The state department of corrections has sent out a "diversity calendar" to employees noting the birthdays of Ho Chi Minh, Karl Marx. V.I. Lenin, and other luminaries in the economic and human rights pantheons.
A state legislator is upset, but a department spokesman says it is supposed to be an "instructional tool" to "provoke thought," for employees who may want to learn more. Maybe the department can send each employee a copy of the "Black Book of Communism."
The Yakima Herald-Republic broke the story Saturday; but the P-I offers a very truncated AP version this morning, which leaves out the following: Dave Holbrook, 52, a community corrections officer in Vancouver, said when he opened the calendars in his e-mail at work, he was offended. "I'm a Vietnam veteran and to see Ho Chi Minh's birthday there, that just set me off. Then Memorial Day, when we honor my brothers and sisters who died," Holbrook said in a telephone interview....Diversity may be valued at Corrections but objecting to some of the names on the calendars is not, or at least not in Holbrook's case. He responded to the e-mailed calendars by hitting the "reply to all" key that he was offended by them. In a half hour, a supervisor showed up at my desk and said my e-mail was an inappropriate use of e-mail." |