Julie Myers – Faux Pas or Telltale

Racism is alive and well in the United States. We must fight it at every turn. Episodes like this are not to be laughed at and taken lightly because they are very telling of this issues we must address. Why did this man think his costumer would be funny? How long had he been waiting to and planning to put it on? Furthermore, why did Julie applaud it as “original.”

DHS employee put on leave after wearing ‘offensive’ costume – Full Story From CNN

From Jeanne Meserve and Mike M. Ahlers
CNN

Story Highlights:
• Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff directs employee to take leave
• Man in prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up came to party
• Party host was Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• She (Julie Myers) and other judges at first gave man praise for costume’s “originality”

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The employee who wore what some said was a racially insensitive Halloween costume to a party hosted by a top immigration official is being directed by the Homeland Security Department Secretary to take administrative leave.

Article before this incident from the Washington Post.

From the Department of Homeland Security Website:

Assistant Secretary,
Julie L. Myers

Assistant Secretary, Julie Myers Julie L. Myers is the assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She leads the largest investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $5 billion.

A person who thinks that a white person dressed as a black criminal makes for an “original” costume should not wield this much power. It’s no wonder the officers are being indicted in Connecticut invited the local officers to go on raids with the because it would be a “fun time.” (Link to story)