Here's what happened, in case you missed it:
Julie Myers, a Bush recess appointment who is now the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, hosted a Halloween party. One of her staff showed up at the party in a prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up.
Myers and other costume judges at the party praised the employee for his costume's "originality." A department photographer took a picture of Myers with this guy.
But after some employees complained, Myers apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive."
(continued)
Pressed for an explanation, Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff responded as follows:
"Here is the bottom line: People do dumb things," Chertoff said. "I get very perturbed when there is anything that is done that suggests that with respect to the enforcement of the law, we are anything other than even-handed. I have zero tolerance for racism or discrimination in the area of law enforcement. We have to be tough but we have to be fair. ... The idea that you are going to come and impersonate someone of another ethnic group, I think, is completely unacceptable."
Well then, why don't they TELL that to Homeland Security personnel at the job orientation? "Listen, people. One thing we don't want here, especially at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is department employees doing so-called "funny" impersonations of people of other ethnic groups."
(Disappointed crowd noise: "Awwwww...")
"I'm sorry, people, but that's the way it has to be. If you like dressing up as a negative racial or ethnic stereotype on your own time, that's your own business. But I don't want you showing up in these costumes here at the office, or at official functions. And looking around me, I can see that this reminder was necessary. You, sir, why are you wearing a serape and sombrero and a false moustache standing with your hand out in front of you like that?"
"I'm supposed to be an illegal Latino immigrant coming into the country to get welfare. It's a "hand out", get it?"
"You see? You see, people? This is exactly what I don't want to see around the office. How many people at this Homeland Security orientation think that that costume is acceptable for an employee to wear, show of hands, please...Mmm-mmm-hmm... Well, I'm glad to see that most of you don't think that this is acceptable. But the vote should not have been so close! (to employee) Now go take off that costume, and don't come to any official functions dressed like that again."
"Not even the office Halloween party?"
"No, not even the office Halloween party."
"Oh, come ON!"
"This is political correctness gone mad! I suppose you're going to make me go home and change now, too!"
"What are you supposed to be?"
"Can't you tell? Look at the leisure suit and a little coke spoon on a gold chain around my neck."
"What is that supposed to be?"
"Duh! I'm a Cuban drug dealer pretending to be looking for political asylum."
"Well, take that off too. That's wrong."
"Ms. Myers said it was very original!"
"I don't care how original she thinks it is, we'll have none of that here."
Crowd: "Booooo!"
The part that I'm still wondering about was "those other few costumes." We know that Myers apologized for more than one costume at the ICE office party. How do you think some of the other people were dressed, and why didn't the press report how these people were dressed?
And another thing I'd like to know that wasn't reported: that guy in the "dark skinned" makeup and dread locks and prison uniform--what exactly was he "supposed to be?" We all know that when you attend a Halloween party you're supposed to "go as" something. How did this guy identify himself, when he was asked what he was "supposed to be?" Knowing that, would help us to explain why Ms. Myers thought the idea was so "original."