Any Halloween bashes I attended as a kid usually consisted of the same old party games, like bobbing for apples, painting pumpkins, and playing “Ghost in the Graveyard”, which was basically Hide and Seek but with a few special twists.
Nowadays, people are getting more and more creative in finding ways to keep children entertained while hosting them on the big night. And nothing says “Halloween” quite like encouraging children to help build a border wall between the southern states and Mexico to keep Mexican people out of America.
Children attending a Halloween party at a building on the White House complex were given just that opportunity.
According to Yahoo News , the bash took place on October 25th at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the families of executive-branch employees and VIP guests gathered to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve.
But rather than just letting the children simply enjoy some deliciously spooky festivities, one office within the building decided to make a station where kids could help “build the wall”, so to speak. Which is every child’s dream .
Yahoo News obtained exclusive photos of the party and suffice it to say, the whole “wall” thing definitely stood out.
Costumed children attending the soiree were each given a red paper “brick” for them to write their name on, which were then used to create a mural of sorts. The result? A giant brick wall with the phrase, “Build The Wall” in the middle.
Each display at the party was meant to address the overall theme, “When I grow up, I want to…” It’s unclear how this particular display was supposed to fit the theme.
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It should be noted that other offices had more appropriate, kid-friendly festivities.
Like carnival games, paper airplane stations, and a candy shop — you know, activities that children could both enjoy and understand.
But the “wall” display certainly stole all the attention at this particular party.
And according to Yahoo News , some parents weren’t pleased to see Trump’s highly controversial border wall being presented as an activity for children.
One anonymous party-goer said they were “horrified” by the display.
The station featured other troubling aspects beyond encouraging children to “build” Trump’s border wall.
On either side of the mural there were smaller signs, including one reading “America First.” This is a phrase oft spoken by President Trump himself, which has been criticized since it was once employed by the Klu Klux Klan.
A Trump administration official said those offended by the display are making too big of a deal.
“Everyone loses their minds over everything, and nothing can be funny anymore,” they told Yahoo News , while a Republican congressional staffer got right to the point and said, “Who gives a s*** about EEOB having Halloween decorations.”
But Frank Sharry, executive director of the immigrant advocacy group America’s Voice, said the wall is an “insensitive metaphor.”
“It screams to white grievance voters that ‘real Americans’ should fear, exclude and dehumanize brown people,” he said. “Only in Trump’s White House would a holiday event centered on kids, costumes and candy become a propaganda opportunity for his racism and xenophobia.”
Ben Rohrbaugh, who worked on National Security Council on border security in the Obama administration, echoed this sentiment.
“To the extent the wall is just a xenophobic symbol, this is obviously a gross thing to have children do,” he said. “To the extent it’s a representation of an actual wall on the southwest border, the kids have made nearly as much progress as the president has since 2017.”
Reactions online are unsurprisingly divided between people who support the actual wall and those who oppose it.
“This is disgusting,” one Twitter user said, while another added, “Totally inappropriate to involve children. Protect their innocence.”
Someone quipped, “In the next room they were playing pin the star on the immigrant,” prompting another user user to add, “Or musical children’s cages.”
Pro-Trump users joined in on the discussion to say that they actually approve of the controversial station.
“Aww, adorable kids,” this user wrote. “They love our country!”
Someone else added, “Brilliant. And I’m guessing no kid said ‘no’ because even kids understand the importance of a wall.”
h/t: Yahoo News
