So, the joke goes like this:
“An American Journalist has gotten permission to visit a very reclusive country in South East Asia that is ruled by a dictator. For the purpose of this joke, we shall call the country…let’s see…how about Korth Norea (after all, we don’t want the same fate to befall Coeur as did James Franco and Seth Rogan)
The Journalist is having a debate with someone who works for the state newspaper about which country is better. The American says that one of the great things about the USA is Freedom of the Press and Free Speech. He goes on to say that he has the right to yell a protest out at the top of his lungs. He then takes a deep breath and yells out…”The American President should be removed from office immediately!!”
There, that’s one of the things that makes our country great, he says.
The other journalist looks at him, thinks for a minute and then says…”So. We can do that too!”
His American visitor clearly does not believe him and says as much.
His counterpart says, you don’t believe me? Ok..then I’ll prove it. He draws a deep breath and at the top of his lungs yells…
“The American President should be removed from office immediately!!”
Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. Happy 4th of July everyone! Seriously though, at Coeur, we do have a pretty deep patriotic streak. We know and love the fact that running, cycling, swimming and triathlon are international sports and we like to fancy ourselves as “citizens of the world” but on days like today, we do stop and reflect on the things that (we think) make the United States great. Here are a few:
1. The First Amendment. While there are plenty of things that can be improved, we will continue to be very positive about the United States so long as people and the press have the ability to share their opinions and debate their points of view. This creates a “Marketplace of Ideas” that gives the best ideas and the “Truth” a fighting chance to come out. And to borrow a great quote (apologies that I can’t remember who said this), “the truth has a stubborn and incorrigible persistence”. Give us enough time and the ability to debate and we’ll eventually get things right.
2. Social Justice. Early on, someone told us to steer clear of controversy as a company. We were told “People will want to buy your clothes if the quality is very high, the customer service is great and the prices are reasonable.” By and large, we have tried to do that but perhaps this one time, you’ll give us a pass. After all, companies are made of people and people have points of view. Here at Coeur, we love the fact that the trend here in the United States is to judge people not by the color of their skin, their sexual orientation or their sex but rather by “the content of their character”. We strive to be “good people”, we like to sponsor “good people” and we hope that these values resonate with our customers.
Oh…and speaking of winning your business, we're offering a 4th of July special. Just enter the code USA1 when you order a triathlon kit and we’ll add in a free Bike Love T-shirt and a Coeur Water Bottle to the order.
Happy Birthday America!