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John Minchillo / AP
New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, of Brooklyn, speaks at a rally in New York for Trayvon Martin on Wednesday.
The fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a community crime-watch volunteer in a Florida suburb raises an uneasy question: Would he have been killed had he not been young, black and wearing a hoodie?
Most decidedly not, say some interested observers.
“This kid happened to have fallen into a wrong shade of black, and coupled with the fact that he was hooded made it more problematic,” said Jason J. Campbell, a blogger and an assistant professor of conflict resolution and philosophy at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“There’s a sense that this child was naive in the way he conducted himself (by wearing a hoodie). Unfortunately, African American males cannot conduct themselves in the same way that young white males can,” Campbell, who is black, told msnbc.com.
“It’s because society has said that a young black male dressed in this manner is up to no good,” Allie Braswell, CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, told msnbc.com. “Some of this is self-inflicted by dressing style, but it doesn’t mean every kid who puts a hoodie on is up to no good.”
Bill Lee, chief of police in Sanford, Florida, announces that he will be temporarily stepping down from his position as the investigation into the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is conducted.
Michael Skolnik, editor in chief of GlobalGrind.com, a site about the “hip” side of pop culture, wrote that he would never have met the same fate as Trayvon Martin, because he is white. “Even if I have a black hoodie, a pair of jeans and white sneakers on ... in fact, that is what I wore yesterday ... I still will never look suspicious. No matter how much the hoodie covers my face or how baggy my jeans are, I will never look out of place to you,” he wrote. “I will never look suspicious to you, because of one thing and one thing only. The color of my skin."
The now-ubiquitous garment was at the center of a "Million Hoodie March" in New York City on Wednesday. Hundreds of people, many cloaked in hoodies, marched to demand justice for the dead teen.
Hoodies, or hooded sweatshirts, have been around in the U.S. since the 1930s, first produced by Champion for laborers to wear in the freezing warehouses of New York.
Hip-hop artists popularized the hoodie as a rather sinister garment in the 1970s.
According to a 2006 article in The New York Times:
Goldie Taylor and Mark Thompson discuss the significance of their hoodies in showing solidarity for Trayvon Martin.
The sweatshirt hood can work much like a cobra hood, put up to intimidate others. But even more important is its ability to create a shroud of anonymity. This came in handy for at least two types of people operating in hip-hop’s urban breeding ground: graffiti writers and so-called stick-up kids, or muggers. Wearing a hoodie meant you were keeping a low profile, and perhaps up to something illegal.
By the 1990s, as hip-hop’s popularity spread, big-name clothing designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren included the hoodie as a primary component of their collections.
Campbell says black teens often wear hoodies for two reasons: to remain obscure and undetected, or to project a “don’t mess with me” image.
“The problem is, we as a society don’t have access to the motivations of the person wearing the hood,” Campbell says.
theGrio: Black youth react to the Trayvon Martin tragedy
Sanford, the Orlando suburb where the shooting took place, has a population of 53,000. It is 57 percent white and 30 percent black.
Trayvon Martin, who according to media reports stood 6-foot-3 and weighed a mere 140 pounds, may have not wanted to stand out, Campbell surmises.
Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post wrote an article on the dangers young African-American men face. Capehart shares some of the issues he faced growing up in New Jersey.
“It’s almost like the Harry Potter cloak – you think you put on a cloak and you disappear,” Campbell said.
“Young African American males in a public sphere almost exclusively want to be left alone.”
School tells kids: Dress in 'African American attire'
Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund, a child advocacy group, says black parents often have to have “the talk” with their sons about how to walk, what to say and how to act in public. She writes in in a Black Star News column titled “Trayvon: Murdered for walking while black”:
“At the time Trayvon was walking home from the nearby 7-11 carrying a bottle of Arizona iced tea and a bag of Skittles for his younger stepbrother, leaving many people to guess that the main thing he was doing that made him look 'no good' was wearing a hooded sweatshirt in the rain and walking while Black. George Zimmerman’s decisions made that suspicious enough to be a death sentence.”
Zimmerman, who told police he acted in self-defense, has not been arrested or charged. He was descrbed in the police report as white; his family says he is Hispanic. A grand jury will convene to look into the case.
Join the discussion on msnbc.com’s main Facebook page or on msnbc.com’s US News page
On Facebook, hundreds of msnbc.com followers weighed in on the issue.
“The fact is, young black men have created a stereotype, and until they break that stereotype by human behavior, you will be treated accordingly,” wrote Jerry Warren Sr. “Do I think that all blacks deserve that picture that has been painted of them? Of course not. But as long as a percentage of a population behaves like lawless animals, they will drag you down to their level. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and these wannabe gangsters are your weak link.”
“Have u ever been stopped, & searched by the police, because of what u had on? I didn't think so!! Its reality!!” wrote David E. Jones of Lumberton, N.C., who is black. “I've been detained & searched, because of what was wearing more times than I can remember!! If it’s just ‘a fashion,’ why is an innocent kid dead??"
Braswell, of the Central Florida Urban League, says he constantly worries about how his 16- and 20-year-old sons are perceived “based on the attire they choose to wear.”
“I tell them they need to dress to be able to be in any environment. While they do wear jeans and hooded sweatshirts, they do wear them in style that’s acceptable by a general population,” Braswell says.
“They tell me back that I should not be judged by clothing I wear, I should be judged by who I am.”
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Leave a Comment:
Any person in my back yard at night wearing a" Hoodie" is suspicious & has nothing to do with race
This kid wasn't in anybody's yard.
Someone I don't know in my back yard at night is suspicious regardless of what they are wearing. If the hoodie increases your suspicion you need to look deep inside yourself and ask why.
It was raining, and he was walking home from the store for his step-brother. All the kids around here were hoodies, especially in cold and rain. The 911 tapes where he's begging for his life, " please somebody help me?" pretty much Say's it all. This wanna be cop was over reacting, and now an innocent kid is dead. We can not just go around shooting people because of what they are dressed like!
I wear a hoodie when it is cold, is this as_hole going to shoot me as a 50 some Grandmother. Really, a hoodie is not why this kid got shot, it was because he was black, plain and simple.
And that's where the dangerous perception of hoodies come to play...hoodies are used in most of the violent crimes from bank robberies to burglaries...regardless of the perpetrator's skin color. Anyone remember the unibomber? Maybe Kaczynski should be credited with giving the hoodie it's modern day image.
If I want to live longer, I think an umbrella might be a good investment. I would look less threatening...then again, I'd look like an easy target...it's a catch-22.
Don, good comment. Unfortunately, most of ones (the 99%) wearing hoodies don't read. But Mother Nature has a way of cleaning up the gene pool. You need a hoodie in Florida - doggone cold weather.
For those that are so damn critical, do you not understand why "hoodies" bring concern? Look at a police lineup sometime if your mind needs a clue.
None of us live on their own island. Because of this we need to interact with all people. When more folks feel threatened than don't, possibly it is wise to change your actions. But do whatever you feel "good" about.
But Bill, should I really have to get my head wet for fear that somebody might shoot me if I put my hood up?
In England, hoodies are strongly connected to crime. Because of the cameras everywhere, kids up to no good wear hoodies, to the point where it's been outlawed in some areas.
Of course, this is not England, but hoodies can and do serve the same purpose here.
Oh, but that was not the question asked by the Lame Stream Media.... they have to tweek the questions so they can fuel racism, raise tempers and extract emotion from their victims.... wooops, I mean viewers.
Reality question #1. Did the weather on the day of the tragedy warrant wearing a "hoodie"? We're talking Florida here, right?? As an educator, some school systems have have banned wearing a "hoodie" after the Columbine massacre in Colorado. Race has nothing to do with it; Columbine was overwhelmingly white in its enrollment, and the loss of lives was not because of racism, but deranged students went over the top. Bottom line; wearing a "hoodie" in a gated community at night is a recipe for disaster, whatever your race in a nighttime environment. Let's stand back and look at the big picture, folks. Would YOU as a person (black or white) think that walking through a gated community wearing a "hoodie" could be a dangerous thing to do? Sad commentary, but we must not allow our young people place themselves in harm's way to make a fashion statement.
Hoodies the last 7 perps on my evening news robbing convienience stores were wearing hoodies with the hood up in the surveilance photos
Motorcycle gangsters still wear leather jackets and ride huge Harleys. Does that make ALL motorcyclists who wear leather jackets and ride huge Harleys into motorcycle gangsters?
Do you all run and hide, or call the cops, or grab your gun every time you hear a Harley coming down your street?
Not all Harley riders fly "colors". All gangstas wear hoodies. You be just as racist as you want but you're talking smoke and mirrors.
Ive read alot of ur comments and your awesome..lol..and right...like u said does everyone piss themselves when they hear a harley...or run screamig when thy see someone with a shaved head and tat's thinking they are a nazi..NO....One girl made a point about the styles in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's ect....how the generation befor saw the new fashion as 'dangerous'...zoot suits in the 20's the saw as shady...in the 50's the pompadore, tight white t's and jeans were seen as the style thugs and hoodlums wore....this isnt really a new issue..but for the most part they were simply judged, not killed..and in the case that did happen...someone was charged.......but this isnt the 1950's..its 2012...If they let this guy slip through the system for what he did..it makes me a little paranoid about walking out my door...Even as a mainly white mid 20's female...but where is this gonna end...Im 1/2 arabic..I have purple streaks in my hair, tat's, piercings, wear hoodies OFTEN....whats the next insane thing a person is gonna want to pick out in a person to go after cause they seen this looney get by with it.....Most people are sterotyped in some way or another....if this boy can be shot because of it, where is it gonna end and who's next.....this is just as rediculous as if someone shot a person with German heritage cause of the Nazi's in WW2....If we were allowed to shoot people because of the past, or heritage, or race, or anything we didnt like and especially get away with it...wed ALL be dead...
Ok, one more time, for the record.
Baggy pants started in Europe in the '90s, along with the resurgence of flared pants.
In prison, you don't get a choice of pants you want to wear.
The underwear showing came from prison. Thats was so people knew who's bitch someone was.
Not ALL black people walk around with their under wear hanging out.
I am a grand parent but I am going to start wearing a hoodie in protest.
I really hate hoodies but it is my fashion right to wear what I want to wear, especially in the rain.
you are such a dork
some one looking like that in my yard will end up the same
Whatever, this kid wasn't in anybody's yard.
He had an ice tea and skittles in his hand, how scary is that ?? Why doesn't anyone read the article. He was not in any ones yard, He begged for his life! If I shot young males in hoodies walking by my yard the body's would be piling up faster than the cops could get here due to the amount of teens who wear them. Its the cool thing for them and we have to stop judging people by the color of their skin and what they are wearing. Just wondering who is shooting the guys dressed in leather with tatts??? Ohh that's right, they are mostly white so that's not scary at all. NOBODY should be judged on appearances.
mike, I thought conservatives were supposed to have a reverence for life? Apparently killing people you don't like the look of doesn't count?
looking like what, wearing a hoodie or being black? You Second Amendment tough guys crack me up. I would dearly love to sit on a jury convicting you of second degree murder because someone looked dangerous and would love even more to see your smuga$$ expression change when you get 20 years. Hopefully, when this joker goes to trial, they'll televise it like Casey Anthony.
he will not get 20 years for that, it will be 12 and he will be out in 6 or 5 if he behaves.
You're obviously not from Florida...in Florida you serve 80-85% of your sentence before parole is possible, that would mean he would serve at least 16 years.
im not from florida! thank god im not too. i believe that is only in federal cases bro. not state!
Crahsmerry:
You're a fool... NOWHERE does it this article does it say Martin "begged for his life." 9-11 recordings, mentioned in OTHER articles attribute cries for help as coming from Zimmerman, who was being apparently assaulted by Martin. Who knows who said what, but to say this article says Martin was begging for his life is simply wrong. But please don't fact cloud your judgement.
Guess it's just easier to make up things to support you own version of reality, instead of relying on pesky things like THE FACTS.
.
good to hear i would do the same thing
Of course that kid was guilty. Everybody knows it's a crime to walk around while black!! Now the shooter will be convicted of the crime of carrying a gun while being a stupid racist and using it.
Now us Innocent people can't defend ourself against thugs. They will win in every way. I am an Innocent man and I want to be able to defend myself from these thugs who just don't know how to behave. Teach your kids it was the parents faults. Now they are crying and blaming the laws. You guys need to have some responsiblity.
For decades we have danced around the discussions about race because somebody always cries racist. We can't have a clear discussion about how we feel towards each other. We can't talk about why crime involving blacks is all out of proportion the the percentage of population. We can't talk about personal responsibility because white and black leaders still push for a victim mentality.
Don't expect improvement if we don't start having the tough conversations.
Harold, admit it, you're a racist.
I think Harold is closer to the truth than many here care to admit.
I would guess that Dave would be the racist for claiming Harold was. Harold is dead on the money.
African Americans are always being blamed for something or another in this country. Guns have been around for centuries. Whose money was used to manufacture guns?. Who started this hatred and separation mentality? Who started this fear? There are many issues that need to be addressed and it's not only a black and white thing, but a Hispanic thing, an Asian thing, and Indian thing, etc., and unless they do something and the story becomes big news, they have their own language newspapers and and news stations, so half of what goes on in their communities, the public is not aware of. The white racist news media always targets blacks. People have been literally crying out for help for ages, and no one wants to help, but people are quick to hate, judge and condemn. This was supposed to be the greatest country in the world, a melting pot for all, and between the hate mongers here and many of those who come here for a piece of the American dream, and then turn out to be some of the most hateful, greedy, selfish, and ignorant people I have ever seen. All the other nationalities have an easier time getting jobs, housing etc.. What does this country expect when it's hatred has worn down a race, and then turns around and blames them for everything. First the whites were killing blacks, now the Hispanics are killing blacks. Trayvon's death was a cold blooded premeditated murder, fueled by racism. I pray for his family, God rest your soul TRAYVON, you never hurt no one.
Harold, Obama said much the same thing in his 2008 Philadelphia speech.
On both sides of the fence.
@dave: Dave admit it, you're an idiot.
LookinUpAnyway and Blacks are killing Blacks the most.
Pullitsurprize: I think dave was making a joke.
dave-sunny so.cal, Robert-2589118, you're suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
...
Gotta make sarcasm clear on the internet.
...
Pullitsurprize1 banned, multiple of pullitsurprize, also banned. Don't register multiple accounts.
So are we calling this the HOODIE KILLING? Zimmerman said, "They always get away." Hope he is Happy now that he killed One! The man needs to be in Jail! Ok, do you think we should be afraid of people that have their whole bodies tattoed? or what about those piercings... Better stand your ground and start shooting.
This whole thing is F****D UP
Pray for the family of Trayvon Martin. JUSTICE for Trayvon.
The truth will come out eventually, do not fear.
You already are and anybody on a motorcycle. Because we are all bad aren't we. That fear crosses race lines something you all have in common. Thats why sometimes my Christian motorcycle group finds ourselves making a church run to a church that doesn't welcome it's own people if they ride.
Doris... the only thing "F***D UP is YOU... you stupid fool
Justice for Trayvon happened when he assulted a man with a gun.
I glad someone else said it...Your right, whats next..people with tattoos, piercing, a hair style someone doesnt like...its rediculous...this boy was walking home wit a bag of skittles and a can of ice tea..IN THE RAIN, IN FEB...Who wouldnt be wearing a hoodie...everyone keeps saying rappers and gangsters are to blame for people seeing the hoodie as suspiciou...they werent the first.Punk Rock was the first to bring them in fashion wayyy befor rap or gangsters wore them...I wear a hoodie almost daily weather permitting..and so does my 49 year old mother...To point the finger at anyone and say a pieceof clothing association with any genre gives a person the right to shot a kid is B.S....I might be white, but am I next..cause I wear black hoodies, have tat's everywhere, piercings, and Im 1/2 arabic...where does this end....ive never commited a crime in my life but i guess people could see me as fitting into a 'dangerous' or 'suspicious' demographic because its cold and i wore hoodie that day....so they have a right to shoot my while i walk home...people need to get their heads straight. Ive seen alot of racial remarks made on here and this is a racial case..but if this p.o.s can use this boy being black and in a hoodie to shoot him..what are people gonna use next...thats like saying a person can shoot u if they dont like the color of your hair...hmmm sounds framiliar doesnt it....SEIG HILE'....Wasnt that Hilters reasons for genocide...he disliked a certain demographic and saw them as 'dangerous'...anyone who thinks the comparision is an extreme needs to check their selves..cause if a young boy..no matter his race can be shot because of a piece of clothing and the shooter not be charged...when others think they can get away with it...where is it gonna stop..really...This is a hate crime no matter how u spin it..and this man needs to be charged or its going to set off a bunch of crazies that think its ok to do this...My heart and prayers go out to Trayvon and his family...No one should ever have to go through this and it just baffles me to think that in 2012 this can happen...this isnt 1950's Alabama, back woods, segregation, KKK territory...this shouldnt be an issue now days......Not arresting Zimmerman is a spit in the face to everyone who fought and died for Civil Rights...
DJPIXIE: Spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They matter if you want to be read/taken seriously.
are you kidding? you are concerned with spelling and grammar when DJPIXIE just made a very good point. Just stupid.
When the TSA pulled me aside for a random violation of my rights I was pissed off. Later I thought about how upset I was and how perhaps that just a small taste of how a black teen might feel every time someone judges them by their appearance or stops them because they look out of place. Why is America so scared of everything? It's fear that breeds all this hatred.
Canadians don't have any fears or prejudices? Must be nice to be so perfect.
It is.
How about we leave race out of this discussion all together. What we know is that the Neighborhood watch captain called 911 regarding the kid. He was essentially told to stand down. He didn't. Some sort of struggle ensued. There is a recording of the 17 year old yelling for help. The 17 year old ends up dead. Armed apparently with a bag of skittles. This just smells bad. My heart goes out to that 17 year old kids parents. Hope the grand jury investigation clears up what happened.
It is not possible because all studies show that being Black increases your chances of being approached by police. It is a fact of life. If you have five people standing over a dead body; one White, one Black, two Hispanic, and one Arab, the Arab or Black person are times more likely to be put under greater suspicion then the White or Hispanic bystanders.
Until the cops stop pulling over, stopping, or arresting Blacks at a higher percentage race is always going to be an issue in these kinds of situations. That includes figuring how why Blacks are seen as more usupicious. Historical statistics show that Blacks are more likely to commit crimes, if you believe those statistics anyway. Many posit this is because Blacks have a much harder life then White or other races.
That is not true these days in 2012 but it was true in the 70's to the end of the 90's. A decade is not enough time for cops to stop seeing demographics when approaching people. That is not even dealing with the actual racists or racist upbringings that some percentage of the country has been exposed to by their parents or grand parents.
My own grandmother was racist against Hispanics. She would call them Mexicans to their faces regardless if they were born her or not. There will always be a certain number in the population that cannot get of their racism and the ones that have power in public of political lands, or that can influence their family members are why Race is still an issue.
The real reason that there are more black people in prison is this:
Blacks and Whites commit crimes at the same rate and percentage. The difference is that while a white person who just committed a crime could drive right past a police officer without a second look, while the black guy, who just committed a crime, would get pulled over for no other reason than being black.
Police work is 95% luck. They pull over black folks expecting to find some type of illegal activity, and they get lucky.
If the cops were pulling over white folks like they do black folks there would be just as many whites as blacks in prison.
That's absolute nonsense MacD. Black males commit 40% of the crime in America all by themselves while being less than 6% of the population.
I can understand some of the rage that is associated with this story, coupled with the fact that at every turn the media and certain people (cough cough Al S.) keep making it a race issue as in black/white, even though Zimmerman's family says he is Hispanic and was raised in a multi-ethnic family.
What happened was horrible and should not have happened, regardless of who did what.
My question is why there hasn't been the same level of outrage for what happened just 3 days ago in Chicago when several people were killed in one night INCLUDING A 6 YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS VERY MUCH UNARMED.
Where was all that anger then???????
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/19/10758488-chicago-bloodbath-6-year-old-among-those-killed
Because it is illegal to carry a gun in Chicago, so there is nothing for the activists to protest. In this case they were not arguing that Zimmerman broke the law, they kept trying to make it seem like he was well within the law and the law was the problem. The people who are against people's ability to protect themselves have no boundaries. They will gladly exploit the death of a 17 year old and misrepresent the law in order to advance their agenda.
@Robbob, I live by Chicago, and yes, there was much outrage over the violence of last weekend, especially over the shooting of the six year old little girl. The difference is the police did their job. They caught those responsible. There were no racially motivated attacks, no false claims of self defense, and no crappy cops.
MSNBC did not run 6 stories on it in when it happened, Al Sharpton did not come out and protest, the Black Liberation Front did not threaten to do a citizens arrest on any of the perps, and most of them are still at large. Guess black on black murder is acceptable in Chicago, and I'll bet a Million to one that everyone that is caught will plead not guilty.
As to the racially motivated attack it was brown on black, minority on minority, so all of you can drop the whole white racist BS, it won't fly no matter how many times the "civic leaders" or the liberal media continue to throw it up to see if it will catch some air, IT IS COMPLETE BS and all y'all know it. PLUS THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE THE HUMAN RACE
It will be very interesting to see if all those calling for Zimmerman's head on a stick will apologize if it turns out that Martin attacked first and from behind and it was purely self defense?
One thing that has bothered me from the first reports, was the fact that Martins father said he did not find out about his son until 7am then next morning, go back and read the first stories about this case it there. Now how was it that his 17 year old son was out all night and he didn't 1 go looking for him, 2 call police, 3 call his son's cell phone, now why is that?
awesome~!!!!!!!!!! because a brotha was sitting there wit that drank that purp and smoking that rock banging babys momma and hell i still get the food stamps so who care bout where he be going the family just going to be pissed when next year they cant claim the IEC on there income tax next year HOLLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Teabagger's are selfish racist old white peoples who want the 'freedom' to take law enforcement into their own hands! They aruge, 'why should my tax dollars pay for other poeple's law enforcement?' Libertarian lowlifes.
You are a retard. Never speak again. You are essentially an oxygen thief.
never vote libertarian <teabagger> unless you are independently wealthy AND you do not give a rat's a-- about your neighbors. They are self serving racist things that do not want society to invest in the future at all, and they think they will never get sick never need help and never have to lift a finger for anyone else. Anyone who thinks in any way this guy who chased down and shot a kid despite police telling him not to follow is in denial about society and probably has or wants a doomsday shelter under ground or something similar to isolate from the rest of us when the world ends, which they think it will any day now...
You are an idiot...hands down the dumbest comment today on newsvine
..you're preaching to the choir!
If the hoodie doesn't have KILL WHITEY screened on the back, I'm not bothered. And plenty of white folks, myself included, wear hoodies regularly. But I guess that means we're in the Klan.
This article is troubling on so many levels.
1. You shouldn't have to justify your clothing (unless you are wearing the wrong uni at work or wearing inappropriate attire to an event (shorts to church).
2. It was raining and a hood protects your head from getting wet and a sweatshirt protects you from the cold.
3. Trayvon Martin had an ear piece - you don't want it to get wet.
4. Jason Campbell (no matter how noble his intentions may be) is stereotyping and marginalizing an entire group of men with his ideas on clothes and how Black men think. I don't know what anyone truly thinks, unless that person tells me. I can infer, but that is all it would be, an inference. But, I would love to see any hooded clothing research he has conducted.
I see kids of all colors wearing similar clothing and I never think they are up to good or "no good" based on clothing alone.
This man killed a boy, pure and simple. It is entirely on G. Zimmerman. Too much energy is being expended for something that is an easy fix.
He was not condemning the clothing, there is nothing menacing about a hooded sweatshirt. He was saying that a hooded sweatshirt is the attire of choice for young black males who are up to no good, that is not racist, just a statement of fact. How is this any different than white males with shaved heads? There is a reason that you associate a white male with a shaved head and boots with a white supremicist.
Moose you just contradicted yourself within ten words. If clothing had no bearing on what he did then the fact that hoodies are worn by people who are up to no good has no bearing on any of his claims.
It is a stereotype, which is racism for wimps.
"...statement of fact"?!?!? - so you are 100% confident that if someone is black and wearing a hoodie they are "up to no good"? - but only if you are "young black males who are up to no good" - Racists scum! Do not worry about the gang of blacks across the street looking at your white ass longingly and eying your woman's purse - they cannot possibly be "up to no good" and you are safe as they are not wearing hoodies!! from now on all black people stop wearing hoodies and then the white people will know with total confidence that you are trustworthy because "...a hooded sweatshirt is the attire of choice for young black males who are up to no good, that is not racist, just a statement of fact." so wear a T-shirt or a wife beater and your good to go!
God I hate teabaggers
Hate you more.
I hate you more than Robert does, but I gave him a vote anyway.
It is also the attire of choice for everybody robbing a store on my TV news in the surveilance photos for the last 6 months mostly Hispanic since the population is 80% Hispanic.
If the kid is black and wearing a hoodie, in my neighborhood late at night, I am going to be wary. I don't care how much they protest, how much they demonstrate, how much they call me racist, I am not going to be BULLIED into denying the truth that I know from crime statistics, how they portray themselves in the media and, personal experience. The truth is the truth and I am not going to deny it! The blacks need to get their own house in order.
IT WAS RAINING AT THE TIME!!!
So yes he's gonna have his hoodie on.
SHM.
*SMH Shake my head... sorry
Are 17 yr. old boys too sissy to carry an umbrella?
Dunno about Florida, but only the tourists or recent transplants bother with umbrellas in Seattle - the wind makes umbrellas useless.
Some people are saying it was cold and that is why he wore the hoodie and now, there are those who claim it was raining. I would like to see a real weather report from the area where this took place at the time of the shooting.
The kid is guilty.
Of what????
Walking while black
Hoodies are a "statement".
Unless it's cold and windy outside.
I wear one when it's appropriate.
I do NOT condone what happened, but kids need to use common sense.
Even most stores now a days require you lower the hoodies, remove hats an dark shades.
All for good reason.
Problem is, kids (black and white) will wear them even in summer to make them look "cool".
This kid was outside, and hey, I don't know what the temp was, but if he wanted to wear it, fine.
Just don't wear them where you don't need them.
So you are the clothing police now? You can wear what you want when you want. No one should be able to arrest, assault, or shoot you because of your attire. I thought America was a free nation? Maybe free should be put into quotes.
Try walking nude down the street.
I am NOT the clothing police.
I am a voice of sensibility.
It was cold and raining, so the hoodie was appropriate attire for the weather.
According to The Weather Channel, the high for the day February 26th in Stanford Florida was 87 degrees. Hardly "cold".
Even if it was 87 degrees, and raining, don't you think a hoodie was needed? Geeish!
no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yea yea you get mo pussy when you wear a hoodie homie!
Viewer, nudity is the absence of clothing. How can you wear skin? I never said people should be allowed to wear nothing but what they do wear should not illicit any kind of interaction that is not warranted.
I think a HAT, or an umbrella, might be appropriate when it is warm and raining. I would certainly never think that a sweatshirt hood would be appropriate. In the first place, it isn't waterproof, so you'd get wet anyway. In the second place, it would be hot and sticky. In the third place, it makes you look like a stupid criminal.
capthank
Any person in my back yard at night wearing a" Hoodie" is suspicious & has nothing to do with race
#2 - Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:13 PM EDT
Trayvon Martin wasn't in anyone's backyard at the time of his death, just an empty street, except for his killer. This sounds more like a stereotype of the person and/or situation than the actual facts. Being in a backyard shouldn't have marked someone for death either. So yeah , the stereotype of the desperate black youth ducking through somebody's yard while running from the law...that DIDN'T happen on February 26th in Sanford , Florida....
clay
He was not in a street when he was shot. He was on a sidewalk between two rows of apartment buildings. That's why the thing about him attacking the nut when he was walking back to his truck is bullsh@t.
looking "cool" isnt a crime punishable by death...
Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. You mean to say you have never been made uncomfortable by the way some people dress? Never? Not on a plane? Not walking in a rough part of town? Not at the mall? Not at a gas station at 3 A.M.? Unfortunately image and stereotypes are a real thing and that's just something that people are going to have to accept. There is a movie I recommend called "Crash", particularly the last 10 minutes or so.
Randy, I can say that I have not ever been bother by how people dress. I am a well adjusted person and not overly paranoid like some other people who see a scarf wrapped around someone's head and think "omg a Muslim is on my plane!"
NO but going to a KKK rally, etc. and being black or any color is stupid.
This guy SHOULD be charged, but kids need to be aware that everything they do (or wear) is NOT cool.
Geowil, you are either a saint or a liar. I bet you don't masturbate either? Never cheat on your taxes? Go to church on Sunday? Never smoked Marijuanna either? It's human nature.
I beat off and puff mad weed!
Never been bothered then you never lived in one neighborhood I did. Everybody walked with attitude. I walked with a german shephard on a 7 foot lead.
its not looking cool........ IT's THe ThUggest Rugged Booooonnnnnneeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its not cool........ ITS the thuggish ruggish BONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Randy, Never smoked weed or done any kind of drug including drinking alcohol. Although I cannot refute the masturbation attack, then again not many people can since we all have done it at least once (probably more then once) in our lives; it is part of being human.
I am also a atheist so no church.
Zimmerman wasn't white!! For crying out loud! He is hispanic and was eager to get a kill under his belt. He had tried to join the police force several times and was never accepted. He self appointed himself the neighborhood watch and had called 911 50 times this year already. He was crazy and wanted to kill someone. Now him not being prosecuted... that is another story.
katie
He was half white. Not that has anything to do with the shooting.
So only whites can be racists now? He was bothered because non-white people were living in his gated community. period.
Partially my point. I wasn't aware that he was half white but it does seem that he just wanted to kill someone and hail himself a hero.
IZ- I was replying to flnobody at the same time you were replying to me. It says in this article that the shooter was white. And it has been posted everywhere (that I have seen) that this is all the white man's fault. Racism does exist. People of every race can be racist but not everything everywhere is the fault of white people.
Katie hate Hispanics much. I live surrounded by Hispanics. I'm the token anglo everywhere I go. I would trust the 90% Hispanic police force in the next town over long before I would trust most of the people on the net.
Who cares about his clothes or candy or color?
If you punch someone who asks you a question, expect self defense with whatever is handy. Esp if you're a giant football man like TM. Not a "child"
Walk away or tell them to f-off. But initiate violence... well, don't bring fists to a gunfight. Evolution works.
He was tall, but hardly a "giant football man" at 140 lbs. If anyone was defending himself, it was Trayvon against an unknown person who was obviously and aggressively stalking him. Get away & fight back is exactly what we teach our children to do if they feel threatened by a stranger. Just listening to the 911 tapes I'm convinced Zimmerman was looking for an imagined criminal to cross his path so he could be the big hero. What a tough guy. Let's see how far his attitude gets him when he's in the big house with real criminals.
i dont think its going to be easy to convict him. i think thats why the police havent charged him yet. you have to charge him to keep him in jail or he'll walk. there are only two people who know what happened and one of them is dead and cant tell his side of the story. so the police only have zimmerman's word to go on. i just have a feeling zimmerman is going to walk away from this with no jail time.
OMG!! I am not young or black, and I wear a hoodie--since when is it a crime to wear a hoodie or be young and black?? What the hell is happening to us??!!
What the guy did was wrong, and I think he should burn.
But I also think that kids need to be aware that the "gangsta" crap has gone on long enough.
THAT and the pants hanging so low they wear callouses on your crotch.
I am an Operations manager.
Come into my office sporting tattoos, droopy pants and a "hoodie".
I will smile and (if you were smart enough to create one) throw your resume in the round file.
NOT COOL.
viewer
He didn't have pants hanging down. Didn't have tattoos. Was a A & B student. He was a kid talking to his girl friend while walking home to watch the all-star game on TV with his dad.
It's called "Crash", you should probably watch it.
Actually, he was serving a 5 day suspension from school, which is why he was able to visit his father at the father's girl friend's place instead of being home in the district where he attended school.
It was 7:15 at night... exactly what school is open at that time? Or could you simply be trying to posture....
The suspension was for racking up too many tardies. Doesn't necessarily mean he was anything other than a good kid who came to school late too much.
Actually one was 10 days for a marijuana baggy, one was for tardiness, and one was for breaking into lockers and stealing jewelry from other students. He was serving his 10 suspension when he was visiting his father, he was no saint and not the little boy in all the pictures his family are using in the press, those are 5+ years old at least.
What a bunch of lying thugs this family has turned out to be, not to mention trying to make a buck off their dead son, go figure.
you are inappropriate and lying. is there any other lies you want to add? Baggies ridiculous. just add all the stereotypes you can to make killing minorities OK.
The killer stalked the youngster while on the phone with a police dispatcher. He was told not to follow, but he did anyway. The victim was talking with his girl friend on his cellphone at the time. The shooter then approached him. Neighbors heard the young man screaming for help, then a gun shot, and silence.
The NRA lobbied for a law permitting people to "stand their ground" and shoot an antagonist. This time the antagonist was the shooter and the dead boy was investigated for possible drugs. The shooter was not detained or investigated. he took his 9mm handgun and went home with police approval, after defending himself from a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona ice tea by killing the bearer who he had identified as black.
The NRA is as respectable as a Mexican drug cartel, just more cowardly and irresponsible. There needs to be a memorial for all the children killed because of NRA's saturation of handguns everywhere and their lobbying for their concealment and use. A handgun is for shooting people, and now we have people out hunting other people to shoot. Of course that is perfectly acceptable, depending on your skin color and clothing. it is always open season for killing black skinned young men in sweatshirts.
The NRA (which I am not a member of) is not responsible.
I do own weapons and have taught gun safety to my kids and grandchildren.
You can kill with a baseball bat just as easy. (or anything else for that matter)
The CULTURE that your kids are brought up in is the reason that there are so many gun deaths.
THAT and they are publisied more often.
ESPECIALLY by the likes of MSNBC.
If black men didn't have nearly the same bad public image as Arab men do, then this wouldn't be an issue. However, gangsta ruined for the rest of the black community. The black community needs to stop whining and take care of there own problems before pointing the finger at whitey. It was racism in the 60s, now it's just common sense. Life isn't fair. The best movie I ever saw about modern racism was Crash and it seems very relevant to the situation in Fl. Just saying....
Fear is worry combined with ignorance. Prejudice is ignorance combined with fear. Stupidity is acting in fear and prejudice.
I saw the movie crash and was greatly disappointed in it. It showed stereotypical behavior that was grossly exaggerated and actually unless you get the irony it wouldn't do much good to change any opinions. It was sad and I hope that someday will be as historically significant as the racks and stocks to future society. I have in my lifetime learned that race is just about as important as a wart... each have good and bad ... I have a list of friends names ... can anyone tell me who is moslem, black, hispanic, or white in these names?? Al, Steve, Lucy, Alvina, Jeff, and Greg??
here in holyoke and springfield mass there are shooting every week and lotsa them dont wear hoodies.the news is making this racial and blaming clothing for a killing .thats pathitic. grow up world.people shoot people not clothing and if someone does threatin someone with violence what would you do let them carry out that violence?? its like it you get into a fight with someone that threatens you and they fall and hit there head and die ,.are you responcible for that death. how many people know what started there confrontation ?? what if the kid was trying to rob or threatened to kill the other guy.do you know if that happened or are you in the dark throwing darts?if i was threatened and im not saying thats the case but i would react violently back to protect myself. is that what this guy did? how do you know.people find out the fact first dont go screamin racist if to dont have the facts thats what really makes the world racism problems. and the media should take a bow cause there the ones that are the biggest racists.
Your lack on intelligence is a sight to behold.
the NRA's saturation of handguns? really?! they are handing out handguns all over the country?
why do people always blame the gun and not the person using it. guns cant tell what color a person is.
the stand your ground law is so we can defend ourselves. before that the law said it was our duty to run away and use force as a last ditch effort. why shouldnt we be allowed to defend ourselves in this country. why should we be forced to run and hopefully get away.
No 1, only intelligent people should be allowed to own guns.
The neighbors said it was Zimmerman they heard calling for help. The 911 operator said the same thing. When the tape was played for Trayvon's father, he said the voice calling for help wasn't his son. It was Zimmerman who had bruises and cuts to the head and face. It was Zimmerman who had grass stains on his back from being violently knocked down. It was Zimmerman who fired in self defense while being violently attacked. Note that Trayvon was serving a 5 day suspension from school when this incident occurred. He was not the angel his racist apologists have tried to portray.
A retired teacher who heard the screams said it was the teenager... and the police "corrected" her. He was not serving the suspension... he had been suspended prior.. for tardies. What a thug! </sarcasm> Zimmerman had a bloody nose, and the child is dead. And you are asking for our pity for him?! How on earth would the 911 operator know WHO was screaming... you sure you aren't just making this up? There was no evidence that Trayvon had knocked this twit down.. no evidence that indicated who started the altercation. It is more likely that this child was assaulted first, and the kid fought back. Once the idiot was getting his ass kicked, he fired.
So what if it was Zimmerman calling for help? Sounds to me like he was stalking Trayvon, Trayvon fought back to try to defend himself, and Zimmerman yelled and shot because he's not very good at hand-to-hand combat. You can bet if some guy who was stalking me suddenly came at me I'd hit and kick him too! Only difference is I'd probably get away free because ignorant people are still prejudiced to favor young white women like me over young black men like Trayvon. So sad...
The big difference is in this case Trayvon came up from behind Zimmerman and attacked him first, striking him in the face breaking his nose, then proceeded to climb on top of Zimmerman and tried to bash his skull in by slamming his head into the concrete causing a gash on the back his head which required stitches. Zimmerman's gun became exposed on his side during the assault, Trayvon tried to grab it at which time Zimmerman pulled his weapon shooting Trayvon in the chest, IN SELF DEFENCE.
So what does this mean for everyone who is trying to defend poor little Trayvon, well you have been spoon fed a pack of lies by Trayvon's parents their Lawyers and the so call civil rights leaders and activist. They spent 3 weeks trying to cover up anything that would put Trayvon in a bad light, including an pictures of him now, including scrubbing his schools website, Facebook and then put out those 5+ year old pics, to try and make it look a little kid was killed. BULL Trayvon was bigger then Zimmerman by several inches and their weight difference wasn't 100# like they tried to make it seem.
His parents and their Lawyers came out 3 weeks after it happened and started to spin a pack of lies in order to create a controversy, I expect it got a lot bigger than they expected, and now are only in it for the money they are trying to off the dead.
When everything is said and done this will fall into the same category as the Duke Lacrosse scandal, I would be one bit surprised to see their lawyer sharing a cell with Mike Nifong. You can be sure after all the facts come out that AL JESS and The Great Divider Odumba won't want to even hear the name Trayvon Martin, you can expect them to run and hide.
Robbob do you think it it was OK for Zimmerman to shoot Martin? Do you feel that after the alleged scuffle Zimmerman could have pulled out his gun and detained Martin until the police came? Just a thought he had the gun and the power and controlled the situation he decided to kill. I have to safely assume you are not a minority of any kind if you were to go to a Hispanic, Asian, or even black neighborhood do you deserve to be killed because you do not look like you belong?