Apple CEO Tim Cook Emailed Employees to Denounce Donald Trump’s Refugee Ban
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to employees expressing the company's anger with President Donald Trump's recent ban of refugees.
Large companies and brands tend to stay away from politics as much as they possibly can. The infamous and lightly-sourced quote attributed to Michael Jordan, "Republicans buy sneakers too," reflects the maxim corporations tend to adhere to. Everything is judged on bottom-line impact, so statements on political issues are not treated lightly.
Knowing that, Apple CEO Tim Cook's email to employees on Donald Trump's refugee ban should speak volumes about how concerned the company is with the issue. Here is Cook's memo to the company's employees in full:
Trump's ban hits close to home for Apple because of present-day circumstances, but also because of their history. Apple visionary Steve Jobs was the son of a Muslim migrant who came to the U.S. from Syria. Under Trump's order, Jobs' biological parents would never have been allowed to come to America to begin with. Without sympathy for migrants in war-torn countries, the company might not exist today, let alone be the global powerhouse it has turned into.
Having met with Trump as recently as December, Cook had shown at least a partial desire to work with the incoming President. He defended the meeting by saying sitting out would not help anyone.
"The way that you influence these issues is to be in the arena," Cook said following that December meeting. "So whether it’s in this country, or the European Union, or in China or South America, we engage. And we engage when we agree and we engage when we disagree."
Apple is not the only major tech company speaking up. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took to his personal Facebook page today to voice his displeasure:
Executives from companies like Twitter, Uber, and other power names in the industry have made their unhappiness clear, with some pledging to do their best to relieve stress for employees who will be adversely affected by the legislation.
While the focus for these issues often circles back to the big names who might be impacted, it's important to remember the little guys who have the most to lose here. Good on Cook and others for speaking out, but their outcry must be followed up with action for it to help the people now living in uncertainty.
