Keller @ Large: Hey Starbucks - We Don't All Share The Same Values
BOSTON (CBS) - National polls don't mean much in an election that will be decided by voters in a handful of swing states. But there are a couple of national polls out showing this race is locked in a dead heat with six days to go, and would it really surprise you if that's true?
You don't need me to tell you that this has been an extremely divisive election. The candidates aren't the only ones at each other's throats. If you're like me, you are probably already contemplating a strict "no politics" policy at Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps no politics on Facebook isn't a bad idea either.
And that's why I had to laugh when I saw this - a new cup unveiled by Starbucks designed, according to the CEO, to be a "reminder of our shared values" at this divisive time. A tweet from the company explains this illustration as "friends, baristas, and customers drawn in one continuous line - reminding us we're all connected."
That's a nice thought, I suppose. But it couldn't be further from the truth.
We don't all share the same values, not even close.
For instance, what values do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump share?
Love for their family and their country. A desire for power and a willingness to do what it takes to get it, if those are considered values. But beyond that? I would argue they share very little.
I do believe that when it comes to certain things, like looking out for the needy and defending the homeland, we either hang together or we'll hang separately, as Benjamin Franklin put it. But a unified nation? Here and now?
Hey Starbucks - time to wake up and smell the coffee.
