Coke's America the Beautiful - Give me your thoughts

[RC3]

This old geezer grew up around immigrants that spoke English, broken as it was.

At least they tried right? I hate when someone comes in and right off the bat asks if we have anyone that speaks spanish. Hell, try talking to us in english as we will try and help you. I didnt take spanish for years because I wanted. It just happened to be a better alternative to french. 

[mikegideon]

At least they tried right? I hate when someone comes in and right off the bat asks if we have anyone that speaks spanish. Hell, try talking to us in english as we will try and help you. I didnt take spanish for years because I wanted. It just happened to be a better alternative to french. 

 

They HAD to try, because they came here to be Americans, and it was required. And, they were accepted too. I've had several friends over the years that were born in Mexico. I don't speak Spanish.

[RC3]

They HAD to try, because they came here to be Americans, and it was required. And, they were accepted too. 

This is what I miss the most. Having to try and not have it handed down to you on a silver platter. 

[DixieDawg]

You are right my friend work ethic and the heart to make an effort and try are just not a value anybody has anymore -Dusty-

[Dustbuster]

meh as long as they dont prey on the star spangled banner to be done in anything but english im fine. if they cross that line im sure even the polar bears would take a texas dump on cokes ceo's desk and migrate to "pesi coola" Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, Hell yeah it ate my spelling!!! again!!

[frankmako]

not for me, i am not part of this one world stuff.  

[Capbyrd]

Lighten up Frances. I'm seeing a discussion here. I have probably done as much off topic bitching as anybody. Has nothing to do with the Coke commercial. I'm fine with that. It has to do with naturalized citizens being required to learn English, and the fact that laws don't matter. This old geezer grew up around immigrants that spoke English, broken as it was.

 

 

I wasn't calling you out.  I was talking about the people upset about the commercial.  

America the Beautiful is not a sacred song or anything.  And even if it were, whats wrong with accepting other people and other languages.  Have y'all forgotten that other nations helped up gain independence and build this country? 

 

 

 

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!     What part of this says that people can't sing it in other languages.  No one will ever convince me that singing a singing a song in a different language is an insult.  Its like saying that people in those places aren't allowed to like America.      

[MacGyver]

Just ask yourself if out country is stronger economically when we find a way for people who want to be here to pitch in and contribute or when we spend our time trying to get them out.

I figure you can only really choose one of those.

[TripleDigitRide]

There you go... turning a Merica thread into a gay thread  :rofl:   

[mikegideon]

 

That's racist, man :)

[MacGyver]

America the Beautiful is not a sacred song or anything. And even if it were, whats wrong with accepting other people and other languages. Have y'all forgotten that other nations helped up gain independence and build this country?

I've always thought it a weird juxtaposition of civil religion that many of our hymnals contain America the Beautiful. I love the song, and it's made me tear up many times, but it's always made me uncomfortable when it's done in church.

[LagerHead]

Exactly what I expect from this forum. The same old bigoted geezers whining about how their feelings got hurt.

Y'all act all tough and dream about killing people that wrong you but cry more than my 8 month old niece when she hits her head on something.


GROW UP!!!!

Do I really need to point out the blatant hypocrisy in this post or can you, the grown up one, see it yourself? Edited February 7, 2014 by LagerHead

[Capbyrd]

Do I really need to point out the blatant hypocrisy in this post or can you, the grown up one, see it yourself?

 

 

You are going to have to point it out because I'm not whining.  I'm just telling you all what I think of you. 

[TMF]

Seemed that there are more posts here supporting the ad than folks opposing it. Either way, differing opinions are good. I like to hear folks who believe contrary to me. It helps to understand where other people are coming from and either confirm or question my own opinions.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[tnguy]

The hell it doesn't??!!? I believe it's English.

 

Nope. UncleJak is correct, like it or not. Though the official language of the US nearly was German at one point. (Edit: not true. Need to take my own advice to check Snopes more often).

 

My take? It's just a song. *BUT* I suspect it was politically motivated which is not cool.

Edited February 7, 2014 by tnguy

[tnguy]

I also thought it was disrespectful. The song was written in English, and that's the way it should be sung. I also wasn't to fond of the way they stuck in the gay couple with their daughter in there either. But that's another subject.

 

I trust I'll never hear the words "Oh Christmas tree, oh christmas tree" pass your lips then.

 

Sing Psalms at your church?

Edited February 7, 2014 by tnguy

[tnguy]

Just ask yourself if out country is stronger economically when we find a way for people who want to be here to pitch in and contribute or when we spend our time trying to get them out.

I figure you can only really choose one of those.

 

Now, that's a whole can of worms. As someone who's been through the process, I can say that you might want to make it a little easier for those bringing some education, skills and resources to make it in before allowing anyone to just wander in when they feel like it.

[Nynick81]

[quote name="tnguy" post="1107385" timestamp="1391750624"]

I trust I'll never hear the words "Oh Christmas tree, oh christmas tree" pass your lips then.

Sing Psalms at your church?[/quote
you'll never hear any words sung out of my mouth. Lol
and I don't go to church.

[mikegideon]

Now, that's a whole can of worms. As someone who's been through the process, I can say that you might want to make it a little easier for those bringing some education, skills and resources to make it in before allowing anyone to just wander in when they feel like it.

 

Skilled folks can't stay. I have a buddy from Canada. He was here for 10 years, job ended, and he had to go back. He just moved to NYC for a new job, same company. I'm sure he's in the same boat. I have another friend in Australia. She finally just quit trying.

[tnguy]

[quote name="tnguy" post="1107385" timestamp="1391750624"]

I trust I'll never hear the words "Oh Christmas tree, oh christmas tree" pass your lips then.

Sing Psalms at your church?[/quote
you'll never hear any words sung out of my mouth. Lol
and I don't go to church.

 

 

Fair enough :)

 

I actually think English *should* be the US's official language (though I am naturally biased) but it currently isn't and I have no problem with others speaking other languages. (It is just crazy for the government to have to cater for everyone).

[tnguy]

Skilled folks can't stay. I have a buddy from Canada. He was here for 10 years, job ended, and he had to go back. He just moved to NYC for a new job, same company. I'm sure he's in the same boat. I have another friend in Australia. She finally just quit trying.

 

Took me 9 months from starting the process to setting foot in Houston, TX. We lived in England for a few years prior to that and for my wife to do the equivalent process, we caught a train in to London and were out in time to catch the McDonalds breakfast menu.

[TMF]

Skilled folks can't stay. I have a buddy from Canada. He was here for 10 years, job ended, and he had to go back. He just moved to NYC for a new job, same company. I'm sure he's in the same boat. I have another friend in Australia. She finally just quit trying.

It's amazing, really, how skewed folks are on the immigration thing. I was recently working with an Australian who had an education, awesome job with good retirement benefits who wanted nothing else but to move to the US and be a citizen. The way he described the process gave the impression that it was hopeless. Yet folks believe that there are people who should be able to just walk across the border illegally and get put in the express lane to citizenship (and ultimately gov benefits). And if you oppose giving special consideration to citizen-hopefuls who begin their American dream by breaking the law you are labeled a racist. It just doesn't add up to me. Makes no sense.

But America the Beautiful in different languages doesn't bother me. You know what bothers me? It's a Small World in different languages, to include English. It's been three months since being on that ride and somehow I have the Dutch version still stuck in my head, and I don't speak Dutch. Go ahead, flame me for being intolerant. I deserve it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TripleDigitRide]

[quote name="tnguy" post="1107393" timestamp="1391753269"]Took me 9 months from starting the process to setting foot in Houston, TX. We lived in England for a few years prior to that and for my wife to do the equivalent process, we caught a train in to London and were out in time to catch the McDonalds breakfast menu.[/quote] I'm pretty sure you can swim the Rio Grande faster than that. Obama's magic pen will take care of the rest.

[mikegideon]

It's amazing, really, how skewed folks are on the immigration thing. I was recently working with an Australian who had an education, awesome job with good retirement benefits who wanted nothing else but to move to the US and be a citizen. The way he described the process gave the impression that it was hopeless. Yet folks believe that there are people who should be able to just walk across the border illegally and get put in the express lane to citizenship (and ultimately gov benefits). And if you oppose giving special consideration to citizen-hopefuls who begin their American dream by breaking the law you are labeled a racist. It just doesn't add up to me. Makes no sense.

But America the Beautiful in different languages doesn't bother me. You know what bothers me? It's a Small World in different languages, to include English. It's been three months since being on that ride and somehow I have the Dutch version still stuck in my head, and I don't speak Dutch. Go ahead, flame me for being intolerant. I deserve it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Yeah. Both of my friends suffer from a pale complexion. You can kick them out without being called a racist. 

[Links2k]

In my opinion, this ad represents exactly why America is beautiful. 
 
This noble experiment that is our country does one thing that no other nation in world has ever managed to do.  We can take the world's tired, poor and huddled masses and turn them into Americans.  Wander the streets of New York and watch the immigrant Sihk cab driver working 20 hours a day.  Go to the fields on the west coast at harvest time and watch the immigrants who have come here illegally - with no small amount of personal risk to better their families.  Stay in any hotel in America and try and count more than one hand worth of non-immigrants working past the front desk.  Go put your boots on the soil of any third world country and talk to the common man on the street, who regardless of their leaders' rhetoric would give everything they own right now to come to America.
 
This is what makes America great, and it's something we're in danger of losing.  Our political parties love nothing more than to divide us into factions, and nothing makes that easier than spreading distrust of people who aren't like us.  Our "pundits" are getting rich off of selling a message of fear and hate.  It's cancerous, and it will affect us as a country.  Don't believe it?  Watch an hour of Fox News and keep a running tally of the stories that are based in something other than fear.
 
If we're going to find our way forward as a country and make the next two and a half centuries better than the last, we're going to have to find a way to embrace each other - even when they don't look like us.

Well said.