When Hoodies Kill...

"Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world -- even if what is published is not true." - Richard Bach, Illusions

Geraldo Rivera - 8:10 PM - 22 Mar 12

Justice will come to Zimmerman the Fla shooter-but I'm trying to save lives like Trayvon's-Parents Alert: hoodies can get your kid killed

Its not blaming the victim Its common sense-look like a gangsta & some armed schmuck will take you at your word

Its sad that I have to be the one reminding minority parents of the risk that comes with being a kid of color in America--channel the rage

Geraldo in a Hoodie

I'm willing to give Geraldo a tiny bit of slack on this... I believe that in his own ham-fisted way, he's trying to say the same thing as Toure, in his TIME article "Trayvon Martin: Advice for Young Black Boys After Tragedy":

"You will have to make allowances for other people’s racism. That’s part of the burden of being black. We can be defiant and dead or smart and alive. I’m not saying you can’t wear what you want, but your clothes are a red herring. They’ll blame it on your hoodie or your jeans when the real reason they decided you were a criminal is that you’re black."

There is bigotry in this country and in this world, and it's not only young black boys who fall victim to the negative stereotypes and irrational fears that others hold about them, or the acts those stereotypes and fears engender. "Advice for Muslims..." "Advice for Jews..." "Advice for Young Gay Men and Women..." "Advice for Young Girls..."

People see others the way they choose--and the way they're taught--and sometimes what they see has little basis in objective reality. Your clothes, your color, your size, the way you walk or talk, speaks to people (and to their prejudices), and whether or not what they hear is the truth, they will treat you accordingly.

So, while I think it's probably smart for parents to warn their kids that there are bigots and other assholes who may try to harm them because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation--either based on those factors alone or together with the style or color of the clothes they wear, music they listen to, or other innocent and semi-innocent activities they pursue--nether the parents or their children should ever lose sight of the fact that it is the bigots and assholes who are the problem, not the demographics of the kids or the clothes that they wear.

Black kids in hoodies (women in sexy clothes) (men leaving gay bars) are not "just askin' for it," no matter what some seem to think.


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Links:
Then he remembered he was on FOXNews and knew he needed to start digging. - Lawyers, Guns & Money (With special mention: "You might think it is a very appropriate quote for the situation, except in this case the “gun” is Trayvon Martin’s hoodie, not Zimmerman’s entirely too non-metaphorical gun." and "I’m going to slightly defend the sentiment behind the first quote ...", the latter of which likely inspired this whole post.)

Trayvon Martin: Advice for Young Black Boys After Tragedy | TIME Ideas | TIME.com

TheFactChannel's YouTube videos pretty fairly address the aspects incident and it's aftermath, and this video has about 35 minutes of 911 calls (and some commentary), which is the most comprehensive collection I've seen...

Trayvon Martin killing: When did hoods become associated with illicit activity? - Slate Magazine

Tragedy Gives The Hoodie A Whole New Meaning : NPR

The Associated Press: Trayvon Martin, my son, and the Black Male Code