Posted on 02/09/2002 2:30:04 PM PST by RonDog
Dr Pepper Responds to Consumers
Regarding its Patriot Can
A Note to Dr Pepper Consumers:
In recent days, several news media outlets in the country have reported on a special edition Dr Pepper can that was created to show support for the patriotic fervor that has been sweeping America since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and to show the world that we are a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom.
Much of the information being circulated on this subject is incomplete or inaccurate. Here are the facts:
The can, released last November, features an image of the Statue of Liberty along with the words "One Nation … Indivisible."
The special packaging was designed to reflect our pride in this country's determination to stand together as one.
The Statue of Liberty and Pledge of Allegiance were chosen as two of the greatest symbols of American freedom.Due to space limitations on the can, only a few of the 31 words from the Pledge of Allegiance could be used. The available area for graphics limited the amount of verbiage on the can.
Of the 31 words in the Pledge of Allegiance, only three were included. More than 90 percent were not included.We at Dr Pepper/Seven Up strongly believe that the message on these cans is a resoundingly patriotic, bipartisan message that we are a united nation.
More than 41 million special edition cans were ordered by Dr Pepper bottlers in portions of a dozen states. Because the limited edition patriotic can is to be retired in February, you will soon see regular packaging graphics for Dr Pepper at your local retail stores.
Sincerely,
Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
Can someone "cut and paste" their full story, and contact information, here? (I cannot, at present.)
We need to warn them of their folly.
LMAO! Yeah that is some nasty hit. I heard somebody took some of that "hit" and took it to a lab and the results were "Your horses have kidney problems!"
Sure thing!
Dr Pepper Skips 'Under God' On Patriotic Cans
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Congressional Bureau Chief
February 08, 2002
Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - The Dr Pepper/Seven Up soft-drink company (DPSU) is under fire for skipping the phrase "under God" in a partial quotation of the Pledge of Allegiance on its "patriot can."
The graphic design of the can, created "to show the world that we are a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom" according to the company, includes an artist's rendering of the Statue of Liberty and the phrase "One Nation ... Indivisible."
The American Family Association learned of the omission of the phrase "under God" when a 12-year-old girl wrote the group to complain.
"I am very concerned with Dr Pepper's new design on their cans," wrote Alyssa Haynie of Colt, Ark., whose letter is posted on the AFA website. "I noticed they have 'one nation...indivisible' on their cans and left out 'under God.'"
Haynie had emailed the company, and was told there was not room on the can to include the complete phrase.
But Randy Sharp, director of special projects for AFA, doubts that reasoning.
"Because they're trying to be politically correct they're being patriotically incorrect," Sharp told CNSNews.com. "By doing so, they're becoming divisive themselves, because they're alienating a major portion of the nation."
Dr Pepper (the period was dropped from the name in the 1950s) has been hearing from its customers, as well, based on the home page of the soft drink's corporate website.
"Dr Pepper responds to consumers regarding its patriot can," is the headline stretching across two-thirds of the page.
"The special packaging was designed to reflect our pride in this country's determination to stand together as one. The Statue of Liberty and Pledge of Allegiance were chosen as two of the greatest symbols of American freedom," the site explains. "Due to space limitations on the can, only a few of the 31 words from the Pledge of Allegiance could be used."
The explanation continues describing the "verbiage limitations" imposed by the size of the graphics on the can, echoing the reason Haynie was given. It also notes that 90 percent of the Pledge's content was omitted.
Sharp still doubts that space restrictions caused the edit to be made.
"I think anyone who looks at the can could see that there is plenty of space to include 'under God' very easily," he said. "They could drop their nutrition label a little bit and 'boom' they'd have plenty of room."
Haynie made that exact point in a second email to DPSU, but says she received no response.
Despite the controversy, the soft-drink maker believes it accomplished its goal with the special edition container.
"We at Dr Pepper/Seven Up strongly believe that the message on these cans is a resoundingly patriotic, bipartisan message that we are a united nation," the letter to consumers concludes.
Sharp says DPSU might be surprised to learn that he has received complaints from a number of people identifying themselves as "non-Christian" or "not religious" who are also offended by the slight.
"They may not be religious but they do recognize and respect religion and God as major factors in our culture and in our society," he said. "It's clear this is a company that has decided not only to leave God out of its corporate philosophy, but also has decided to offend a great number of the citizens of this country."
DPSU says the claims made against the can's design are "incomplete or inaccurate." AFA is asking anyone offended by the omission to contact the company.
Forty-one million of the cans were distributed in a dozen states. The regular Dr Pepper can design will return later in February.
E-mail a news tip to Jeff Johnson.
Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.
Sure thing, here is the letter. Folks can use your links to get to the sources.
Letter from 12-year-old to AFA regarding Dr. Pepper
Dear Sir,
I am a 12-year-old home-school student. My mom helped me find your e-mail address and suggested I e-mail some Christian and family organizations because I am very concerned with Dr. Pepper's new design on their cans.
I noticed they have "one nation...indivisible" on their cans and left out "under God." I told my mom and she helped me e-mail Dr. Pepper. They responded and said there wasn't room on the can. They said "in light of recent events they were trying to catch the spirit of patriotism."
I responded and suggested they move their nutritional information box down or use a smaller type or both. I told them there wasn't a good reason for leaving "under God" out because our nation is based on God. They did not respond to my second e-mail.
On my 12th birthday, I was sitting in front of the TV with my parents watching terrorists bomb my country. You see Sept. 11 is my birthday. On the day that was supposed to be most special to me out of the whole year except Jesus' birthday, I saw my America under attack and going to war.
I should know about what Dr. Pepper calls "patriotism in light of recent events." My world will never be the same. I want to get Christians united in a boycott against Dr. Pepper until they put "under God" back on their cans. Can you please help me? Could you please e-mail me back. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Haynie
Colt, Arkansas
Why should they,since God is nothing but a myth created to scare the superstitious?
Why would this have been bad IF they had done it on purpose? The words "under God" weren't even added untill the early 1950's. Was the POA somehow evil up untill that time?
Sometimes I wonder if we on the right are guilty of the same PC crap that we complain about from the left.
Just another tax-exempt scam to fleece the superstitious. Looks like he has "discovered a issue" that is sure to bring him hundreds of thousands of dollars to "fight the good fight".
Funny you should mention that. A few months ago there was an outcry on FR about an old Looney Tunes short wherein Porky Pig recites the pre-1954 pledge. Even though he was old enough to know better, he swore that the short had been reedited to remove the words "under God". Others insisted the same thing.
The 'Pledge of Allegiance' WAS NOT on the Dr. Pepper can with the words 'under God' removed... The entire plege of allegiance was removed- and only a very words whose meaning would be immediately apparent to all...SHEEESH you KNEE-JERKERS HERE are getting annoying...
It may have eventually been used that way, but think about this: you are an archaic Homo sapiens-type of creature walking with your little tribe during a summer afternoon in what we now refer to as Bavaria. The sky darkens...streaks of yellow light cut the grey and loud, booming noises also come from above; a few minutes later torrents of water are on you.
Sir--no one can now talk you out of a belief in a Higher Power. I submit tht scenes such as this happened all over Asia, the Americas, etc., etc. to bring out the beliefs and fears that would eventually be molded into modern deities.
As am I; you sum this one up quite well.
And, in defense of those foolish enough to attack the folks at Dr Pepper wthout first independently verifying the FACTS, please consider that:
1 - The garbled account of what DPSU actually printed on their cans came from relatively trustworthy sources,
2 - In today's "politically correct" environment, the "Pledge mutilation" very easily COULD HAVE happened as alleged, and
3 - Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. in fact DID run - as some of the same "knee-jerkers" have charged - a television commercial in which the primary character "humorously" exposed himself in public.
The folks at "Internet Infidels" are promoting a campaign to THANK Dr Pepper for printing on their cans the full text of the "original Pledge!"
PRIOR TO this thread, none of the reports about this that I read had the facts right, and MOST either implied (or stated outright) that ONLY the two words "under God" were deleted, and that substantially the FULL TEXT of the rest of the Pledge was printed on the cans.
That, as it happens, was NOT true.
YOUR FReep had the benefit of STARTING WITH a much more accurate exposition of the problem, thanks to you and Merc! ;)
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