So, I sat down last night and pulled up on Youtube the Coke commercial that has been so controversial. This is the one that aired during the Super Bowl and features several people singing America The Beautiful in different languages. After it aired, many people lost their damn minds and went friggin’ crazy, calling for boycotts of Coca Cola, sending letters and emails, and, of course, posting their rants on Facebook.

Seriously, folks? With all the bullshit going on in this country, from healthcare issues to homelessness, invasions of privacy to restrictions of our rights, THIS is the issue you decide to get all heated up about? A bunch of AMERICANS singing about the country they love? What the hell is wrong with you?

Look, I feel the same as many of you about the need for immigrants to learn English if they wish to live here. It isn’t so much a patriotic thing, in my opinion, as it is just common sense. Here’s a news flash, though. It is possible to know and understand more than one language. Apparently those who are complaining about this commercial have forgotten that. There is an accompanying “behind the scenes” video on Youtube that clearly shows each and every person featured in the commercial speaking fluent English. Shocking, I know.

Unless you are full-blooded Native American, your ancestors came here from somewhere else. Odds are pretty good they didn’t necessarily speak English, at least perhaps not fluently. How many of us can recall grandparents or great-grandparents who would often revert to their native tongue when upset with us? Many of those folks were also the most patriotic people you’d ever meet.

Let me ask you something. What has people so upset is that portions of the song were performed in languages other than English. What if they had someone using sign language? I mean, that’s not English either, right? Would you get so upset if they had someone signing the song, rather than singing?

From what I can see, we have a significant percentage of our population here in America who wake up every day and search for something to get offended about. More often than not, what they find is so trivial, so stupid, it is laughable. These people need to grow up. See, out here in Big People Land, we recognize that not everyone is the same and, in fact, it is diversity that keeps us strong.

Note, though, there is a difference between diversity and divisiveness. Diversity is what helps push America forward. Divisiveness is what will tear us apart.