Oh, the outrage over a Coca-cola commercial!
It’s almost deafening. And yet with everything being said, it becomes more obvious how a political agenda can totally blind you to truth and prevent you from seeing even the most basic point.
In 1971, Coke released a commercial that changed the face of television advertising. It was candlelight. A light shared, one by one it spread, from one race to another, as the children of the world sang “I’d like to teach the world to sing.” The camera panned out to reveal this multicultural group actually formed a human Christmas Tree, the symbol of hope and joy. That was the song they sang: a hope for a home furnished with love, the joy of a world living in harmony. It was a song of peace that echoed in the voices of a people standing hand in hand.
To this day people remember that commercial. They remember the song and the chill that raced down their spine at such a beautiful sentiment. This melting pot we called America, a people of immigrants from every nation of the world, brought together through a common vision and a common dream, understood it wasn’t about race, color or creed. It wasn’t about religion or politics…or even language. It was about peace.
Last Sunday Coca-cola released a follow-up commercial, 43 years later. In this commercial the dream was not only still alive, it had become a reality. In this commercial, the world sang in perfect harmony. They sang in their language, from their history and perspective, from their hopes and dreams, from their home of love.
You see, the dream was never about teaching the world to sing in English. It was never a song of assimilation; it wasn’t even a song of patriotism. It was a love song.
For those who viewed this commercial and understood, a new chill raced down their spines.
“I’d like to teach the world to sing…”
They did it.
Today the world sang, and the song was America The Beautiful.
Perhaps Coke got it right again. What the world wants today is America the Beautiful, not the America lost in political agendas and self-righteous fighting.
Maybe, just maybe, if we could stop the fighting and listen, we could hear the world singing in perfect harmony: “…And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.“
by G. Anne Bassett 
That was perfect! Thank you 🙂