America the Beautiful

Allegedly there was a big football game last night. I say, "allegedly" because it is my understanding only one team actually showed up. I didn't even watch the game, I was too busy watching Downton.

One of the highlights of the big game is the commercials. There are heart warming commercials (I'm talking about you, Budweiser), there are commercials that make you say, "wait, what?" (Sorry, Bob Dylan, I love you, but, cars? Really?) and commercials that spark controversy. I think what surprised me the most is that a Coca-Cola commercial was the controversial commercial, not Go Daddy as it has been in years past.

Here's the commercial that has caused the brouhaha:



So what's the big deal? Apparently there are some people that just cannot wrap their heads around Americans singing a song called, "America the Beautiful" in a language other than English. Ridiculous, right?

One of the greatest things about America is that we are a huge melting pot. People immigrate to the United States from all over the world for a chance at a better life. All of my great grandparents came over from Poland in the late 1800's and early 1900's, with the exception of my Mom's Dad and his family who came over from Croatia in 1914. From the stories I hear they (my great grandparents) always made it a priority for their children to speak English and not Polish. Granted, there were exceptions, but for the most part it was seen as a privilege to live here. That doesn't mean they abandoned where they came from.

I told you all of this to tell you this (I know, I get long winded). Both of my parents called their mother's  grandparents Busia and Dzia Dzio. I loved hearing stories of my parents and their Busia's and Dzia Dzio's that we decided that is what the kids would call my parents. Trust me, I get the weirdest looks sometimes when I tell people that is what the kids call them. I don't see how it's any different then them calling Scott's parents Mimi and PawPaw as a nod to his Southern roots. But somehow when it doesn't sound 'Merican it's looked at as strange, unusual and different.

It's not. It is everything that America was built on, figuratively and literally. Immigrants made this country what it is and a commercial that features a few of these nationalities and their languages is a testament to what this nation stands for, not some blasphemous 60 second spot.

So before we lose our proverbial sh#t over another soft drink commercial, let's reflect back on our past, on our history and our humble beginnings.  Can't we all just hold hands, buy the world a Coke and sing in harmony like we did a few years ago? What's more American than that?