Flap over costume party winner at Homeland Security.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by macallan25

They were at a Halloween party. I'm pretty sure dressing up in a costume isn't a matter of national security.

Friend,do you have a job? There is such as thing as professional decorum and ethics. Government positions, like the legal profession and others, operate on the basis of public trust and fair play for all. Anything that would compromise that, esp. in the Dept. of Homeland Security, specifically in the Immigration area, is stupid politically and ethically. A couple of weeks ago at my place of employment, we had a staff meeting where my supervisor brought up issues similar to this which revolved around language and culture which she'd received compliants about.

The problem is that people who are likeminded, of the same culture or who have a certain comfort level together, at times, tend to engage in all kinds of "edgy" racial, ethnic, sexual or gender talk and behavior in the workplace, and most people come to accept or tolerate it. (Some won't speak up against it out of a sense of intimidation or a fear of being ostracized.) But this "tolerance" breeds a kind of impunity in the minds of some, where they feel as though they can say what they will and do what they will without there being any negative consequences, professionally speaking. I've had several talks with younger colleagues about these matters; they don't seem to understand quite as well the difference between acceptable speech and behavior in the "street" and a recreational/social setting and in the workplace.