Okay, so normally I keep out of things that are...well controversial because it's so easy to be reamed for agreeing with one side and not the other. Land of the Free and Free Speech seems to be a thing of the past unless you are spreading hate. A true tragedy of today's world.
Upon being alerted to this controversy from LinkedIn about the new Coke AD, I was shocked when I read how Coke was now receiving a backlash from this commercial that aired at the Super Bowl this last Sunday. (Here is the Link from YouTube if you would like to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs). To me this was very ironic, due to the fact that the commercial was a good message and very well done with a lot of respect kept in mind for not only the song but how they represented the people. I did not come away from view the AD thinking, "How dare they sing that song, even in part, in languages I do not understand." I heard the beautiful harmonies of all these people singing the same song, the fact that it started off with an image of a cowboy on his horse, who represents honor and respect is a testament of how Coke wanted to show the fundamental etching that is and was America, but then moving on to show family, friends, and the unity of people of all ethnic backgrounds coming together and enjoying life and freedom, was the perfect time to have the singers switch into the other languages found in the States to show that all feel the some pride and happiness of being American. Even if it is a little idealistic and very much the American dream that many, old and new, try to reach. I really feel this was a testament of how, once again, Coke was trying to keep the honor and dignity that is what the song is suppose to represent.
However, in respect to the other view point, I can see were some people may feel it's just another way of forcing the message that all Americans must learn different languages, other then English which is suppose to be the dominant language of the States, to be American. (Of course there is always those that are arguing just to be haters, but for those that may not be expressing themselves correctly, I can see the language issue being the real issue and being blown up and represented as raciest because that's a lot easier and sells papers better then real lower key issues.)
It's not a stretch of the imagination to understand this feeling, after all if one travels someplace else within the world it is expected that their language is learned. So the question before us is, why is it different here? Why do people think they do not have to learn the dominant language of America and why are we not enforcing it? (What you do at home is home, or talking with friends, it's more road signs, people working here, and what not, this is what I'm referring to, not peoples right to speak what they wish outside of the workforce, schools, and driving road signs) This is not to say we shouldn't be as an American people encouraged to learn new languages, or embrace them, but forcing it never goes well, or have we not learned that from history either? People do not do well when force in any relation. Force should be used very wisely and only when it must be, forcing language is not a good use; however, this was not the issue with the Coke commercial.
No. They did a wonderful job. Not only do they show a very wide verity of ethnic groups, including white, (often it will be something about the joy of ethnicity only to leave out the European group, which is just another form of exclusion), but the words were in English and other beautiful languages. This was not about forcing anything, it was about reminding us that America is, and has always been, a melting pot and that is what makes America unique.
Many people on both sides of the fence are, I think, using poor choice in the words and the ways they are trying to agree or disagree with a point, which leads to a very unproductive way of expressing ones self. In my opinion, the people that are doing this are changing one narrow view point for another; however, I do believe I understand the sentiment and what they are trying to say in the favor of Coke and a more cultural view point of America. The belief that it is one ethnic group keeping peace unreachable is a lie. It is a collected effort by everyone. This spreads from the daily news, to individual people as a whole.
Sadly, I do fear this construct will continue until people stop putting their ethnicity in front of "America" and just start calling themselves "American". Oh, I'm sure some people would have issues with what I'm saying, after all, what is anything without a lot of people disagreeing because they can? This does not change the fact that we are all either American or not. Visiting is visiting. If I moved to England and committed to that country, I would not say, I'm American-British. I would just replay I'm British. This does not take away your ancestry, it only places you as part of all the other people that are proud and commented to the country they live in.
The odd, funny, yet sad idea about all of this is that as a whole, the human race, will never go forward until we all let the past go.
It's the past. We can learn from it, move forward, hopefully, with new ideas of what to try and not to try, but we can not change the past. A good example of this is government, they forget people are strong and when they have nothing else to lose, they normally march and burn, or in some cases cut the heads off, the ones they see as abusing their power and ruining the working classes lives (the ones that keep any country going). This leads to total anarchy and a big waste of peoples potential and a long drawn out span of time were there is more death, sickness and unproductive reaches. Yet, government after government forgets, grows to be big and greedy with very little regard to the people and repeats the past with new and inventive ways that do nothing to improve the world. That is not learning from the past or letting go of it.
Almost nothing is black and white, it's all pretty much various shades of grey. There are always two or three sides of any story; however, as humans, (yes, we are all very much human, I think we forget this a lot, ethnicity is our background, genealogy, but we are all brothers and sisters of the human race.), hate is so much easier then trying to understand your neighbor or forgiving them, isn't it? Yet, pathetically also very unproductive.
All the things we could all be doing right now, learning, or accomplishing if not for greed, hate, grudges and wanting something for free. What a wast for a species that has so much more potential then we give ourselves.
I say, to all boycotting Coke for trying to do a wonderful job of bring us together (which by the way, is their normal message), shame on you. It is shameful for it is the differences within America that makes her beautiful, not what is the same. These go from all the different regions and climate, to her very people and melding cultures. Yes, this all comes with a very colorful past due to all of us trying to be heard, but do not blame or go after Coke for trying to show what America should be. Before you throw the stones, take a look at yourself and ask, am I American and am I truly voice my own voice on the real issue and is it worth it?
Why is Peace and Respect for each other bad words? Lets think about that? How can we expect peace or respect when we cannot even practice it? Sad. I say, good job Coke and do not appligize for the ignorance of a nation that only wants to say we are one people, as long as we do not have to play nice together. All our children die for our freedom, not just one ethnic group. What good is their death if we do not try and live the dream they are told they are dieing for?
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