Two prominent black pastors are suing Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association for targeting black and Hispanic consumers. The suit alleges that sugary beverages take more lives than street violence.
And they are correct in a sense; violence is sudden death without the chance of developing future health issues. But, obesity is a slow and debilitating life sentence.
Pastors Delman Coates, from Mount Enon Church in Maryland and William Lamar of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, claim their communities are targets of misleading advertisements from soft drink companies:
“It’s become really clear to me that we’re losing more people to the sweets than to the streets,” said Coates, who said he has seen members of his congregation give their infants bottles filled with sugary drinks. “There’s a great deal of misinformation in our communities, and I think that’s largely a function of these deceptive marketing campaigns.”
Sure. Blame it on soda pop. Or, tell the mother giving a bottle filled with sugary drinks to an infant that she is slowly killing her child. Does anyone have one iota of common sense or do we have to regulate that now along with cigarettes and alcohol?
I’m Lovin It…Not So Much
Multiple studies conducted on advertising junk food and sugary beverages in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods back up the Pastors’ claims; but also shed light on a past that contributed to this demographic issue. Since the 1960s, advertising to minority markets was ramped up to right the social wrongs of American businesses ignoring a racially different consumer.
What was once a big step in furthering equality has now become a giant leap in fanning the flames of social injustice in America. As Coates described, “I am disgusted by the number of hospital visits I make. It just adds to the injustices all around us.”
The Lure of Pretty People
Obesity is the root cause of degenerative diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular complications and even lower extremity amputations. And sugar-sweetened beverages can exponentially increase the risk of developing any, and all, health problems. Everyone knows this, yet we all indulge in habits that may be detrimental to good health.
How is this Coca-Cola’s fault? Because they have the audacity to use attractive, physically fit people in their advertisements. You know, the people who only drink a few ounces of sugary beverages a month, exercise and have other healthy habits. Those elusive creatures:
“Marketing for Coca-Cola is focused around health and fun and showing very sexy bodies in their advertising. You never see an obese person. If the people are consuming Coca-Cola at this rate, there is no way those bodies would look like that. It’s almost as if they are selling joy. They are equating this product with the things that people are hoping for — joy, smiles, family. But this product will not deliver that. It delivers the exact opposite. Silence around this issue is violence.”
Name one company that uses obesity in their marketing strategy; yep, that’s what I thought.
It’s the Real Thing
Once again, the victim mindset is in use by liberals who cannot understand how they have turned back the clock on their own constituency. Instead of equality, they have now resorted to claims of injustice to validate why their communities are failing. They must blame someone. They must protest America at every turn, and punish the deep pockets they can’t keep their hands out of when faced with a constituency of dependent, self-absorbed, non-thinkers.
Things do go better with Coke. I suppose that includes lawsuits as well.
