Posted on 07/08/2019 3:12:26 AM PDT by dis.kevin
Controversial photo reaches state’s most prominent 'formerly undocumented immigrant' Lieutenant governor's wife calls photo from Meadville chamber event 'painful'
News of a controversial photo featuring four golfers dressed as U.S. Border Patrol agents at a recent Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce golf outing has reached the state’s most prominent “formerly undocumented immigrant.”
Gisele Barreto Fetterman, wife of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, used that phrase to highlight both her experience of living in the country illegally and her current status as Pennsylvania’s “second lady” in a tweet originally posted after her husband’s election and now pinned to the top of her Twitter feed.
On Friday, Fetterman turned to Facebook to join an online brouhaha that has drawn hundreds of comments from Crawford County residents in recent days. At the center of the debate is a photograph of Meadville Medical Center employees wearing Border Patrol hats and T-shirts and smiling as they hold their clubs beside a golf cart at the chamber-sponsored Women’s Golf Scramble on June 26.
The photo was among several posted to the Chamber of Commerce Facebook page after the event. All photos from the event have since been removed, though the photo of the Border Patrol foursome and the man who may have served as their caddy persists in the form of screenshots taken by residents outraged at what they saw as inappropriate behavior.
In posting such a screenshot, Fetterman emphasized the importance of immigrants to the American economy and the challenges still faced by minorities, even when it comes to health care before turning to the image of the women in the matching outfits they wore for the contest that was part of the “Fiesta”-themed chamber event.
“And here is the costume contest held by Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce and won by Meadville Medical Center. This is incredibly insensitive and painful and it’s important to talk about why all these factors + the morality of it matter (all while migrant families are being held under inhumane conditions),” she wrote, adding a link to a Time magazine story about the experiences of migrant children in U.S. custody. “I’d love to visit and have a conversation - I hope they accept my invitation.”
Fetterman came to the U.S. from Brazil with her mother and brother as a child to avoid violence and crime in Rio de Janeiro, according to several past interviews. After 15 years in the country, Fetterman became a permanent resident in 2004 and a citizen in 2009, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profile.
That Fetterman and others would take offense to the image apparently caught Chamber of Commerce officials off guard.
“The Meadville Chamber of Commerce has become aware that some people were offended by the costumes one of our teams wore at a recent women’s golf outing,” Executive Director Christa Lundy said in a statement to the Tribune on Wednesday. Lundy apologized to the person who first posted online about the photo, she added. “We did not intend to cause any harm or to be insensitive and are sorry the costumes caused unintended offense.”
The image received more attention over the Fourth of July holiday, with many reactions falling into two camps: those expressing outrage at costumes they saw as insensitive and insulting and those expressing outrage over what they saw as overly sensitive reactions to a lighthearted attempt at fun.
Officials at Meadville Medical Center did not see the costumes in a fun light when they learned of them Wednesday. The hospital’s 1,750 employees participate in dozens of charity events each year. Never before have such activities caused any controversy, according to Don Rhoten, vice president of consumer engagement.
“The message conveyed through this image in no way reflects the values or position of the Medical Center and we sincerely apologize to anyone it offended,” Rhoten said in a statement to the Tribune on Friday. “Guidelines are being created to ensure employees participating in future events align with MMC’s values and mission to serve our community.”
Meadville resident Cassandra Gonzalez would like to see more than just new employee guidelines come out of the controversy provoked by the photo of the Border Patrol foursome.
“Wow Meadville Medical Center,” Gonzalez wrote in the first post to draw attention to the chamber photo. “Border Patrol costumes at a ‘fiesta’-themed event? Crawford county Pennsyltucky keeping it classy. You'd think such a prominent employer in Meadville would be less provocative and political.”
In an interview, Gonzalez drew particular attention to the event’s “Fiesta” theme, a theme she felt opened the door to the sort of cultural appropriation and reductive stereotypes evident in the photo.
“A ‘fiesta’ is a celebration,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t know about anybody else, but Mexicans being detained at the border is not my idea of a party.”
Gonzalez expressed optimism that something positive could come of the controversy.
“I wish people would understand why they think it’s offensive,” she said regarding the photo. “I wish people could see beyond themselves for a second.”
As for the chamber, Gonzalez hopes to see more diversity in an organization whose board of directors appears to include no people of color among the 19 officers and members. Had any been present during the organization of the golf event, Gonzalez said, they likely could have drawn attention to the potentially problematic theme.
“They need to be more involved in the chamber,” Gonzalez said of minority business owners. “I’m hoping (the controversy) will be motivation.”
Already the controversy generated by Gonzalez’s post and the others that followed it has drawn the attention of the chamber, though what may follow from that attention remains unclear. In a statement Friday, Lundy said the chamber’s executive team has met to discuss the Border Patrol costumes and “the fact that some people may have been offended by” them.
“We sincerely apologize,” Lundy said in the statement.
Lundy did not respond to Tribune inquiries regarding what actions, if any, were being considered by the executive team. When she subsequently posted the statement to Facebook, it was immediately met with more than 200 comments, many of them criticizing what responders viewed as a lack of sincerity.
Gonzalez was again among those posting.
“The statement the Chamber put out basically said, ‘We’re sorry you feel that way,’” she said. “It’s not an apology.”
I see nothing to apologize for.
Fake outrage.
Outrage fatigue.
“Fetterman came to the U.S. from Brazil with her mother and brother as a child to avoid violence and crime in Rio de Janeiro, according to several past interviews. After 15 years in the country, Fetterman became a permanent resident in 2004 and a citizen in 2009, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profile.”
The “immigrant” must be believed. (sarcasm)
So a criminal is offended by images of the police?
Good. May she think of them every day.
Cassandra is so woke that she feels comfortable with industrial levels of hypocrisy; “...Crawford county Pennsyltucky keeping it classy”
Looks like a team-building exercise to me.
We did this in the military periodically, albeit on our own time but it was still a team Builder.
Now let’s talk about fresh air, exercise and clearing the mind. I think the stress the border patrol is under probably requires if they get out and away from the stress of their jobs and enjoy themselves a little bit, that’s very important.
And as a note, I take it the border patrol has lacks personal fitness and weight standards? But then again it’s not the military ...
She doesn’t like it, she can carry her a$$ on back to Brazil. Personally, I think a lot of people have reached illegal alien fatigue. Tired of those parasites being treated better than Americans.
Dressing like the heros who guard our borders only offends those who will never be Americans no matter what their papers say. I am sick of the perpetually offended weaklings. To quote the liberals “that’s not who we are”
The First Lady came in on a legitimate work visa. This second lady (one of 50) was an illegal.
So I shouldn’t wear my Secret Service cap and T-shirt anymore that I bought at the Secret Service store while at their building for a meeting? And if I ever have a meeting at CBP, I can’t wear souvenirs that I bought at the store there? Like BP caps and t-shirts? What about Diplomatic Security? Can’t wear any of it if it offends anyone anywhere? Tough.
Open Borders media LIE!
They are NOT wearing BP uniforms or official caps. They are only wearing BP fan tee-shirts and caps - recognition of those who risk their lifes to defend our nation's borders and sovereignty. Are sports fans ever described as "dressed as XXXteam members" for the same?
Only an Anti-American media and politicians could see anything wrong with that?
The Border Patrol welcomes legal immigrants into the country, and attempts to provide safe and secure entry points for them. All Americans, and legal visitors to the US as well, should be PROUD of our Border Patrol. Honoring them by imitating them should be welcomed at any and all charity events. Hats off to the Border Patrol, and the golf team that so honored them.
Billions want to enter the US to avoid “violence and crime.” More rationalization to justify lawbreaking.
I wonder if this is like the Starbucks story, they made some people feel unsafe.... I wonder why?
Chamber of Commerce spoofing CBP agents? Really?
SAPS..! We have become nothing more then saps... :(
When are we going to wise up start defending ourselves and our country..?
Which state?
“The statement the Chamber put out basically said, ‘We’re sorry you feel that way,’” she said. “It’s not an apology.”
That was a perfectly good LIBERAL apology.
“The statement the Chamber put out basically said, ‘We’re sorry you feel that way,’” she said. “It’s not an apology.
Hey, Mental Midget Gonzales: It ISN’T an apology. Why would someone apologize if there is no reason to do so?
Sadly, I predict the employer will put the screws to those wearing the hats and T-shirts, and they will be forced to publicly recant and prostrate themselves in pentinence to keep their jobs, if they aren’t fired outright.
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