of dollars overseas to avoid U.S. taxes, then he can lecture us about Syrian immigrants. Until then, shut-up Tim, and keep APPL (115.72, 2.13%) on the upswing.

 

[Mums]

Tim Cook should offer all the refugees residence in his house.

 

[2010mini]

Sorry Tim, I don't think there's any misunderstanding with Paris and San Bernardino. There's nothing wrong with turning away people that can't be properly vetted. That doesn't mean banning anyone of a certain religion but pausing immigration from countries where groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have a foothold...absolutely.

You do realize while we "pause" taking in refugees from where ISIS has a foothold means more innocent dead people? ISIS and Al Qaeda kills more Muslims than westerners. These people are desperate and are literally running for their lives.

 

[2010mini]

So just let anyone in without proper vetting and if innocent people die blame the NRA. If someone has ties to or sympathies with ISIS we better damn well be turning them away. That's common sense. The feel good gobbledygook Tim Cook is espousing is nonsense.

We don't even vet people with ties to white supremacy groups from buying guns. And the NRA is a big part of that reason.

 

[Rogifan]

You do realize while we "pause" taking in refugees from where ISIS has a foothold means more innocent dead people? ISIS and Al Qaeda kills more Muslims than westerners. These people are desperate and are literally running for their lives.

How does bringing these people into the United States solve that problem? it's not like these people come here and assimilate into our society. They're certainly not doing that in Europe. No what happens is bad ones get in too and innocent people die.

If Tim Cook cares so much about all this stuff perhaps he should go back to Alabama and run for congress or the senate and let someone else run Apple.

We don't even vet people with ties to white supremacy groups from buying guns. And the NRA is a big part of that reason.

So because our vetting sucks that means let anyone in the country? BS. How many refugees is Tim Cook planning to take in?

 

[nyctravis]

Go Tim!!

 

[2010mini]

How does bringing these people into the United States solve that problem? it's not like these people come here and assimilate into our society. They're certainly not doing that in Europe. No what happens is bad ones get in too and innocent people die.

If Tim Cook cares so much about all this stuff perhaps he should go back to Alabama and run for congress or the senate and let someone else run Apple.

Are you seriously arguing against helping someone flee from a place where he/she will surely die because they are against ISIS? So you are ok with the death of innocents???

And "those people" are humans like you and I.

 

[happydude]

How does bringing these people into the United States solve that problem? it's not like these people come here and assimilate into our society. They're certainly not doing that in Europe. No what happens is bad ones get in too and innocent people die.

If Tim Cook cares so much about all this stuff perhaps he should go back to Alabama and run for congress or the senate and let someone else run Apple.



So because our vetting sucks that means let anyone in the country? BS. How many refugees is Tim Cook planning to take in?

solves the problem by showing compassion over bombs. removes people in a desperate situation and giving them safety and security. demonstrates to the world what the land of the free actually stands for. keeps these people from being killed or radicalized from being turned away and having to choose from being killed or joining ISIS.

and what evidence do you have that the vetting of these refugees sucks?

 

[Rogifan]

and what evidence do you have that the vetting of these refugees sucks?

Please tell me this isn't a serious question.

Are you seriously arguing against helping someone flee from a place where he/she will surely die because they are against ISIS? So you are ok with the death of innocents???

And "those people" are humans like you and I.

No arguing against bringing them to the United States and Europe where they don't assimilate. Set up refugee camps for people until they can take their countries back. I'll bet most of them don't even want to come to our country they just want these killers out of theirs.

 

[2457282]

Steve Jobs barely got involved in anything remotely politics. Although he did go to the white house and tell Obama that manufacturing jobs were not coming back to the US because of labor laws, education and salaries.

Tim on the other hand spends almost as much time on political issues (especially gay rights) as he does running Apple. I like Tim, but please spend more time doing your job as CEO.

Edit: started second paragraph with steve when I meant tim. fixed now.

 

[MacLC]

Sorry Tim, I don't think there's any misunderstanding with Paris and San Bernardino. There's nothing wrong with turning away people that can't be properly vetted. That doesn't mean banning anyone of a certain religion but pausing immigration from countries where groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have a foothold...absolutely.

As a family of immigrants I have to say I agree. My family was put through background checks, health checks, etc. on both sides of the pond. Friends who just had the wrong "look" were turned away despite checking out. While that was over the top exclusionary, allowing anybody for any reason is over the top compensatory.

There are millions of refugees from around the world who do check out but are "over the quota". If the US wants to let more people in, why not take in vetted refugees that France and Germany otherwise would have taken in and give France and Germany more room to take in non-vetted or non-vettable refugees.

Or better yet, why not help out some of the millions of homeless and starving American children? The US wants to roll out the red carpet for questionable individuals and then once they get on shore, sweep their starving children under the rug.

 

[Even Longer]

Seeing all these comments about Syrian refugees, I can't help but notice one big hypocrisy: US, being one of the key participants in the Syrian crisis from day one, now denies to take part in refugee solution and letting us in Europe deal with them instead.
This is Sparta, I guess...

Otherwise, nice words, mr. Cook.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Sorry Tim, I don't think there's any misunderstanding with Paris and San Bernardino. There's nothing wrong with turning away people that can't be properly vetted. That doesn't mean banning anyone of a certain religion but pausing immigration from countries where groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have a foothold...absolutely.

Yep... tell that to the Germans.... 1,000,000 registered refugees, and counting.

 

[distemp]

I'm surprised it wasn't brave Caitlyn Jenner

You still pissy about that? Build a bridge, pumpkin.

 

[FieldingMellish]

You do realize while we "pause" taking in refugees from where ISIS has a foothold means more innocent dead people? ISIS and Al Qaeda kills more Muslims than westerners. These people are desperate and are literally running for their lives.

There are countries more in step with the prevailing way of being and religion for the Muslim migrants to go to.

History holds that Muslims in Western countries remain isolated in ghettos (Paris, a perfect example) and that Muslim’s predilection for crime, rape, mistreatment of women is out of step in the west. Norway, whose spike in rapes is done 100% by migrants, and none done by native Norwegians, is actually paying the migrants thousands of dollars and a free plane right back from whence they came. And the Muslims are taking them up on it, because of disillusionment out of not receiving immediate housing and benefits.

 

[distemp]

Steve Jobs barely got involved in anything remotely politics. Although he did go to the white house and tell Obama that manufacturing jobs were not coming back to the US because of labor laws, education and salaries.

Steve on the other hand spends almost as much time on political issues (especially gay rights) as he does running Apple. I like Tim, but please spend more time doing your job as CEO.

I'd be fascinated to see your proof of this.

 

[happydude]

Please tell me this isn't a serious question.

please tell me you have evidence.

No arguing against bringing them to the United States and Europe where they don't assimilate. Set up refugee camps for people until they can take their countries back. I'll bet most of them don't even want to come to our country they just want these killers out of theirs.

how can you say they don't assimilate? there would't even be an apple if the u.s. didn't take in Steve Jobs's syrian political refugee father.