Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Dept. of Halloween Security

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up. Some said the costume was offensive.

Whoo—glad we’re getting to the bottom of that.
Sure wouldn’t want to offend anyone who might be in this country illegally.
Don’t want to step on the toes of anyone who might be considering nefarious deeds against the United States.

Are we the laughing stock of the world, yet?
A recent poll noted how tourism to the US has sloughed off over 20% since 9-Eleven because our country is now perceived as un-welcoming.
Well, excuse me.
We're just a little snake-bit after that episode a few Septembers ago involving box cutters and steering aircraft into tall buildings.

Sorry if you happen to dress like a middle eastern terrorist stereotype, and we don’t want you here.

Meanwhile, you and I and other WASPs are singled out for random screenings in airport security lines—yeah, I look like I’d blow up something—little old ladies in wheel chairs, and infants in carriers are given the heave-ho.
It’s absolutely ridiculous.

And when some goofball shows up at the office halloween party—which just happens to be in the Dept. of Homeland Security—wearing a jailbird outfit, someone else gets uppity??

We were sitting in one of those harassment training sessions not long ago, and we reached the point of diminishing returns. The stuff in the presentation was just stupid. No one gropes the women in our office, none of the women are tapping the guys on the backside.
It just doesn’t happen.

And the boss said, “stop the tape."
"Here’s the bottom line," he went on. "We run this place with a high level of personal respect, and there will be jokes, and there will be light moments, and because we work so closely, there will be times when hugs are shared, and genuine, human emotions are shown. And if you don’t like that, you don’t have to work here.”

I wanted to cheer.
I wanted to applaud.
When are the real Americans among us going to stand up and say to the PC police, “enough!”

Let’s get on with the business of building and creating and being innovative…and if you’ve got a problem with how things are run, go find another gig somewhere else. If you’re smart and intelligent and productive, you’ll find a place that better fits your psychological comfort zone.

Someone having a good time…wearing prison stripes…offends a co worker?
Get over it.
Get a grip.
Get another job.

Frankly, I don’t want humorless androids working in Homeland Security. I want creative, imaginative, expressive employees to be my eyes and ears on the enemy, because folks, that’s what the enemy is: creative, and expressive and determined. And we must meet them head to head, toe to toe, tit for tat. And if that offends you, maybe you’re living in the wrong place.

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