Was I the only one that took offense to theCoke commercial during the super bow?

[Townhallsavoy]

Did you read the article. They weren't pushing that. It was just like the author said, it was a removal of identity.

These things happen subtly and the next thing you know, we as a nation are questioning who we are. We KNOW who we are and where we come from. many sacrifices were made for the American way of life. that is what was a bit offensive. They tried to redefine who we are as a country.

 

Bullshit.  There's no less patriotism and nationalism in this country than there was ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years ago. 

Maybe in the heart and aftermath of WWII, it was greater, but of course it was.  We were unified in fighting a horrific war against a horrific enemy on two horrific fronts. 

No one is trying to take away your America.  No one is taking your guns.  No one is making you or your family speak Spanish. 

When you hear America singing, you hear a celebration of diversity of hard working, real, blue collar people who go their own ways after contributing to the prosperity of this great nation.  Haven't you ever read Walt Whitman? 

[Kaos]

Part of assimilating into any country or society that allows it, is learning the common language of that place as soon as you can. And merging into the existing culture while perhaps adding a bit of your own to it. 

 I'm not offended by it. I just didn't care for how it was done. It would have been great to have some little kids - white, Latino, black, Asian and any others all together singing it choir style - in English. That would have been a true representation of America, how people assimilate into it and the melting pot that it is.

Bing meet OH.

[CCTAU]

Bullshit.  There's no less patriotism and nationalism in this country than there was ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years ago. 

Maybe in the heart and aftermath of WWII, it was greater, but of course it was.  We were unified in fighting a horrific war against a horrific enemy on two horrific fronts. 

No one is trying to take away your America.  No one is taking your guns.  No one is making you or your family speak Spanish. 

When you hear America singing, you hear a celebration of diversity of hard working, real, blue collar people who go their own ways after contributing to the prosperity of this great nation.  Haven't you ever read Walt Whitman?

Bullshit. The erosion of a national identity is one of the first steps toward socialism/communism. It has been happening since the hippies decided to enter into education back in the sixties. The weather underground was and has been a driving force in this plot.

The singing of America The Beautiful on that commercial in different languages was to help people like you think its "all good. "

Did you go and kiss a muslim after the axe commercial too!

[AUChizad]

Bullshit. The erosion of a national identity is one of the first steps toward socialism/communism. It has been happening since the hippies decided to enter into education back in the sixties. The weather underground was and has been a driving force in this plot.

The singing of America The Beautiful on that commercial in different languages was to help people like you think its "all good. "

Did you go and kiss a muslim after the axe commercial too!

Jesus Christ, dude.

I give up. Go start your race war as Helter Skelter has commanded of you.

[Snaggletiger]

They just announced Ricky Martin is singing the National Anthem at the 2015 Super Bowl. She Bangs, bitch

[Kaos]

No one is trying to take away your America.  No one is taking your guns.  No one is making you or your family speak Spanish. 

Really?  I've gone into big box stores and ended up with a clerk that didn't speak English.  She knew a few phrases:

"Eees you address correck?"
"Is you want warranty, press yeas or no"

But had no idea whatsoever what to do when I asked her a simple question in English.

Call the Chinese place to get food delivered and holy mother of Confucious, that's a disaster.

The last guy was trying to spell my street name and I got

"Thassa "G" likea Jeeemy?"

The bastards that came to put my wood fence up at the new house didn't know a single word.
 
NO, dammit, don't dig there you're going to cut my sprinkler line. I told your boss that when he was out here.

*Mexican nods head* Yes, yes.

Starts hammering with the post hole digger again.

STOP DIGGING, dammit, before you cut my sprinkler lines. Can you call your boss?

*Mexican nods head and smiles * Yes, yes, I dig?

Starts hammering with the posthole digger again.

STOP DIGGING!! as I call his boss.

Phone rings, and as I'm trying to tell him to tell the Mexican to stop digging... he cuts my sprinkler line.


In court.  There's a line of Asians and Mexicans.  None of them speak a word of English and everything has to be interpreted. 

Every sign in Lowes is in two languages now.  I don't want to see that. 

If you want to live here, SPEAK ENGLISH.  Every community college in the country offers ESL classes.  Take one. 

[AUChizad]

[wesfau2]

The erosion of a national identity is one of the first steps toward socialism/communism.

See, but...

Uh, well...

Ah...fuck it.  There's no point.

[AUChizad]

Bullshit. The erosion of a national identity is one of the first steps toward socialism/communism.

Lib'rul commie socialist bitch...



I bet she's French.

[CCTAU]

You young guys are part of that group that was educated by the hippies. You have been conditioned that EVERYTHING is about race.

In case you dumbasses haven't noticed, English can be spoken by any color individual.

Socialism knows no color either. So your race war bullshit sounds like a whiny assed liberal educated kid. Look around you, this is not about race. It is about America and the direction she is headed.

it is about stripping down the fabric of our history and replacing it with liberal hippy ideas.

And you are following the game plan to a tee.


I have said nothing on here about hating another person because of their race. But that's OK, when you have nothing else, RACIST! RACIST!

[GH2001]

Bullshit.  There's no less patriotism and nationalism in this country than there was ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years ago. 

Maybe in the heart and aftermath of WWII, it was greater, but of course it was.  We were unified in fighting a horrific war against a horrific enemy on two horrific fronts. 

No one is trying to take away your America.  No one is taking your guns.  No one is making you or your family speak Spanish. 

When you hear America singing, you hear a celebration of diversity of hard working, real, blue collar people who go their own ways after contributing to the prosperity of this great nation.  Haven't you ever read Walt Whitman?

You have bought the bullshit then... Hook line sinker.

People used to assimilate into America. Now the norm is for America to conform to everyone else. America conforming to other languages as the norm is part of that. People come here now and don't want to assimilate. They want to keep their culture and have America accept it. This is a fact.

The examples that Kaos cited are very real. Commercials like Coke's just perpetuate that mentality. It's ok to come hear and not speak English. America will conform to you. Many come here to get that piece of the prosperity pie that has been built for 200 years because their country couldn't get the job done but have no desire to be a part of America. Citizenship or culture. Speaking English as the norm IS part of our culture historically whether you guys like it or not.

And trivializing someone's concern over it or calling them David Duke or the Klan doesn't help.

[Snaggletiger]

For Engrish, press one.  Para español, presione dos

[WiregrassTiger]

Lib'rul commie socialist bitch...



I bet she's French.

This was true. Times change. Anyone who doesn't eat grits needs to be deported.

[GH2001]

Lib'rul commie socialist bitch...



I bet she's French.

Style over substance I guess. John Stewart must he proud. Keep labeling people as kkk. That will surely lead to a constructive debate instead of the dogmatic diatribe I currently see.

The irony to me is that you guys are more offended by CCT's opinion of this commercial than he is of the commercial itself. More irony in the fact that you've alleged someone of building a straw man when you guys have built the biggest one in this thread.

How's about there is just an "agree to disagree" going on here?

[Vandy Vol]

People used to assimilate into America. Now the norm is for America to conform to everyone else. America conforming to other languages as the norm is part of that. People come here now and don't want to assimilate. They want to keep their culture and have America accept it. This is a fact.

German immigration peaked around 1870.  Yet up until 1917 (when America entered the World War), there were still over 700 German-language newspapers.  There was no immediate conforming or immediate assimilation upon arriving here, especially not linguistically.

Assimilation in the form of learning the language has always been difficult to achieve.  The only difference now is that there are larger numbers of immigrants.  Nonetheless, they still assimilate linguistically just like their ancestors:  the first generation has issues learning English and rarely uses it, the second generation is usually bilingual, and the third generation can't even speak to their grandparents.

[WiregrassTiger]

The next thing you know these people will want to vote.

[Kaos]

German immigration peaked around 1870.  Yet up until 1917 (when America entered the World War), there were still over 700 German-language newspapers.  There was no immediate conforming or immediate assimilation upon arriving here, especially not linguistically.

Assimilation in the form of learning the language has always been difficult to achieve.  The only difference now is that there are larger numbers of immigrants.  Nonetheless, they still assimilate linguistically just like their ancestors:  the first generation has issues learning English and rarely uses it, the second generation is usually bilingual, and the third generation can't even speak to their grandparents.

Then they need to be educated. 

I used to contract work out to a couple of Russian guys.  Russian jewish guys from Chernobyl.  Their "boss" was from Nigeria.  They took pride in learning and being able to communicate in English once they moved to the US.  One of them -- probably the most brilliant guy I've ever known -- took a job driving a taxi for six months to be around, hear and learn to communicate with people who speak English. 

They still spoke their native language, but they insisted that their families speak English.

Those two guys are 100% patriots. They believe in AMERICA, not some ancient culture from a forgotten land that failed.  They didn't insist on being subject only to jewish law or demand that I learn Russian to communicate with them.  They worked hard to integrate into the fabric of this country. 

Those guys would be just as disgusted as some of us are that people don't see a problem here.

[Vandy Vol]

Then they need to be educated.

That's a policy argument that, for many reasons, I don't want to get involved with.  The point of my post was that linguistic assimilation was not immediate or even guaranteed years ago, just as it isn't today.  There's often sensationalization about how the good ole days were really good when, in fact, they weren't always a lot different than they are now.  And this is one of those instances in which linguistic assimilation is being sensationalized as if it were more frequent then than it is now, when in actuality it wasn't.

As mentioned, the only real difference is that there are more immigrants, and so the number of people who don't speak English well or at all has increased.  Nonetheless, their linguistic assimilation still occurs over generations, as it always has.  Sure, you have anecdotal cases in which people learn English and take pride in doing so, but most immigrants are not like that, then or now.

[Townhallsavoy]

You have bought the bullshit then... Hook line sinker.

People used to assimilate into America. Now the norm is for America to conform to everyone else. America conforming to other languages as the norm is part of that. People come here now and don't want to assimilate. They want to keep their culture and have America accept it. This is a fact.

The examples that Kaos cited are very real. Commercials like Coke's just perpetuate that mentality. It's ok to come hear and not speak English. America will conform to you. Many come here to get that piece of the prosperity pie that has been built for 200 years because their country couldn't get the job done but have no desire to be a part of America. Citizenship or culture. Speaking English as the norm IS part of our culture historically whether you guys like it or not.

And trivializing someone's concern over it or calling them David Duke or the Klan doesn't help.

Assimilate into what? 

I feel like many here are speaking more than just language acquisition.  What culture are immigrants and natives both supposed to conform to?  If I painted a portrait of a proper American citizen, what do they look like and how does the description read? 

Are there some that refuse to learn English and expect Americans to conform to their language?  Sure.  A rare few unless you're in fucking Chinatown. 

Here in Alabama, I guarantee you can live your life and a much, much better life than the majority of the immigrants here without ever having to worry about your cashier speaking English or not. 

[AUChizad]

Then they need to be educated. 

I used to contract work out to a couple of Russian guys.  Russian jewish guys from Chernobyl.  Their "boss" was from Nigeria.  They took pride in learning and being able to communicate in English once they moved to the US.  One of them -- probably the most brilliant guy I've ever known -- took a job driving a taxi for six months to be around, hear and learn to communicate with people who speak English. 

They still spoke their native language, but they insisted that their families speak English.

Those two guys are 100% patriots. They believe in AMERICA, not some ancient culture from a forgotten land that failed.  They didn't insist on being subject only to jewish law or demand that I learn Russian to communicate with them.  They worked hard to integrate into the fabric of this country. 

Those guys would be just as disgusted as some of us are that people don't see a problem here.

And what exactly about a heartwarming commercial where the clear and obvious message was unity through diversity led you to think that any of that was being discouraged?

Sure, you have anecdotal cases in which people learn English and take pride in doing so, but most immigrants are not like that, then or now.

I disagree with this.

If anything, the reverse is true.

And this commercial is not in any way promoting the latter, unless you've divined that from nonexistant subtext because you're a crazy person.