The hoodie brings attention. Now on the slip side, had he been in a sweater or white shirt walking down the street, he probably wouldn't have been eyed. And this coming from a minority. Whenever I see someone with a hoodie, sorry, but they look like a commando.

This tactic of blaming the victim is ridiculous. Geraldo is as ignorant and irrational as those who would blame a woman for being raped by noting how she was dressed. And, in case Rivera was not paying attention to the news story, Zimmerman's concerned expressed to the 9-1-1 operator was that Trayvon Martin was "black". The computer-enhanced recording also had him referring to Trayvon as a "f***ing coon."

It appears that the problem is more in Zimmerman's head than on Trayvon's back.

It shouldn't matter but it does. I hope this makes people think before they act. At the same time, we're hard wired to make split-second decisions that mean life or death. That's when appearances really count.

Otherwise, townwatchers are more aware of how important it is to let police pursue. Their job is to watch and leave it at that for now.

I'll wear a hoodie before I wear a sweater vest, any day of the week.

Zimmerman is a freak. He was looking for a reason to shoot someone. PROSECUTE......

Hard-wired to be an aggressor, get out of your vehicle and chase someone walking down a sidewalk in the rain with a gun at your hip after being asked not to persue the individual by 911 response people? That was a bit more than a split-second decision. THAT sounds more premeditated and thought out. As Zimmerman said, 'These a$$holes always get away,' and he took it upon HIMSELF to do something about it.

As far as Geraldo is concerned, he hasn't been of any revelence at LEAST since his botched 1986 broadcast special 'Mystery of Al Capone's Vault.' It was as empty as is most of his asinine pablum spewing. Btw, he needs to give that Village People stache a rest, they AREN'T hiring replacements.

A 911 dispatcher does not have any authority to demand that anyone do, or not do anything. That "point" is as irrelevent as all the liberal whining.

Clarke, that would make you a crossdresser !!! Ha Ha

hunter, it was not a demand by the 911 personnel, it was a suggestion to keep zimmerman safe..that's what they are trained to do. Had zimmerman listened to the "safety expert" none of this would have happened. However, zimmerman ignored this suggestion with his bravado (supplied by a gun) and aggressively chased this young innocent man, looks to me like pre-meditated and the one who gets to scream self defense is Tray. Zimmerman's self defense began with the warning given by the 911 personnel..and ended when he chose not to heed it.

hunter480 it is relevant he was the pursuer how do we know? he was asked if he is following treyvon. your right he did not listen and murdered the boy i say if the prisoners hear about this once he is in jail dont be surprised if someone murders him in there,hey the cretans i mean christians say an eye for an eye, i say if it was not an accident your life for his we are even.

Geraldo has lost it,he should know that his opinion does not count if he goes against the mob.

If he would have just said that the kid was killed for being black, he could have made a lot of new temporary friends.

Just goes to show you how lacking some people are upstairs. Now I may be wrong but I do recall somewhere, maybe in the phone conversation with his friend, that he put the hoodie on when Zimmerman was stalking him. I believe Trayvon mentioned that to his friend. Besides that, it was raining outside and as far as I know, people put hoodies on for a number of reasons. They put them on to protect themselves from the rain, from the cold, from pesky insects, and even from the sun and wind.

Rivera is too stupid to process this much information, so would someone be so kind and spoon feed the imbecile. Rivera's defense of Zimmerman's actions speaks volumes. He himself is a racist, and I bet he only mentioned other dark minorities to conceal his true hatred of black people.

The girlfriend said he put it on because Zimmerman was looking at him,

the lawyer says he put it on because it was raining.

I have no clue why he put it on or why he attacked Zimmerman,all he had to do was keep walking and dial 911 himself.

ron::: You mean a little goldfish would attack a whale? What proof is there that Trayvon attacked that half-breed bigot?

Oh, his shirt was damp and had grass stains on it? That proves that it must have been raining and the whale could roll in the grass.

Susie-2759697

What proof is there that Trayvon attacked that half-breed bigot?

More proof than we have that you are a bigot!

He was bleeding from the back of his head and his nose, the witnesses say that the kid attacked him.

He has not been charged with anything and he never will be.

ron::: You said that that half-breed said that the boy was coming over here to check me out. I wouldn't believe anything he said. He'd lie to cover his @$$.

No, I said Zimmerman said that.

911 has it on tape.

Ron

What witnesses say that the kid attacked Zimmerman? I haven't seen or heard this before your post. Can you direct me to a web page or something so that I can see this?

Thanks:)

The TAPE clearly shows that Zimmerman got out of his truck after calling Trayvon a " #$#% coon" and accosted him. If Zimmerman had any injuries he did it to himself.

WHY did Zimmerman get out of his truck if he was afraid ?

Sorry, doesn't wash. The " #*$*" coon statement, getting out of his truck=hate crime and the FEDS will charge him with same and let a FEDERAL JURY sort it out.

The TAPE also clearly has Trayvon BEGGING for his life as Zimmerman held a gun on him, so he had time to flee IF he was accosted. HE was not. He was the aggressor. Any lie to justify cold blooded racist murder. Ron your posting of LIES in this case clearly shows an attempt to justify racially incited murder.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/trayvon-martin-911-audio-_n_1354909.html

educatedfool/intelligentdumby

ORLANDO - A witness we haven't heard from before paints a much different picture than we've seen so far of what happened the night 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed.

The night of that shooting, police say there was a witness who saw it all.

Our sister station, FOX 35 in Orlando, has spoken to that witness.

What Sanford Police investigators have in the folder, they put together on the killing of Trayvon Martin few know about.

The file now sits in the hands of the state attorney. Now that file is just weeks away from being opened to a grand jury.

It shows more now about why police believed that night that George Zimmerman shouldn't have gone to jail.

Zimmerman called 911 and told dispatchers he was following a teen. The dispatcher told Zimmerman not to.

And from that moment to the shooting, details are few.

But one man's testimony could be key for the police.

"The guy on the bottom who had a red sweater on was yelling to me: 'help, help…and I told him to stop and I was calling 911," he said.

Trayvon Martin was in a hoodie; Zimmerman was in red.

The witness only wanted to be identified as "John," and didn't not want to be shown on camera.

His statements to police were instrumental, because police backed up Zimmerman's claims, saying those screams on the 911 call are those of Zimmerman.

"When I got upstairs and looked down, the guy who was on top beating up the other guy, was the one laying in the grass, and I believe he was dead at that point," John said.

Zimmerman says the shooting was self defense. According to information released on the Sanford city website, Zimmerman said he was going back to his SUV when he was attacked by the teen.

Sanford police say Zimmerman was bloody in his face and head, and the back of his shirt was wet and had grass stains, indicating a struggle took place before the shooting.

There are more statements that back up zimmermans story, they will be released later,

it was self defense.

Now, we learn that the SIX-FOOT-THREE Trayvon had been suspended from school for Behavioral Issues, and that WITNESSES say he attacked the Hispanic Zimmerman.

That police found Zimmerman BLEEDING FROM WOUNDS when they arrived.

No it wasn't. WHY did Zimmerman get out of his truck? THAT will get him convicted. WHY was he carrying a gun when Neighborhood Watch NATIONAL website says that they are NOT to carry weapons when on patrol?

It is completely implausible for a 17 yr old to beat a 28 year old who weighed a little on the short side of 300 lbs. Keep that lie to yourself. Zimmerman is going to prison and most likely will be the victim of inmate justice. Trayvon Killed while begging for his life. No reports of this mystery " witness " other than yours have surfaced.

http://mybrownbaby.com/2012/03/the-killing-of-trayvon-martin-set-in-motion-when-zimmerman-exited-his-car-update/

http://cdn.mediatakeout.com/54957/we-ve-got-enhanced-audio-of-when-trayvon-martin-was-killed-you-can-hear-him-crying-and-begging-for-his-life-before-being-murdered-by-zimmerman-warning-very-graphic.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhgjO6WHwQ4

No it wasn't. WHY did Zimmerman get out of his truck? THAT will get him convicted.

because it is legal and he felt like it.

Zimmerman said he was going back to his SUV when he was attacked by the teen.

The feds have to prove this did not happen,

zimmerman will walk, self defense.

This is all the F.B.I.s fault they made everyone think people in hoodies are criminals with that sketch of the unibomber

NectarineRecordsInc.

Your mybrownbaby dot com web sight has no facts,they even say two shots were fired, already been disproved.

It Was self defense.

The witness you call my witness for some reason is a real witness, yours are from trash sources with no witness at all.

come on man,

My brown baby dot com???

So, if I'm walking home, minding my own business - and someone is behind me following me with a gun - or just "gaining on me" in general - and I defend myself from a justifiably perceived threat, I deserve to die? Because I should have done what? Let a stranger overtake me? Presume this stranger wants to be my new best friend? Whaaa; Zimmerman got some boo-boos from a situation HE created when told to desist - but a young man is dead because Zimmerman felt like John Wayne.

Ron you can present as many facts, true, untrue, made up or verifiable as you want the only undeniable fact is that we don't know whether he is guilty or innocent or has a valid defence because no court has examined the case. This is a complicated case with various factors on either side, it is patently ludicrous for police to take on the role of judge and jury and make a determination of guilt in such a case. Your position may be accurate but surely you can see that should be a decision made by a court not the local police department.

The FACT is that millions of Americans, men, women, children WEAR HOODIES. Good God, most of you are talking out of your arse. A hoodie is a VERY COMMON piece of clothing.

Geraldo and some of you are wrong.

Lib50 you don't need to reply to every thread on here with the same comments, nobody is denying that hoodies are common.

I keep reading the same old "hoodies are asking for it" comments. How is somebody wearing a common piece of clothing a problem?

Basically all he's saying is that it is the job of people with dark skin not to wear, say, or do anything that will make a white person (person with non dark skin) uncomfortable. Because if we do, we will be held accountable, sometimes by a gun.

I am a blue eyed, blonde haired woman-and I wear hoodies. Yet, somehow I doubt that Zimmerman would have considered me "suspicious" enough to go against the dispatcher's suggestion to not chase or follow me. The hoodie was not the problem here....

This is not about hoodies. It is about the poor choices of this one man to profile Trevyone and ignore the dispatcher's instructions.

It is proof that Zimmerman chased Treyvone. How does someone who you are chasing attack you? He had changed his mind and went back to his car, then all of a sudden, they guy he was chasing turned around, chased and attacked him?

If someone were chasing me, I would be scared. I would react agressively-especially since he was not waeing a uniform to indicate he was law enforcement (or whatever watch guys are.)

I'm not saying he is definately guilty under the law-but there should be a trial to get all of the facts out and allow a jury to decide.

And we certainly should not be blaming the clothing!I may war a hoodie tomorrow. Please don't shoot me!

lib50

I am not being racist here as I am many races, however, part of the reason that muslims have a hard time assimilating into our society is that the clothing they were invites distrust. Not that it is warranted, but it does. In the same way, hoodies in popular culture represent the ghetto and trouble. I think it is probably mostly related to idiots in music videos acting gangsta. But none the less there is a perception by society of distrust.

What is really sad is that if this poor young man had been walking around with his hood down and his head held high, this may have not happened. Sorry, but I think it is perceived paranoia, and just like you can't make Americans trust muslims that they are not going to be extreme, the same goes for the perception of others.

AussieRob

Ron you can present as many facts, true, untrue, made up or verifiable as you want the only undeniable fact is that we don't know whether he is guilty or innocent or has a valid defence because no court has examined the case.

No court will examine it unless charges are filed, the grand jury will take a look at it and if they can not find fault with the self defense claim, a court will never see it, In this case a judge can toss it out of court with no jury, can drop all charges and give Zimmerman imunity from civil prosecution. Once self defense is claimed in Florida, the game changes.

Simple facts.

Judge Beth Bloom threw out the murder charge against a man who chased a car burglar for more than a block and then stabbed him, killing him.

By DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com

As critics assail Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law in the wake of the killing of an unarmed Miami Gardens teen in Sanford, a Miami-Dade judge on Wednesday cited the law in tossing out the case of a man who chased down a suspected burglar and stabbed him to death.

Greyston Garcia was charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Pedro Roteta, 26, whom he chased for more than a block before stabbing the man.

The case illustrates the difficulty police and prosecutors statewide have experienced since the 2005 law eliminated a citizen’s duty to retreat in the face of danger, putting the burden on a judge, not a jury, to decide whether the accused is immune from prosecution.

john-737278

What is really sad is that if this poor young man had been walking around with his hood down and his head held high, this may have not happened.

According to his girlfriend, he did not put the hoodie on until after Zimmerman had seen him.

That is her story, not mine.

1. Geraldo hasn't had any credentials since his Capone vaults fiasco in 1986.

2. Geraldo is one step away from joining Montel Williams prostituting himself doing commercials for rip off loan companies and infomercials. A minor step down from whoring himself on Fox.

3. I am a 56 year old white man and I have two black hoodies.

4. Zimmerman belongs in prison.

ron-1902603

If that is the case, that actually makes it worse because it makes him look like he is hiding. At some point I wish society would learn that you don't cower and show perceived guilt, you stand tall and profess innocence.

So you rebut my point about a court needing to make the determination not the police by citing a similar case where it went before a court?

he is absoutly right, sorry folks the truth hurts,

I'm going to be the first person laughing at Ron when they throw the book atq the racist Zimmerman. It was NOT legal for him to carry a loaded weapon on Neighborhood Watch Patrol. At that point he began impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Many of us have been on neighborhood watch and they tell you to NEVER approach a suspect, NEVER carry a weapon and never engage.

Those by laws of Neighborhood Watch will send him to prison where the INMATES will finish him off unless he's in Segregation. There's PROOF that Zimmerman TAUGHT Neighborhood watch to others, therefore knew the rules. Sorry to bust your bubble, but if Zimmerman doesn't go to prison, you can expect mass civil unrest.

Why is it so wrong to expect people to dress and act like they have self respect, when these kids walk around acting like there hard core gangsters or thugs they should expect to be treated as such. You don't have to be rich to have class. Hoods are not the problem here, the entire dress code is. Use common sense don't blame racism or call someone a bigot.

AussieRob

So you rebut my point about a court needing to make the determination not the police by citing a similar case where it went before a court?

In that case the man was charged by the police but it was thrown out by a judge not a jury,

In this case the man has never been charged with anything and the police in Florida have the right to not charge someone if the evidence shows self defense. If charges had been filed they would have been tossed out by a judge anyway.

The so-called stand-your-ground law asserts that a person has no duty to retreat when facing an attacker and has a right to use deadly force if he "reasonably" believes he or others are threatened with death or great bodily harm. It also grants "true immunity" from civil and criminal charges. This means a judge can use this law to dismiss a case before it goes to trial, and also that Florida prosecutors are less likely to pursue homicide cases against people who claim they acted in self-defense. The St. Petersburg Times performed a search of Florida newspapers and turned up 93 cases in which the law could have been applied from 2005 to 2010, and found that 57 of them never went to trial.

I'm going to be the first person laughing at Ron when they throw the book atq the racist Zimmerman. It was NOT legal for him to carry a loaded weapon on Neighborhood Watch Patrol. At that point he began impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Laughing is good for your brain, have a good one on me.

I'm going to be the first person laughing at Ron when they throw the book atq the racist Zimmerman.

Like i said, have a good one.

It was NOT legal for him to carry a loaded weapon on Neighborhood Watch Patrol.

He had a permit and his gun was legal,why do you think he has not been arrested for that?

At that point he began impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Wrong again, why do you think he has not been arrested for that?

ron-1902603

You do realize everyone against you is making a case for public lynchings, right?

john-737278

ron-1902603

If that is the case, that actually makes it worse because it makes him look like he is hiding. At some point I wish society would learn that you don't cower and show perceived guilt, you stand tall and profess innocence.

He is in hiding.

George Zimmerman, who shot a black teenager in Florida, is in hiding after
receiving death threats.

You do realize everyone against you is making a case for public lynchings, right?

Yes,

I just take the side i think is right,then live with my decision.

not making any friends on this one ;-)

So who else wears a hoodie? Hmmmmm ...... lets see. How about those catholic clergies in Rome?

Yo Zimmermann - Geraldo says take a shot!

heraldo, ur an a$s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Geraldo Rivera blames hoodie for Trayvon's death; critics tell him to zip it up

I agree with Geraldo 100%. A coworker of mine in CA decided to start wearing baggy pants,, big shirts/hoodies, shaved his head, and then on a weekend, a car filled with gang members blew his brains out because they thought he was a gang member. He was only 19. Me and others had asked him to stop dressing like that, bu he didn't listen, and his friends and family are the one's that are left suffering due to his ignorance of dressing up like a gansta.

You dress the part of a thug, expect to deal with the consequences with it. It truly is sad that this young man was killed, and i believe that the man tat killed him should be in jail, but we have to look at the whole picture and not just one side of it. If you saw a young man with a hoodie walking in your neighborhood that you do not know, you will think like Zimmerman.

There has been times that I walked to the other side of the street when i have seen young people dressed up like thugs with large baggie pants and shirts, hoodies, and shaved heads, and tattoos. I want no part of dealing with that image. My life is more important to me than to want to put up with wannabe thugs and the real ones. You dress the part, expect the consequences as this young man did.

RIP Trayvon.

Nectarine-- The ability to carry a weapon while on watch patrol varies depending on the area. There are many areas that allow their watch participants to carry handguns as long as they have the permit to do so. That said, even if you are in an area that does not allow you to carry a weapon on patrol per their regulations, you cannot be criminally prosecuted for carrying a weapon. Why? Because they're regulations of an organization, not laws. That would be like saying you can be criminally prosecuted for having a boat in your driveway if your homeowner's association says you can't, so saying it was not legal for him to be carrying is just plain wrong I'm afraid. The most that would happen is you would be prohibited from participating in the program for violating their regulations. Carrying a weapon on watch duty does not make someone guilty of impersonating a law enforcement officer either. Maybe it was self defense, maybe it wasn't, but in Zimmerman's case the act of carrying a weapon while on patrol duty should have no impact on the outcome.

Another Conspiracy Theory by Geraldo Rivera!

Geraldo has always been sort of "Off the Wall"---blaming the hoodies for a murder---even all kids and adults wear Hoodies--it is fashionable---

This was another one of his Stirring the Pot accusations like the recent Santorum Plot to shut Romney up---There is no other way to explain how Trayvon Martin actually got murdered by someone else, and not the HOODIE--it was a Gun!

Well, Geraldo's ego is huge, this puts him in the news again--he doesn't like the baggy pants the kids wear either--that I agree with--they are ugly--

Remember when G got into a fight on his Daily Show with the Nazi's, and they broke his nose throwing a chair at him--he is looking for publicity; and this one doesn't make sense--This is the dumbest yet.

Geraldo better just stick to the real news and not speculation on fashion Couture being the reason for a killing.

The Hoody Makers are going to be put out of business--there goes more clothing Manufacturers with more employees in the Unemployment lines.

Must Geraldo Apologize?

So put both Zimmerman and the hoddie in the electric chair. more excuses to kill. I think some religious exremists punish women for wearing 'provokative' dress - this guy is a step ahead of them!

Next thing he would say - stop being black or latino, because that is what causes the most trigger-happy gun carriers to shoot. Or "see how blacks/latios are often shot at on the streets? stay at home".

Victims need to look 'proper' to the criminals to avoid crimes - great logic!

I wonder when the NRA will start their campainging for the law to stay? How many are NRA representatives on this board? The NRA and Koch brothers are bad for America. I believe in the right to bear arms but the NRA carries it to far. In small towns, guns are for hunting; in cities guns are WEAPONS! I don't NEED a gun UNTIL you get one! Down with the NRA!

Ron #2.38 There's one itty bitty thing wrong with your argument. The precedent that you used clearly states the judge threw out the charges when a "suspected burglar" was stabbed. SYG supports that. There was nothing, not in the 911 calls, not in any conversations, not in any interrogations that indicate Zimmerman thought Martin was doing anything more than walking through a gated community.

There is probably something to it.

The master mind of one of the toughest gangs anywhere wears a hoodie. His gang of super-sized men will knock the teeth out of most anyone.

You can see from THIS PICTURE how much of a gang banger he is. Notice his communication network designed to run his gang.

HMMM... I will bet that Mr. Rivera has brown eyes, because that's how full of manure he is - right up to his eyebrows.

It appears that Mr. Zimmerman is an overzealous cop wannabe.

Hopefully, the FEDS will prosecute this matter, sooner rather than later, and Mr. Zimmerman will be convicted of murder, because his actions were premeditated. He violated the Florida SYG law, when he pursued the victim. Such a pursuit should negate the claim of self defense.

That makes no more sense than blaming RAPE on what a person was wearing!!!!! Blame the person holding the gun, not their victim! That man was plainly told by the officer he spoke with NOT to follow that kid. That kid is dead because Zimmerman chose to shoot him. He needs to go to trial!!

Zimmerman pursued Trayvon with a loaded weapon because he decided he looked suspicious, he was advised by 911 that he should not pursue Trayvon. If you get out of your car armed with a gun and chase after somebody who has not threatened you in any way then you've long since given up your right to claim self defense. What about Trayvon's right to defend himself against a law enforcement ignoring, gun wielding, vigilante pursuing him down a public street.

1POV

Ron #2.38 There's one itty bitty thing wrong with your argument. The precedent that you used clearly states the judge threw out the charges when a "suspected burglar" was stabbed. SYG supports that. There was nothing, not in the 911 calls, not in any conversations, not in any interrogations that indicate Zimmerman thought Martin was doing anything more than walking through a gated community.

you need to re check your facts,

he said he was acting suspicious and like he was on drugs, but it does not matter,

it is not required to think someone is a burglar to use self defense in Florida, So there's no itty bitty thing wrong with my argument.

No one does have to feel legitimately threatened though and nothing in the 911 call suggest Zimmerman felt personally threatened in this situation until his actions caused it to escalate. Certainly not as threatened as Trayvon would have felt with Zimmerman chasing him armed with a gun as he innocently walked home.

Good for Geraldo (who I've disagreed with a bunch over the years, but always had respect for the fact that his concern and passion are genuine). While the Black community works itself into a "there's a racist Whitie behind every tree" lather, they ignore the FACT that embracing their criminal element by glorifying the "gangsta" lifestyle helps feed the legitimate fears along with general ignorance of people like Zimmerman.

I don't completely agree with Geraldo on this because the hoodie didn't become popular because of gang-bangers, it became popular because it works as a piece of protective clothing, particularly during winter months, but he is still right about the self-destructive nature of the embrace of the "gangsta" culture by many teens and young adults of all races, but in particular the black community, who have far too many members accepting the garbage that getting an education is "selling out to Whitie" and that "not seeing anything" when their fellow blacks SLAUGHTER each other in their community is okay because it's "keepin' it real".

Our local Charlotte schools are on high alert because there's supposed to be "payback" for a murder that was NOT the result of an untrained, likely racially motivated cop wannabe, but that almost certainly won't be discussed at the rally for justice for Trayvon (and don't get it twisted, an injustice has been committed in Sanford, and the spotlight is appropriate, but the anger needs to be turned toward the senseless killing of all young black males, and most of that is the result of black on black violence), who bucked the odds, in that it was far more likely that when he tragically died as a result of gun violence for the shooter to have been a black criminal predator or gangbanger than a white anything.

Ron, you keep referring to another case, and "believe" that case "proves" Zimmerman, or anyone in a similar situation can and will get away with murder.

I "believe" the law is being rewritten as we speak, to correct these flaws, even the bills creator has said that was not the "intent" of the law. When Zimmerman makes it to a trial, I think the "intent" of the law will out weigh the previous cases already ruled on!

Well, either Ron is right , or the Instructors at the U.S.A.F. Security Police Academy( Where I received MY training on the rules of engagement and the USE of DEADLY Force), the guest lecturers from the Texas State Police, The Texas Rangers, and the San Antonio Police Department are wrong.

In NO state is Neighborhood Watch allowed to carry weapons on patrol. At that point he chose to do so, he became an ARMED VIGILANTE. That is what his CONVICTION is going to be based upon.

And in the event he isn't, which is unlikely, Who would want to be him? He's a marked man. He wont go off into the sunset like Bernard Goetz after his short brush with the law. Zimmerman basically is a dead man walking. Who will hire a man who Can't obey orders ? Even if he had justification, and he didn't, do you really want to know what happens to people who beat murder convictions?

Usually society ostracizes them because of the stigma, even though the justice system set them free. Once that arrest for murder is on his arrest record, he'll never pass a background check, as if anyone will give George Zimmerman an interview anyway.

One way or another, he will still pay for his foolish actions. And it was NOT legal. Even if in Florida he is allowed open carry, his SIGNING a Neighborhood Watch contract states that he can't. He signed away that right.

1. No wonder Geraldo isn't taken seriously anymore!
2. What a schmuck! ( or at least a smuck statement!)
3. And at one time I thought Geraldo was actually fighting the good fight??!!!

It's a really sad day when the bad apples of society ruin it for the good because of the style of clothing they wear. I work in a small community bank and when some one comes in with their hoody up we ask them please to take the hoody off their head. When we don't recognize the person and they come in with their hoody up all eyes are on that person. All because bank robbers have been known to wear hoodies. Good people wear hoodies, my son being one and sometimes I myself wear one.

Geraldo should have never made that statement, but then again it's Geraldo what can you expect.

When it's chilly and I'm out in the yard or walking to the store, I'll put on my hoodie; and when it starts to rain, I'll pull the hoodie over my head. I'm a 68 year old white grandfather. When I pull the hoodie over my head, it's hard to tell if I'm white or black. I guess you could call me a Grand-gansta!

It should be noted that the "stand your ground" law applies to Trayvon and not to Mr. Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman was pursuing Trayvon and presented a threat. Trayvon would have been fully justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman or at least throwing a Skittle in his face to stop the pursuit.

It is a tragedy that this innocent young man was shot to death with no apparent provocation. It seems as though FL's gun laws may have been a contributing factor, but certainly no one should be shot because of their choice of clothing.

I also have no knowledge of the weather at the time and place of this frightful shooting.

Covering one's head with a hoodie on a warm sunny day is making a loud statement with one's clothing, and asking to be judged by that statement. It is saying to the world, "Look at me. I do not wear clothing to be comfortable or civil. When I wear cold weather clothing on a warm sunny day, my clothes are telling you that I use clothing to peacefully show that I reject your values."

Everybody is judged by the clothing they wear, because our selection of clothes is our first comment to the rest of the world.

Jo-An-4354969

Ron, you keep referring to another case, and "believe" that case "proves" Zimmerman, or anyone in a similar situation can and will get away with murder.

I "believe" the law is being rewritten as we speak, to correct these flaws, even the bills creator has said that was not the "intent" of the law. When Zimmerman makes it to a trial, I think the "intent" of the law will out weigh the previous cases already ruled on!

The intent of the law makes no difference at all,the law can only be used as it is written.

They can rewrite the law to say self defense may never be used to defend yourself if they want to, but they still have to use the law the way it was for Zimmerman. They can not change the law and use it against him.

hunter480

A 911 dispatcher does not have any authority to demand that anyone do, or not do anything. That "point" is as irrelevent as all the liberal whining.

Hunter

It may be true that 911 dispatchers do not have authority to "demand" that callers obey their instructions in the same way that police officers can demand citizens to obey. However, police dispatchers are highly trained individuals who have protocols to follow for virtually every situation they are likely to face in their interaction with callers - protocols that come from police and fire departments as well as medical authorities. When a 911 dispatcher says "don't move the patient" it is a good idea not to move the patient. When the dispatcher says "leave your burning house" you would be well advised to flee. When the dispatcher says "we don't need you to follow Trayvon Martin" you should pay attention (otherwise you may do something stupid).

Zimmerman not only failed to follow instructions (advice) from the 911 dispatcher, he also failed to comply with his instructions for his neighborhood watch duties by carrying a gun and confronting a "suspicious" person.

Your remarks about "whining liberals" do nothing besides exposing you for who you are.

Good for Geraldo (who I've disagreed with a bunch over the years, but always had respect for the fact that his concern and passion are genuine). While the Black community works itself into a "there's a racist Whitie behind every tree" lather, they ignore the FACT that embracing their criminal element by glorifying the "gangsta" lifestyle helps feed the legitimate fears along with general ignorance of people like Zimmerman.

I don't completely agree with Geraldo on this because the hoodie didn't become popular because of gang-bangers, it became popular because it works as a piece of protective clothing, particularly during winter months, but he is still right about the self-destructive nature of the embrace of the "gangsta" culture by many teens and young adults of all races, but in particular the black community, who have far too many members accepting the garbage that getting an education is "selling out to Whitie" and that "not seeing anything" when their fellow blacks SLAUGHTER each other in their community is okay because it's "keepin' it real".

Our local Charlotte schools are on high alert because there's supposed to be "payback" for a murder that was NOT the result of an untrained, likely racially motivated cop wannabe, but that almost certainly won't be discussed at the rally for justice for Trayvon (and don't get it twisted, an injustice has been committed in Sanford, and the spotlight is appropriate, but the anger needs to be turned toward the senseless killing of all young black males, and most of that is the result of black on black violence), who bucked the odds, in that it was far more likely that when he tragically died as a result of gun violence for the shooter to have been a black criminal predator or gangbanger than a white anything.

huh? interesting, and so well rehersed.

I wonder when the NRA will start their campainging for the law to stay? How many are NRA representatives on this board? The NRA and Koch brothers are bad for America. I believe in the right to bear arms but the NRA carries it to far. In small towns, guns are for hunting; in cities guns are WEAPONS! I don't NEED a gun UNTIL you get one! Down with the NRA!

lets start at the top, Down with your first amendment rights .

Proud member of the NRA and CMP.

i would be happy to buy geraldo all the hoodies he thinks could handle. and i hope he wears them.

------

he has about relevance to ANYTHING as a used Kleenex!

------

this is a little, tiny 17 year old, who looks like he weighed all of 120 pounds.

as some kind of watch whatever, wasn't he supposed to help people if needed. so rather than plug someone, how about seeing if they are lost or can't find where they are going? duh????

i am sure zimmerman is hiding. and he will have to for the rest of his life. being 28 years dumb that will be a very long time.

considering the stand your ground law in florida, i suggest he leave florida, immediately!!

someone WILL WANT TO STAND THEIR GROUND AGAINST HIM!! AND SOON!!

Zimmerman is using,

776.012 Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:

(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or

(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.

And,

776.032 Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force.—

(1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s. 776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, the term “criminal prosecution” includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

(2) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force as described in subsection (1), but the agency may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful.

(3) The court shall award reasonable attorney’s fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of any civil action brought by a plaintiff if the court finds that the defendant is immune from prosecution as provided in subsection (1).

And he could use this if they decide he was the aggressor.

776.041 Use of force by aggressor.—The justification described in the preceding sections of this chapter is not available to a person who:

(1) Is attempting to commit, committing, or escaping after the commission of, a forcible felony; or

(2) Initially provokes the use of force against himself or herself, unless:
(a) Such force is so great that the person reasonably believes that he or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that he or she has exhausted every reasonable means to escape such danger other than the use of force which is likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the assailant; or
(b) In good faith, the person withdraws from physical contact with the assailant and indicates clearly to the assailant that he or she desires to withdraw and terminate the use of force, but the assailant continues or resumes the use of force.

The law is on Zimmermans side of this.

Notice section 776.032 at the top and bottom,

(1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s. 776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution

As used in this subsection, the term “criminal prosecution” includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

This horse is dead, kick it some more? Let it die....Please!

If you dress like a hooker people perceive you to be like a hooker. If you dress like a thug people perceive you to be like a thug. Its all about perception.

Actually Ron the law isn't on his side, republican lawmakers in Florida have said that this case doesn't not meet the standard of the stand your ground, including Jeb Bush. The fact is there is no such thing as an untainted jury pool at this point and the information is out there that the law makers deny this case applies.

Also his defense is really crumbling by the day-witnesses that were not interviewed, witnesses they waited a week to interview, a tape showing no evidence of bodily injury 40 minutes after the episode. The lead detective who didn't believe him and signed an affidavit to that. Zimmermans father is a retired judge and the states attorney came in during the night to tell them to stop and that there wasn't the evidence, and this was before they could really investigate it. You have the funeral home director saying that there was no defensive wounds on this kids hands to suggest he had attacked Zimmerman. All you have is Zimmermans word, conflicting witnesses and a shoddy investigation.

If Ron you can still honestly say that you KNOW that it was self defense, you are either Zimmerman or a liar. This is why we have a court system that should have been used in the first place.

The only reason in Florida there was question on stand your ground is they do not have the clause that if you have a way to escape, lethal force isn't acceptable. The problem with Zimmerman on this is that in essence once he started following him, and got out of the car, there was no reasonable assumption that he was afraid for his life. Now he says he was attacked first and that the kid threatened to kill him but that is his word only...the fact is your on shaky grounds with your argument and because of conflicts of witnesses, assuming he will walk is a HUGE leap.

If you dress like a hooker people perceive you to be like a hooker. If you dress like a thug people perceive you to be like a thug. Its all about perception.

No, they really don't, or at least reasonable and intelligent people don't.

With today's fashion most anything goes.

Saw a young girl with holey fishnet stockings on the other day. I just figured, "kids, dress to shock, bet her kids will end up doing the same."

It doesn't make you a thug, but you are "perceived" as a thug - unfortunately appearances still matter and it is unfortunate, but if someone can't see your face, you may have something to hide!

How come Fox News always gets the jeopardy contestants on their show? Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, Geraldo Rivera - seriously? Clowns.

It doesn't make you a thug, but you are "perceived" as a thug - unfortunately appearances still matter and it is unfortunate, but if someone can't see your face, you may have something to hide!

So when I wear mine, with the hood up, I'm perceived as a thug?? Talk about stereotyping!!

Oh, btw, I'm a mid-40's woman! And yes, I have a black hoodie and I wear the hood up often; especially if it's raining!

WTF, I'm a 48 year old african american female and I wear a hooded jacket almost every day. And yes, I put my hood up when it's raining outside, does that make me a menace? What a person wears doesn't determine who they are. Get real,who hasn't worn a hoodie?

amg151

WTF, I'm a 48 year old african american female and I wear a hooded jacket almost every day. And yes, I put my hood up when it's raining outside, does that make me a menace? What a person wears doesn't determine who they are. Get real,who hasn't worn a hoodie?

amg, I am 64 and live in Oregon where it rains a whole bunch of the days during the year and to "get real" I have never worn a hoodie. Get wet, skin is waterproof.

What it appears you are missing is that "many", "most" arrested (and convicted) folks wear a "hoodie." They even wear them when the sun shines. And you can see them when the flash goes off at the llocal police station.

As has been said, "Stupid is as stupid be." You can't change that.

I don't go were I am not welcomed and I also don't complain about it, nor give a hoot. That is a simple fact of life. If you don't care to learn this that's OK, your entitled to ignore human nature.

The results are yours - no-one else's.

You should not be judged alone by what you wear, but what you wear where you are at and how you respond to it makes a difference.

Those that don't know this, will not know it for long. It is just one of those things that is true no matter how much you don't like it.

I hope this is TEOTWAWKI i have a lot of supplies i would like to use up.

You might say that. if it's dark and not raining and you have it over your head.

Middle aged white woman, wears hoodies when its cold. Sons, (teen and 20's) wear hoodies. These people are insane.

Bill Bill Bill

Wednesday when we had our snow storm I wore my hoodie, I'm 60.

I will admit you can usually spot native Oregonians when it rains, we're the ones not even wearing a coat. Others do - so what?

Living in the Portland Metro area, where we have rain (and snow yesterday) most people here wear "hoodies" my kids have worn them since they were babies. Hoodies are easier to use than umbrellas. The joke here in the NW is if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes it will change. You could have rain in the AM and warm sun in the afternoon, a hoodie is just plain easier to wear all day than carrying an umbrella.

It made perfect sense to me that this boy who was wearing a hoodie would have the hood up since it was raining. Mr. Zimmerman is an idiot for thinking just because someone wears a hoodie and has the hood up DURING A RAIN STORM that must make him "suspicious", I think it is more suspicious if someone is wearing a hoodie with the hood DOWN during a rain storm!!

What it appears you are missing is that "many", "most" arrested (and convicted) folks wear a "hoodie." They even wear them when the sun shines. And you can see them when the flash goes off at the llocal police station.

I have no idea if that's true or not. What I do know is that most, if not all, arrested and convicted folks have noses. Should I cut mine off to avoid being stereotyped? It's a sweatshirt. Not a jacket with a gang emblem. Not a weapon in plain sight. It's not even a tattoo or lots of piercings.

Zimmerman would have pursued Trayvon, hoodie or NOT. Zimmerman was on the hunt for "black kids" that he suspected as burglars....PERIOD!

i intend to contact orvis and ll bean voicing my objection to their producing hoodie coats / jackets sweatshirts thus placing me in danger of physical attack and / or death. my grand daughter has a hoodie with tinkerbelle ----i may have to protest to disney too. this ridiculous statement from heraldo is as ridiculous as a wisconsin judge blaming a teenage rape victim saying her attire caused or provoked her rape. public outcry got that judge removed from the bench. heraldo deserves the same fate.

kind of like in Germany in the '30s when displaying a star of David caused you to go to Auschwitz, oh wait maybe that was the Nazi's fault

Geraldo is a dickhead it was raining outside for one, and secondly if trayvon wants to wear a hoodie he has just as much right as the white kids that skate board who i see wearing hoodies all the time so people need to stop with all the bull@!$%# stereotypes when young black or latino kids wear hoodies.

Zimmerman would have pursued Trayvon, hoodie or NOT. Zimmerman was on the hunt for "black kids" that he suspected as burglars....PERIOD!

There is no evidence for this. But I find from personal experience that when someone finishes with "period," "and that's final," or some similar expression, that he is blowing smoke.

nectarine please!!!!! Of course there are more whites than blacks on drugs, there are more whites than blacks in the u.s. get your facts straight or quit changing them around to suit your agenda.

Zimmerman would have pursued Trayvon, hoodie or NOT. Zimmerman was on the hunt for"black kids" that he suspected as burglars....PERIOD!

There is no evidence for this. But I find from personal experience that when someone finishes with "period," "and that's final," or some similar expression, that he is blowing smoke.

It's EVIDENT from Zimmerman's 911 tapes, all of them, that he was looking for "black suspects" in the neighborhood!

So, yeah, he WOULD HAVE PURSUED HIM, HOODIE OR NOT!

Geraldo...Please put on a Hoody so someone can shoot you!!!

That`s racism. He is latino.

When will Geraldo "step down" for being such a snake??

Step down from what?

Didn't Rivera once pictured wearing a hoodie too or he forgot to take his prozac? To Ron, that self appointed neighborhood watcher ignored the dispatcher instruction yet he is the one that searched and followed TM around with his gun in pocket, his SUV was a distance away. He can claim self defense Stand your ground had TM followed and attacked him where the dispatcher told him to leave it alone. There is a time lapse from the first call to the last call he made and both are on different llocation. Quite wonder why a huge person like him needed a gun to defend himself and shoot a smaller person. By the way the blood on his head could have come from TM blood that splatter when shot, not his own blood. The cops didn't take him into custody, searched him or tested for drugs/alcohol.

The cops didn't take him into custody

They cuffed him and took him in,checked his gun and questioned him twice, They just did not arrest him and you have no idea if they checked him out physically or not, and the kid came up to him and attacked him.If anything you have said was true,the feds would have arrested him by now.

self defense.

Ron, the kid did NOT go up to Zimmerman, Zimmerman got out of his car and followed/chased the boy down. Any injury Zimmerman received was self defense from Martin. Please before you open your ignorant mouth please at least be aware of the facts. Zimmerman called 9-1-1 from his car. After being told to stay in his car, a place of safety, Zimmerman got out and engaged the boy. Or do you think a 140lb 17 year old boy broke through the window and dragged a 250 lb 28 year old man through his window so the boy could attack him.

No, Zimmerman thought he would would go all "Jack Bauer" on the kid, and now the kid is dead. Unlike, the fake bullets they use in TV shows this kid will not wake up to be in a new episode.

Ron, the kid did NOT go up to Zimmerman,

blueingoregon yes he did and that's how this case is written up.

that's why Zimmerman is not in jail, do some research.

Ron, there are no eye witness accounts that prove that Trayvon was the agressor, on that "That Martin was moving towards him (Zimmerman) and checking him out." According to the 911 tapes.

Why are you so quick to side with Zimmerman. Do we even know he was in this country legally? He is hispanic. Maybe he is an anchor baby sent here to kill Americans?

Ron, Zimmerman tells police he killed Martin in self defense. Taking him at his word, police do not arrest him, nor administer a drug or alcohol test. They also did not run a background check.

The police did NOT take him into custody or even detain him.

Zimmerman: No you go in straight through the entrance and then you make a left…uh

you go straight in, don't turn, and make a left. @!$%# he's running.

Dispatcher: He's running? Which way is he running?

Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.

Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?

Zimmerman: The back entrance…@!$%#ing [unintelligible]

Dispatcher: Are you following him?

Zimmerman: Yeah

Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that.

Zimmerman: Ok

Dispatcher: Alright sir what is your name?

Zimmerman: George…He ran.

Zimmerman: Zimmerman

Dispatcher: And George what's the phone number you're calling from?

Zimmerman: [redacted by

Mother Jones]

Dispatcher: Alright George we do have them on the way, do you want to meet with the

officer when they get out there?

Zimmerman: Alright, where you going to meet with them at?

Zimmerman: If they come in through the gate, tell them to go straight past the

club house, and uh, straight past the club house and make a left, and then they

go past the mailboxes, that's my truck...[unintelligible]

Dispatcher: What address are you parked in front of?

Zimmerman: I don't know, it's a cut through so I don't know the address.

Dispatcher: Okay do you live in the area?

Zimmerman: Yeah, I...[unintelligible]

Dispatcher: What's your apartment number?

Zimmerman: It's a home it's 1950, oh crap I don't want to give it all out, I don't

know where this kid is.

Dispatcher: Okay do you want to just meet with them right near the mailboxes

then?

Zimmerman: Yeah that's fine.

Dispatcher: Alright George, I'll let them know to meet you around there okay?

Zimmerman: Actually could you have them call me and I'll tell them where I'm at?

Dispatcher: Okay, yeah that's no problem.

Zimmerman: Should I give you my number or you got it?

Dispatcher: Yeah I got it [redacted by

Mother Jones]

Zimmerman: Yeah you got it.

Dispatcher: Okay no problem, I'll let them know to call you when you're in the

area.

Zimmerman: Thanks.

Dispatcher: You're welcome.

The boy was running away, not towards Zimmerman, as some many have stated, Zimmerman was chasing him. At one point, Martin must have even gotten out of Zimmerman's sight, if Zimmerman was afraid for his safety he should have broken off the pursuit.

• blueingoregon

Why are you so quick to side with Zimmerman. Do we even know he was in this country legally? He is hispanic. Maybe he is an anchor baby sent here to kill Americans?

I never even thought of that blueingoregon, let me think on that one for a few years before I get back to you with my answer.

It doesn't make you a thug, but you are "perceived" as a thug - unfortunately appearances still matter and it is unfortunate, but if someone can't see your face, you may have something to hide!

Next time I see a surgeon... bam! ... they are robbers, behind those masks. Somebody needs to step up ... me and my Homie,Zimmerman ... til the wheels fall off. Thug Life fo' eva' .. yeyah - boyeee....

What exactly was Trayvon's business in that neighborhood that night? Did he have a friend, teacher or pastor that lived there? Why didn't he describe that? Why did he run.... Hoodie or no hoodie, suspicious. I love my neighborhood watch - and ANY unfamiliar car/persons gets questioned by me, my neighbors or the watch. Beware, criminals! Victims are sick and tired of you taking what is ours! Go Zimmerman!!!!! Send that man $$$

He was there because his father lived in the community. Why did he run? Seriously? Some stranger is staring at you and then follows you and you question why someone would run?

Truth??

Have you been out of the country?? Trayvon was "staying in the neighborhood" with his father, at his Dad's fiancé's house (in the complex)

He ran, because some strange man was following him (according to his girlfriend in Miami who was on phone with him when it happened).

The kid was NOT a criminal, he had NEVER been in trouble, and was found with skittles, iced tea and his cell phone on him!

sheeeesh! Ignorant RACISTS! Get a GRIP!

Blue:

Based on your description Zimmerman had stopped pursuing Trayvon, because he didn't know where he was. If that's true, and Trayvon came back to attack him, Zimmerman was no longer the pursuer. You have taken it to a point where Trayvon was out of sight and could not be pursued. So, from that point, how do think it happened that Zimmerman got beaten and Trayvon got shot?

SANFORD, Fla. (MCT) — Members of the New Black Panther Party are offering a $10,000 reward for the "capture" of George Zimmerman, leader Mikhail Muhammad announced during a protest in Sanford Saturday.

When asked whether he was inciting violence, Muhammad replied defiantly saying: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

The bounty announcement came moments after members of the group called for the mobilization of 5,000 black men to capture George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot Trayvon Martin last month.

Muhammad said members of his group would search for Zimmerman themselves in Maitland and Jacksonville — where the 28-year-old worked before the shooting, employees there said.

Muhammad said the group's national chairman, Dr. Malik Zulu Shabaz of Washington, D.C., is receiving donations from black entertainers and athletes. They hope to collect $1 million by next week, Muhammad said.

The party said they would not release the names of donors nor would they provide documentation to support the existence of donations.

The New Black Panthers announced the reward at a protest in Sanford on Saturday, the activist group's third protest in the past two weeks over the fatal shooting of the Miami Gardens teen.

The group called for Zimmerman's arrest and threatened to find and detain him if police were not willing to do so. But group members didn't call for the mobilization of thousands until Saturday.

Muhammed led the group in chanting "Justice for Trayvon!" and "Black Power!"

"If the government won't do the job, we'll do it," Muhammad said, leading his group of eight party members in chants like "freedom or death" and "justice for Trayvon" while making the iconic gesture of raising their fists into the air.

The party members said they are tired of the inaction of government officials — from Sanford city officials up to the governor, accusing them of lying and delaying justice.

They accused newly appointed special prosecutor Angela Corley of being an enemy of the black community.

"She has a track record of sending innocent young black men and women to prison," he said.

This is legal?

Yes.

If you hope to have any credibility, you have to disengage your mouth long enough to actually think. Since blacks and latinos have created a pop-culture in which their hoodies are a vital part of their "tough guy" gangster look, it`s not only reasonable to point that out, it`s likely a realistic point of fact that, that would be a stimulus which would trigger a great many people to make an assumption about a black or latino individual, and to act accordingly. Now sure, go ahead and scream racism, but again, you lose credibility. We all react, and make judgements based on past experiences, and preconceived notions about people, cultures, and ideologies. You do exactly the same thing, making judgements based on the perspective you embrace, but you can`t/don`t see that, you can only see it when someone else makes a judgement based on something less than what you perceive to be fact.

Bottom line is this, there is a stigma attached to blacks and latinos wearing the hoodies, and these groups have knowingly, willingly advanced that belief, that anyone from that ethnic background wearing that particular attire can be a potentially dangerous person. If you deny this fact, you`re just refusing to accept reality, period.

I recently came back from a visit to London and the entire country practically bans hoodies. You cannot go into a convenience store or practically any public place wearing one.

Hunter480

You're right! There is a stigma, preconceived notion, etc. in regards to blacks/latinos wearing hoodies. However, "these groups" - that's funny :) - have not knowingly or willingly advanced any beliefs. It's just like you said, "we all react, and make judgements based on past experiences, and preconceived notions..." Zimmerman reacted to a preconceived notion (listen to the 911 calls) and made a faulty judgement "based on the perspective HE embraced". No matter how you look at this--bottom line--Zimmerman made a choice, with some F'ed-up consequences for many...Trayvon,the young boy who can't sleep at night now for reliving the screams, the parents, friends, neighbors, witnesses, family, law enforcement...everyone!

Now, if you deny this fact, you're refusing to accept reality, period.

I guess I better stay in my house when the school kids are walking home from school wearing hoodies with the hood up-- and it's not raining. They will attack me-- after all, they are wearing hoodies with the hood up.

Ooooooooo horrors. I have them all over this neighborhood. You bigots are scaring me.

Can I go out after dark?

Can I go out after dark?

Only if there is no moon.

I am getting so sick of telling you people that MILLIONS AND MILLION OF AMERICANS OF ALL AGES AND BOTH SEXES WEAR HOODIES. Get it?

Hunter480, yes we do all make assumptions and reactions based on previous experiences, what we don't all do is shoot people based on them.

Yeah Hunter, I deny it. I've been wearing hoodies since I was a toddler, as best I can tell. I'm a 50 year old white dude. I have 5 hoodies hanging in my closet as we speak, and I'm wearing the 6th. I don't think my 16 y.o. son has worn anything but a hoodie in the last several years, and he's pretty much the poster child for non-gangsta. This is racism, pure and simple, and blaming the clothing is disingenuous at best.

Everyone on my college campus- white, black, asian, hispanic, young, old EVERYONE wears a hoodie from time to time. They are essentially sweaters with a built in rain protection system (IE THE HOOD)

If we are to stop wearing everything any "gansta" wears because you'll be associated or confused with one, guess what, STOP WEARING CLOTHES. Because little hood thugs are people just like everyone else and they just happen to wear jeans, and nikes, and tshirts just like the rest of us. The only thing I can safely associate with a dumb hood rat is sagging your pants down to your knees.

Honestly the comments I'm reading on here are the most absurd freakin' thing.

The kid was in jeans and a hoodie on a rainy night walking from the store. A man with a gun followed him and came after him. Treyvon defended himself, and Zimmerman shot him. Because he was black. That is it. A young boy is dead because some racist with a itchy finger decided to play bad cop. Shame on all of you trying to blame that kid for his own death.

All of this because a boy wanted to walk home in the rain.

i love to wear hoodies, but i know when and where not to wear them... "what u might say" example... im a black male riding down the road and (any type of car) and i have my hoodie on and a cop (of any race) sees me in the hoodie and doesnt see my skin or anything of that nature... if u were that cop what would u think... i say this because i was riding in the passenger seat of a s500 benz with my uncle and i had my hoodie on (long b4 trayvon's case) and he looked at me and told me immediately to take the hoodie off, he explained to me that it attracts the wrong type of attention especially if your in a high class looking anything or better yet a low class looking anything... i was like u dumb but i didnt say anything... i let the thought marinate and realized he was right... y was he right, because he wanted me to not give them a reason to do anything... now the hoodie is not the topic at hand... the topic at hand was, think smart and to avoid giving anybody the reason to give u a bad day, because of the way u walk, talk, act, dress and etc... now everytime im in a car i think to take my hoodie off, but that doesn't really help at all because other factors such as being black, young, and etc adds to the fact that i have to be on my p's and q's... its a sad stereotype but its a stereotype... and for your info the most dangerous people in the world wear business suits... sorry for your loss trayvon's family and sorry for your involvement Zimmerman but your all just victims of what we as a people have allowed this madness to come to...

I recently came back from a visit to London and the entire country practically bans hoodies. You cannot go into a convenience store or practically any public place wearing one.

That's a big brother country,they want your face on film 24/7/365.

I think we should all wear hoodies all the time,nothing else just a hoodie,It will really piss the people that watch the government spy cams off or turn them on.

Yes, I think we should all wear hoodies Monday to stop the stereotype that only "ganstas" where them.

Zimmerman pursued Trayvon with a loaded weapon because he decided he looked suspicious, he was advised by 911 that he should not pursue Trayvon. If you get out of your car armed with a gun and chase after somebody who has not threatened you in any way then you've long since given up your right to claim self defense. What about Trayvon's right to defend himself against a law enforcement ignoring, gun wielding, vigilante pursuing him down a public street.

You need to look up the law and quit guessing at it because you keep getting it wrong.

he was advised by 911 that he should not pursue Trayvon.

That is not an order and if it was it is not a legal order and does not have to even be considered by Zimmerman.

If you get out of your car armed with a gun and chase after somebody who has not threatened you in any way then you've long since given up your right to claim self defense.

Zimmerman was on his way back to his truck when he was attacked from behind,thats the way the cops wrote it up. If there is no witness that can prove it is not true,Zimmerman walks.

That is not an order and if it was it is not a legal order and does not have to even be considered by Zimmerman.

No, it was not an order but it does go to show the unstableness of Zimmerman. If any reasonable sane person was advised by a 9-1-1 operator to avoid engaging someone they felt was threatening or suspicous a reasonable person would heed the advice of police. This man, feeling extra powerful because he was carrying a deadly weapon decided to engage someone he felt was suspicous. Really, there was no other outcome that could have come from this situation. Zimmerman went after someone he felt was suspious with intent to use his weapon, that is why he carries a weapon, because he thinks he is all that a "Jack Bauer" too.

Zimmerman obviously was looking for a fight!! That is why he got OUT of his car, a place of safety, to engage the boy, he felt empowered because he had a gun. All the boy had was a Ice Tea and a bag of Skittles. Even if the boy was able to overpower a 250lb grown man, it didn't last long and the envitiable happened the boy lay on the ground dead.

If a sane person had been attack by the and did fight, in self defense, he would still feel some guilt and remorse for taking another person's life. Zimmerman feels no guilt or remorse which means he killed the boy in cold blood. Soliders in war situations have such massive guilt when killing another person in war, it haunts them the rest of their lives. This monster, Zimmerman acts proud that he took the life of another person, He says he doesn't even feel remorse. You know who doesn't feel remorse when they kill people, sciopaths.

Zimmerman created this whole situation himself and now he should face the consequences and be RESPONSIBLE for his actions! If he would stayed in his vehicle, then that boy would STILL be alive. If I get in behind the wheel of a car and kill people after I have been drinking that is my decision and I have to live with the consequences. Or should I get to chalk it up to making a bad decision and get to walk away?

Zimmerman was on his way back to his truck when he was attacked from behind,thats the way the cops wrote it up. If there is no witness that can prove it is not true,Zimmerman walks.

Even if Zimmerman was on the way back to his truck, if he had manaced the boy and the boy was frightened then boy had every right to attack. Trayvon didn't know if Zimmerman was going back to his truck to get a gun or a pipe or some other weapon to hurt Trayvon with. I would NOT let someone go back to their vehicle if they were stalking me or had threatened me. A vehicle could be used to run me down or they may have weapons in the car. if the boy attacked Zimmerman, IT WAS IN SELF DEFENSE!! It was Trayvon that didn't have a weapon or a way to protect himself against a man twice his size, the only defense this boy would have had would be a surprise or sneak attack!!

Zimmerman is a typical bully!! He went and menaced the kid and when he had his fill of terrorizing the boy he turned and was gonna walk away. Trayvon scared of of his wits done the only thing he could think to do, what he had learned on the football field, tackle the man before he could come back with a weapon. Maybe Trayvon even got a couple of good whacks in before Zimmerman pulled his gun and shot the boy. Zimmerman, was a coward and bully, who wanted to intimidate a boy and thought because he had a gun he was invincible. he was right, the boy is dead. Zimmerman needs to face his responsiblity for creating a situation where a bright young man was killed.

If Zimmerman was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO afraid of the boy why did he leave the safety of his truck??????

If Zimmerman was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO afraid of the boy why did he leave the safety of his truck??????

Zimmerman was not afraid of the 17 year old until he attacked him from behind.

"One question mark only. Using more than one question mark is non-standard punctuation. If your teacher is telling you that there are "rules" concerning the number of question marks to use at the end of a sentence, this is wrong."

Hey Ron, may be awhile since you wrote this but reading your posts, I'd like to ask you some questions.

What did Trayvon Martin do, outside of looking suspiscious, that warranted him to be apprehended by Zimmerman?

If Zimmerman was a Neighborhood Watch Captain, and failed to listen to dispatch, or 911, to NOT apprehend Martin, why would he do this anyway when told not to do it.

What you don't see are a few things that really confuses me as to why you or anyone can't get this. This whole thing with Zimmerman is nothing but a complete cascading effect on his decisions to him being completely wrong. He sees someone who he suspects SHOULDN'T be in a certain neighborhood, oh i'll say it, he profiled a kid or for your sake suspect, he then follows and apprehends a kid, even when told not to do it by someone IN A HIGHER AUTHORITY THAN HIM, and he doesn't listen. He then puts himself into a situation with the kid where he claims that the kid was the aggressor, though Zimmerman apprehended and followed him, then got into a fight with the kid, which you don't know if the kid is defending himself since Zimmerman PURSUED THE KID, didn't listen to dispatch or 911, and then ends up shooting or better yet murdering a kid, when he hasn't followed any type of proper procedure for which a police officer, wait he isn't a police officer, would have to give every law abiding citizen out there who roams the US. You seem just like most everyone out there who side with this Zimmerman guy by trying to find some sort of sliver or avenue where you can slip out and say AHA! This is the reason and that is the reason. In essence, Zimmerman was wrong on his initial decision and it literally cascaded to something even he didn''t expect and in the end he murdered a kid. Zimmerman is and was wrong on every account.

Thanks Memphis for pointing that out. Latino watchman.

I think he (Geraldo) was thinking about the KKK. My white, middle class family wears hoodies when we job early in the morning.....so much for the wisdom of Geraldo. I truly thought Geraldo was gone....he is such a flunky.

you can try to spin this all you want, the bottom line is, there was no excuse whatsoever for that man to shoot Trayvon. If we use people's clothing as a basis to attack them, no one would survive because perception is different. To some, a mini skirt and heels means whore. To some, a Burqaa or turban means Islamic terrorist. To some, tie-dyed tshirts and long hair mean vagrant. And to some, a kid with dark skin and hoodie means thug. At the end of the day, it's your responsibility to keep your perceptions in check. No one should be forced to prove to you that they are or aren't who you assume them to be.

You can't justify it. Maybe you're denial about this situation. Also, Trayvon was not obligated to respond to that man. He was a random stranger hunting him down, following him at night. I wouldn't have responded to him, either.

Sally,

You clearly don't know what you are talking about! White and/or black tees and jeans have been thug wear since around 1990 or so. It's pretty difficult to give an accurate descrpition when everyone is wearing the same inexpensive, non-descript t-shirts and jeans!

The bigger point is what one is wearing does not make a difference. White kids and black kids of all backgrounds dress the same! The difference is are they into Goth, Skateboarding, Hip Hop......etc.

I am a black male who grew up in the inner cities of Baltimore, MD and Newark, NJ and I can not tell who is a thug or criminal by the way they dress!

QUOTE: "You can't justify it."

Of course not and Geraldo isn't trying to do anything like that... He's simply saying that wearing a hoody at night in a neighjborhood where you do not live is not a good idea.

I once wandered onto Geraldo's property -- just off of Navesink River Rd., NJ -- at night, looking for my lost Elkhound. Even though I lived but a few houses down I still felt pretty vulnerable in case a security guard confronted me. I found my dog caught behind some hedges and beat a very quick retreat... Was greatly relieved to get out of there before having to meet Geraldo; perhaps on the wrong end of a gun.

@ Captain

"Who knows what Trayvon the truant actually said or did to the shooter to get him to draw his gun"

you lost your already weak argument, when your hate peeked out. Mocking an innocent dead kid as "Trayvon the truant" shows an attitude fueled by hate. Defend your hero Zimmerman if you must. Try and scrape together some humanity for a boy who died for doing something as basically American as watching the superbowl and buying some skittles.

Look, even if Trayvon had had a knife on him, and even if he had said something like "I'm gonna cut you," people like Mays would be complaining about "mocking an innocent dead kid. We know one thing as a reality. Zimmerman pursued when he should not have. He was wrong for doing so. Some people are pretending to "know" that Trayvon was a perfect angel that could do no wrong. And to hear some of these people speak, Zimmerman scoped him out and shot his shotgun from the safety of his truck so that Trayvon never even saw an attack coming. But then, reality and evidence have no place amongst a lynch mob. When they have already decided that Zimmerman woke up that morning planning to kill some helpless black person, pointing out that Trayvon may actually have been able to defuse the situation goes against their preconceived notions and confuses them.

captain america you scum, treyvon the truant, so in order for you to justify your bigoted speak thats what people do to demonize the party they believe to be wrong by focusing on a negative i dont give a damn if treyvon never went to school was mouthy ,and did not honor his mother and father,how is his truancy relevant to how and why he was murderd, you souless being scum of a thing.

thats what people do to demonize the party they believe to be wrong by focusing on a negative

Like saying "Captain America you scum"?

Zimmermans father declared his son Hispanic. When the day comes that he has to speak he will in turn declare that himself including self defense. Case closed.

I don't give a flip what Zimmerman's father declared his son. He's a half-breed, but he is classified as white. He is NOT black, green, orange or purple, His color is WHITE. White is a color, Hispanic is an ethnicity. They said he was white, not purple or green.

What is Zimmerman's father? He looks WHITE to me.

ok geraldo just proved everyone's point g eraldo what about all these white kids that hang out here in underground atlanta tattos everywhere pierceings sagging pants and constantly being annoying while people are out with their families shopping or having dinner .your sterotyping yet another black male and that's not right the kid was not doing anything except wearing tthe hoodie to protect himself from the rain you just proved the point he stalked that kid persued him til he fatally shot him because of that sterotype sounds a lot like murder stop trying to defend guilty people and zimmerman is guilty

Didin't know that it was LEGAL for strange morons to completely stop you on the street and start questioning you like their a law enforcement officer. I tell my sons all the time don't talk to strangers but I guess now I better teach them to be respectful of them even if they might be a pedophile, rapist, or murderer like Zimmermen. SMDH what is the world coming to? Aeropostole adverties hoodies in their collections ALL the time. Kids in the burbs here where them like their going out of style, Emo kids, white, black, and hispanic, punk, it just doesn't matter. But I will tell my sons they are no longer allowed to wear hoodies so that some control freak idiot wanna be cop doesn't blow them to bits. Are you SERIOUS? I don't work 2 Full time jobs to have my kids living in the burbs so a neighbor could decide that anything makes him fit a stereotype or description of a bad guy. EVIL COMES IN ALL COLORS. I WONDER IF ZIMMERMAN LOOKS AT HIS REFLECTION AND SEES EVIL LOOKING BACK AT HIM.

White and/or black tees and jeans have been thug wear since around 1990 or so.

Oh my God, catch up, man. Almost every teenager wears jeans and tshirts, including white and black. Are any of you ever around kids? Young people? It sure doesn't sound like it. Hoodies are in every clothing store, worn by over half the population. You and Geraldo are wrong.

Here's what I don't get about this situation: whenever an undocumented alien is arrested for shoplifting, or robbery, or whatever, the right wing media machine goes into full swing to use it as another example of why we need to build a fence, put the army on the border, etc.

Where is the progressive outrage over this? Why aren't CNN and MSNBC showing clips of people picketing for gun control? The fact that this retard was armed, and that he had the gun legally is a perfect example of why handguns should be tightly controlled. You should need more than a Visa card and a drivers license to get one.

FoxNews, Santorum, Perry, etc. have all said that Obama wants to take away our guns (which was never actually true): here's a good reason why!

Captain,

We KNOW Trayvon didn't have a "knife" or any other weapon (unless skittles & Tea are weapons)

so IF Zimmerman tries to say Trayvon "said it" or "implied it", we will KNOW it's a LIE!

Otherwise we would have heard about it!

We KNOW Trayvon didn't have a "knife" or any other weapon (unless skittles & Tea are weapons)

so IF Zimmerman tries to say Trayvon "said it" or "implied it", we will KNOW it's a LIE!

He does not have to say that, In Florida it does not matter if the attacker only had one arm and no weapons.

It does not even matter who started the fight! The first person that becomes scared that great bodily harm is going to happen to them if they do not act can legally kill the other person and claim self defense.

Florida could reword their law to make it harder to prove self defense but they could not use the new wording for this case.

According to former state Sen. Durell Peaden and current state Rep. Dennis Baxley, who sponsored the bill in 2005, the law was “designed to protect citizens by giving them the right to ‘meet force with force,” not allow someone to pursue another person, confront them, and kill them.

In this case Trayvon would be allowed to shoot Zimmerman, NOT the other way around!

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2012/03/creators-of-stand-your-ground-law-say-trayvon-martins-murderer-should-be-arrested/

That is not how it is written, how it is written is all that matters.

look it up.

ron,

I HAVE LOOKED IT UP!

Stand Your Ground is a shield against prosecution only when the person who uses deadly force "reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony."

That's how it is written!

Since Zimmerman was the aggressor, and his 911 call proves that point, he can't hide behind the stand your ground law!

Stand Your Ground is a shield against prosecution only when the person who uses deadly force "reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself

Show me anything that says it even matters who the aggressor was to start with.

Zimmerman did not have to be in any real danger all he had to do was think in his own mind,that he was.

Since Zimmerman was the aggressor, and his 911 call proves that point, he can't hide behind the stand your ground law!

Zimmerman says the kid attacked him, that is not even the point though.

No matter who started it, once it turned into a fight, either of them that was the first one to decide that they were going to receive great bodily harm, had the right to use deadly self defense. learn the law!

Back in January, Garcia, 25, saw Pedro Roteta, 26, trying to steal the radio from his truck, which was parked outside Garcia's Miami apartment. Garcia grabbed a large knife, ran downstairs and chased Roteta for at least a block. The incident was caught on tape and showed that Garcia stabbed Roteta to death. At the time Roteta was carrying a bag with stolen radios "but no weapon other than a pocketknife, which was unopened in his pocket and which police said he never brandished."

The Herald reports that a judge threw out the charges against Garcia, citing the state's "stand your ground" law. As we reported earlier this week, the law did away with "the English Law concept of 'duty to retreat' from a situation that is dangerous outside your home." The Florida Supreme Court also decided that it should be a judge, not a jury, who decides whether to grant a suspect immunity based on the law.

Who was the agressor in this case Jo-An-4354969?

How did it work out?

If you do not like the law, get it changed.

Zimmerman is covered.

The difference in this case is, Garcia saw "his" personal property being taken, Garcia grabbed a knife for protection, and went to retrieve HIS PROPERTY, got into an altercation, while "protecting his property" and stabbed the person.

I don't see the similarity?

Zimmerman was pursuing Trayvon, for what? He didn't like his looks? Trayvon wasn't stealing anything, was he? He wasn't breaking into cars. was he? He didn't have anything on him, except skittles, ice tea and his cell phone!

sorry, I don't see ANY similarities at all!

I think there was a lawn chair, too. Woo.

I hear that, but 50 year old white women usually don't walk around in gangs, sell drugs on the street and rob banks. 50 year old black women don't either! Like it or not, there is an association with street wear that invites suspicion, no matter the race who wears them. Rappers, black and white have promoted the 'thug life' while wearing hoodies and rapping about killing cops, doing drugs, stealing rides and beating their women. It's as much a fantasy as outlaw Westerns.

I wear a hoodie, and I only have the hood up when it gets freezing cold, or starts heavily raining. If I'm alone at night at an ATM and there's some guy (any ethnicity) outside hanging around, you better believe I have my eyes right on him. Facts are hoodies are used in robberies everyday. Watch the local news occasionally, and you're bound to see security camera footage of some idiot in a hoodie and sunglasses holding up a convenience store. And more often than not, the person's hands are exposed and they're just as often white as they are black. Hoodies make it awfully easy to cover your face in seconds, more than a ski mask. This isn't racism and it isn't rocket science.

This Zimmerman guy was clearly crazy, looking or inventing stuff in his mind for a reason to attack this poor kid. The screams of Trayvon from that 911 call are still haunting me. This 'Stand your ground' defense will fail. Zim's either going to jail or a psych ward for a long time.

Bobby J::: I wouldn't be caught at an ATM after dark-- in fact, the only one I go to is inside and the only time I go there is during the day. There is one inside my favorite cafe and I might try that some day-- or even after dark.

This white woman wears hoodies whenever its cold, as do her sons. They aren't gang attire AT ALL. You all need to go shopping, you obviously have no idea what is in stores.

@lib50, yes, we have been repeatedly informed that you wear hoodies.

Speaking of being a tool! First of all and I don't even like Geraldo but nobody and I mean nobody listened to what he said or you people would not be sounding off as you are! It's fine and great that you wear a hoody coming out of a gym. This kid was wearing it in a neighborhood that has a "NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH" group which means that there has been some issues like you don't get a a gym! All he said was that the hoody is a contributing factor as are the drawrs being worn under their butt cheeks!

When you listen to the 911 tapes it is clear that zimmerman was told to "step down" that this was not his concern and he should be held accountable for his actions at this point! But as a society, we need to get past the racial issues and quit saying this was racially motivated!

People need to teach their kids that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it must be a duck! Meaning that if your son or daughter is in a mall at a store with a bunch of kids and one of those kids steals something then everyone in the group is just as guilty....Plain and simple! Same thing Geraldo is saying with the hoody. You walk around with a hoody on and your butt cheeks hanging out then it looks like you are out for trouble! I don't care what race you are!

Last time I checked, I'm not an imbecile. And, last time I checked, America still has racism and stereotypes, and, most people think a person with a hoodie is trouble, or at least not a good kid. It's sad but it's true. Geraldo is right: people should hold back on the hoodies. Not just latinos and blacks, but everyone. Don't only reason people hate his comment so much is because they're offended whenever anyone says a specific race, people go crazy yelling "Racism!"

Yes, Geraldo's comment on saying only latinos and blacks is an idiotic one, but the part about one wearing hoodies is a comment from a concerned person.

Unfortunately, if you had to check, you ARE.

Geraldo didnt say it was justified he just said the hoodie caused suspicion

lets ask Zim. Im not encouraging my teens to go out lookin " hoodie "

Zim might be nuts Geraldo might be nuts but Im not nuts.

I dont play on freeways either.

Daniel:

Unfortunately, if you had to check, you ARE.

You need to check yourself. It's strange how some people think using facts and evidence makes you an idiot. I find the reverse is true.

I'm sick of saying it, but hoodies are a common piece of clothing worn by over half the population. They aren't gang attire, they are part of almost every young person's wardrobe in the country. Your whole premise of gang attire is just not true. Go shopping, please, and try to find a store that doesn't sell them.

If you honestly believe that people who wear hoodies are "bad people" you clearly haven't taken a walk outside in the last 10 years. EVERYBODY wears hoodies. Do the world a favor and stay under the rock you crawled out from.

Gangsters in the 30s and 40s wore suits and fedoras. They didn't outlaw suits and fedoras, because LOTS OF OTHER FOLKS WORE THEM TOO!

Of course, major criminals today still wear suits, yet they hardly ever seem to get shot.

Remember Columbine with the trench coats? Suddenly you were suspected of being up to no good. Still have people wearing them today.

I believe the point was, and remains today (generally), if you emulate gangstas and criminal behavior, you increase your risk and expose yourself to nut jobs (when you look tough, when you act tough, then people want to see how tough you really are) -- much like a women should not be judged by what she wears and certainly not her fault if she is raped -- Travon should not be judged for what he was wearing. BUT, if you dress the part, you increase your risk. I am thinking this is what Geraldo was trying to communicate.

Geraldo is a wetback bigot imbicile. His brain is NOT between his ears.

I just hope he was neutered at birth.

Susie who's the racist now? This guy who did the shooting it's not the first time he's come across, blacks so what makes him go off now on this kid. I understand bigotry I grew up on the Southside of Chicago in the 60's and 70's all white school the only blacks were on the 3rd floor for sorry to say it deaf mutes so until I hit 7th grade I though all blacks were ya that's right deaf and mute.

My daughter's school sells hoodies to earn money for extra cricular activities so is the school promoting gangs? Each one of my daughters must have at least 15 hoodies from band, cheerleading,soccer, volleyball etc., so should they be shot down in cold blood for wearing something their school sold them?

people stereotype ALL THE TIME

Stereotypes exist because people still play the role.

Kat - you are correct - go girl

OMG I did not even realize the danger I was in when I went to the football game last fall - thousands of hoodies and there weren't even all the same team (gang) colors.

Dang, I have a closet full of hoodies.

Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb
Mother do you think they'll like the song
Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls
Ooooh aah, Mother should I build a wall
Mother should I run for president
Mother should I trust the government
Mother will they put me in the firing line
Ooooh aah, is it just a waste of time
Hush now baby, baby don't you cry
Mama's gonna make all of your
Nightmares come true
Mama's gonna put all of her fears into you

66, actually it has been determined that a woman's seductive dress can play a role in sexual abuse.

Hey Jack,

That's commonly referred to as "the bitch deserved it" defense. While it works, it is a vile defense that works mainly on weak minded POS's that will make the world better by dieing.

@JackBNumb

"66, actually it has been determined that a woman's seductive dress can play a role in sexual abuse"

A. Sexual abuse is not rape, It is a term usually used for sexual offenses towards children. I doubt they were dressed seductively.

B. Most rapes occur after the rapist starts prowling for an opportunity, long before the perp could have seen the victim's outfit.

C. Please share the link and/or name of this momentous study and it's eye popping determinations

@Fallout & @southMays

It's obvious that was supposed to be a joke, quit being a tool.

LMAO, read much infinty???

Take a sec and read Jack's posts. If confused by the big words here's a clue: Jack made that argument repeatedly and defended it, then doubled down with the other intellectual giants who share his opinion. A curious tactic for such a brilliant comic.

Good job at spelling "tool" correctly. Must be the familiarity caused by the numerous times that epithet was hurled at you. Don't give up though, keep trying! One day you'll stumble on a cogent argument and possibly even a sense of humor.

66, actually it has been determined that a woman's seductive dress can play a role in sexual abuse

I just love a woman in a hoodie and sexy knickers..my oh my.

I heard on the radio the other day that this Zimmerman idiot had made 56 911 calls in the last couple of years. The local police considered him a nuisance. He was the only member of Neighborhood Watch in this community, no one else wanted to participate because of him. He obviously ignored instructions from the police on his latest 911 call.

Why was this guy allowed to carry a gun?

Anybody that would shoot someone because of how they are dressed is not competent to carry a gun. Period.

Zimmerman took up the neighborhood watch. Whether he was an official watchman or acting on his own is not clear. The National Sheriffs’ Association runs the Neighborhood Watch Program, and executive director Aaron Kennard said there is “no information indicating the community where the incident occurred has ever even registered with the NSA Neighborhood Watch program."

Zimmerman apparently took the job seriously -- since the beginning of 2011 he called 911 some 50 times while making the rounds around his housing complex in Sanford, Florida. Many gave him high grades for his job.

"He helped solve a lot of crimes," said Cynthia Wibker, secretary for the homeowners association.

Former neighborhood watch captain Frank Taaffe said Zimmerman might be "overzealous, maybe," but his main concern is the safety and welfare of the community."

If you do not count this month,he called 911- 3.5 times per month.

Since this was a gated community why was there a need for such drastic watching? If there was a lot of crime in their community maybe it was a resident(s) that were the culprits!

Most gated communities I have been to had a guard at the front gate. You had to be on the list to get in. So what was wrong with this gated community to have so many breakins? I think the residents are being duped to pay higher rent and morgages than the people who live outside a gated community.

this is how it is,Zimmermen was not in danger and he knows this.#1 he was told by the 911 operator not follow TRAYVONE but he ignored the instructions that would have kept him away from a deadly situation.#2 he was in a vehicle driving,so he could have easily just left the scene and let the local pd handle it.#3 zimmermen thought he was hunting the young man in the black hoody,(A BLACK TEEN)......my point is that Zimmermen had safe way out of a situation that he was not trained to handle but he wanted to be super cop and approached TRAYVONE and try to shake him down.i.e. intimidate....this guy has to pay for what he did.

That is what I am wondering? A neighbor, defending Zimmerman, said that there had been numerous break-ins. So what kind of low-rent white trash community is this that they can't manage crime within the gated walls of their community? Why would anyone live there if security is so poor that Zimmerman felt he had to patrol the "gated" streets with a concealed weapon. The gates must be to keep the crime in not to keep those within safe.

WHITE male, in blue HOODIE robs bank.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/12/02/powell-bank-robbery.html

Google " White man in hoodie .... " add the word carjacker, robs bank, rapist, assault, and you will invariably receive over 1,000 hits and PHOTOS.

So WHAT is the most common profile again ??

The suspect is described as a white male, 35 to 40 years old, approximately 5’7” tall, 155 pounds, average build, facial hair stubble, gaps in teeth, large tattoo on the left side of his neck in cursive writing possibly the letter “C”. The suspect was last seen wearing a blue baseball cap, dark blue hoodie with the hood pulled up over the cap,

http://www.secretwitness.com/cases/case_detail.php?cat_id=12

Nectarine:

Which still grants credibility to the suspicion of someone wearing a hoodie. Independent of race, people looking to commit crimes like them because they conceal their identity. I will grant that there are other reasons to want to conceal one's identity. I will further grant that there are other reasons to wear a hoodie. But it does influence perceptions.

WHITE male, in blue HOODIE robs bank.

What the hell ever happened to the good old Black Ski Mask?

When you saw someone in one of them and it was 95 degrees outside,you knew what was up.

In NJ, we had the bank robber with the baseball caps. Guy wore a different kind of cap every time he robbed a bank.

What would Jesus do?

So Geraldo, what about the KKK and their hoods????? They started it! At least one could see the young man's face, and he was not hiding "behind" the hood! YOU have lost all respect as a man I once had for you!

So Geraldo, what about the KKK and their hoods?????

Has he ever said they were a good thing, he went against hoodies,your comment makes no sense at all.

YOU have lost all respect as a man I once had for you!

I bet you just hurt his feelings.

I can remember robber wearing a paper bag over his head-- holes for the eyes to see through. What ever happened to them. Guess the plastic bag took over and they are not safe to wear over your head.

@ Dave #s...

Young black man being followed (stalked) by stranger will try to avoid stranger. I'm sure if it were uniformed police officers young black man would've stopped. Trigger happy stalker with prejudice, kills young black man and lied. Guess you're happy with that.

Stranger Danger!!

... for a minute there I thought you posted pointed hood with white robe.

I think Geraldo was reacting like a good parent in his comments. As a parent who always watched my kids wore, I would be on the look out for any dress or behavior that might be linked to trouble. I wanted my kids to know I was ALWAYS watching. Bandanas? No way! The hanging jeans? Not on my kids. He was just making the point that one is judged by ones appearance. We all dress for acceptance, to make a statement or to attract attention in some way shape or form. Do not tell me people don't or shouldn't judge. It's a part of the human brain. We put people in little boxes in our minds as to what we think of them by how they dress, act and react. It's also part of human attraction and distraction as well as revulsion. Sincerely, think about it. We all do it.

Finally a voice of reason. Right wrong or indifferent, EVERYONE forms notions a based on observations.

you serious? everybody wears hoodies, from 3 year olds to 80 year olds

Blacks have been killed and feared in shackles in loinclothes, in slave rags, in antebellum dresses, in dashikis, in business suits, heck in a military uniform....for rocking an afro, a perm, natural, weave, wig or bald. Trayvon was RACIALLY profiled and wearing a hoodie HAD nothing to do with his HOMICIDE.

That's all fine and good JackBNimble, but let's be real. I'm a 28 year old white female and wear hoodies all the time for casualwear. At home lounging, runs to the grocery store, to the gym... now does this make me a thug? I'd sure hope not, nor do I ever think I've been judged or looked at differently for wearing one out and about. Let's be real. It was the combination of this kid being black and dressed in a hoodie, and some racist a#$hole jumping to conclusions about his intentions. It's very clear (IF you've actually read any press on this) that this man was a racist who was out to get anyone. It's just so sad that something as simple as a hoodie can be used to "justify" a cold blood murder. Senseless.

So the bone chilling visual of the skittle armed kid did not deter to Zimmerman to follow him, despite orders not to?? In addition: despite this terrifying confrontation with the gangsta hoodie, Zimmerman gets out of the safety of his car and starts questioning said gangsta, knowing the real cops are on their way.

With this type of reasoning you might as well crown Zimmerman a hero. Then again never mind. To many Zimmerman is their hero. After all, he took out a child, who had the audacity to walk through a white neighborhood. Sadly, I thought that we were beyond lynchings.

Basically what this all comes down to is "He was black and wearing a hoodie, therefore he must have been a dangerous criminal". Nothing better than guilty until proven innocent attitude that some of you ignorant people seem to have.

You're doing nothing more than trying to justify your own racism. You can try to justify and rationalize your comments anyway you want, but in the end they are nothing but racist.

Unfortunately, Geraldo has a point. Everyone here is going crazy saying hoodies don't cause you to get shot, that not what he was saying. Hoodies cause you to get profiled, be it by the police, or crazy people. Its even worse when your latino or black because you are already being profiled because of your ethnicity. Being latino, my father never let me leave the house wearing a hood over my head or any clothing that would cause one to profile me as dangerous, i.e baggy jeans hanging below the waist. Yes, people should be free to wear what they want, but some things cause you to get profiled. If I were to walk down Compton with a blue hoodie and baggy jeans, the cops/crazy people are gonna profile me as a threat, even if i may not be one.

And, if you were caught in a rain storm and were wearing a hoodie, would you not, indeed, wear your hoodie? Rivera is repeating the age-old excuse of blaming the victim, pure and simple. What is our country coming to if we are not FREE to wear what we want to wear without fear of being shot in the streets? Shall we continue to make laws that allow people to shoot first and ask questions later, or chase down a child, shoot and then claim self defense? This child was pursued and murdered by a sad and sorry wanna-be cop. End of story.

First, Geraldo has been welcome with open arms to the most absolutely racist, bigoted, abhorrent network on planet earth, Fox News. Fox News is, "The Rebirth" of "The Birth of Nation. D.W. Griffin has been reincarnated in Rupert Murdoch's lineage. He only hires those who will be abhorrent racist little cowardice devil. But you see, caucasiod racist, bigotry, and abhorrent behavior is infectious. Yeah now, even their women are those racist, bigoted, abhorrent little cowardice devil. A few years ago little Geraldo would have been treated just like Afrikan amerikkkans in this country. And not because of no damn hoodie. But also, since Geraldo thinks like them, he can make insideous, veil statements like that. To blame the murder of someone on his attire. God Damn amerikkka

But what, Kracker? Why don't you say what you're thinking, hmm?

I can recognize a hypocrite when I see one Jenni99738. It's close to election time dear don't you see it?

Blacks are slaughtering each other, nothing said, blacks kill whites, nothing said but white or hispanic kills black and all of a sudden everyone is outraged?

Why not outrage for all murders? Death is color blind.

stormrider54....you are typical GOP POS...what you wrote is not correct, if this happened to a white kid or latino kid, yeah, it'd be the same, hence Casey Anthony. Everyone was outraged. seriously THINK before you type crap

I knew it was just matter of time before somebody on Fox would blame the victim.

It has nothing to do with the hoodie. It was all about BLACK in a hoodie. I wear business casual to work and there are STILL white people who get nervous about getting in an elevator alone with me. You can be black with you master's degree hanging around your neck and people like Rivera will find some other justification to make it your fault. You can be black and PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and people will still question your worthiness.

Heraldo Rivera in no way represents Fox. They have to bring on liberal dingbats like him and Alan Colmbs to give the liberal view points. I've written Fox and Bill O'Reilly to take that idiot Heraldo off his show.

For a stupid liberal here to say Herado speaks for Fox just shows what a stupid, mornoic liberal they are.

,

Your post was dismissed the minute you interjected the word " Liberal ". Sad that individuals like you still pollute the air with your bigotry. HERE is the reason he will go to prison.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/policy-of-caution-guides-neighborhood-watch-groups/1221327

When volunteers join a Neighborhood Watch group in St. Petersburg, they sign a waiver.

They will not approach suspects. They will not detain people. They won't carry weapons.

That's common sense, many Neighborhood Watch coordinators say, despite the alleged actions of self-appointed watch captain George Zimmerman, who admitted to fatally shooting an unarmed teen in his gated Sanford neighborhood last month.

"You don't do anything that would potentially put you in harm's way," said St. Petersburg's Broadwater Neighborhood Watch coordinator Ted Seefeldt. "You simply observe and report to police."

Across the Tampa Bay area this week, law enforcement agencies and Neighborhood Watch groups roundly rejected the pursuit of a suspect, as Zimmerman's 911 call indicated he did.

At the trial, Neighborhood Watch experts from around the nation will be called as expert witnesses on the by laws, and sink Zimmerman as the racist vigilante that he is. Even if he escapes prison, his life is basically worthless. He'll never get a job and will have to live under an assumed name. In the end, he will realize it wasn't worth it.

For a stupid liberal here to say Herado speaks for Fox just shows what a stupid, mornoic liberal they are.

Sad that you can't hold an intelligent conversation without resorting to insults. It shows a lack of character.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/policy-of-caution-guides-neighborhood-watch-groups/1221327

In Holiday, 75-year-old Roy Paulin patrols his neighborhood by car, as part of the Pasco Sheriff's Office's security patrol — a more proactive version of Neighborhood Watch.

He had to take a class with other volunteers, where he says deputies told them to never chase a suspect. They aren't allowed to carry weapons.

They aren't even allowed to get out of their cars.

"We are not law enforcement officers," Paulin said. "We don't have the power to arrest, which means we cannot detain anybody."

For the past 13 years in Tampa's Beach Park neighborhood, residents have pitched in to hire an extra-duty Tampa police officer for nighttime patrols, said neighborhood association president Joel Williams, 50.

Their Neighborhood Watch group focuses more on communication — sharing safety tips and crime trends — while the patrolling is done by someone who legally can be more than just the eyes and ears, Williams said.

The program "does not in any way, shape, or form advocate citizens to take the law in their own hands," the Sheriffs' Association said in a written statement.

St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz says he doesn't believe any group or agency — including the Sanford Police Department, which did not return a call seeking comment — would encourage the type of action Zimmerman took.

"It's always been our policy, and I think it's the policy of most agencies, to not encourage any kind of physical involvement," Puetz said.

That's because despite any kind of Neighborhood Watch affiliation, volunteers are just like any other citizen, he said.

They don't have police training. They don't have police authority.

"They're private citizens," he said.

Stormrider, don't you dare patronize me, dear. Blacks are prosecuted for crimes against blacks and whites every day of the week. If you can show where a black person targeted a white person only because they were white, you'd have a hate crime. Not every crime is treated as a hate crime; some crime is just crime. And you're either lying or burying your head in the sand if you think if a black person was in Zimmerman's position and a white person were killed, that the shooter wouldn't be in jail right now.

Anyway, stay on topic. This story is about Geraldo saying a black kid wearing a sweatshirt with a hood in the rain at 7:00 in the evening got himself shot by a wannabe cop. Take your black on white crime spree outrage to another thread.

Blacks are also twice as likely as whites to go to prison for crimes they didn't commit, be falsely accused and tortued by law enforcement and be unfairly represented by the judicial system. Remember your forefathers also did this when they try to keep blacks in slavery and wipe out Native Americans and anyone else they deemed as not having the volatile white standards.

SYG, why could the same not by said for Martin? According to ZIMMERMAN, the black teen looked suspicious, looked at him, began to come towards him. I read - kid was probably walking in that general direction and looked at the creepy fat man sitting in his truck staring at him. Then Martin RAN AWAY. In which case Zimmerman proceeded to follow him. With a gun. Drawn at that point or hidden, who knows? So in that case, would it not be Martin's LEGAL right to STAND HIS GROUND and fight physically against the weird fat little man chasing him at night? I think it really comes down to that. Martin didn't just randomly jump some dude walking around as it feels like some people *cough*Ron*cough* are making it seem. ONE person here acted in self defense. Was it Zimmerman protecting himself from a 6'3" tall teenager that HE BEGAN TO PURSUE WITH A LOADED WEAPON? Or was it the KID walking home alone at night, talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone, that was CHASED BY A FAT CREEPER WITH SUPERHERO INSECURITIES?

I think Martin had every LEGAL right to STAND HIS GROUND. Which he obviously did. Yet it's suddenly HIS fault? And his KILLER shouldn't be blamed?

Blame the fat ADULT creeper that KILLED an UNARMED kid. Because at the end of the day, there's no other way to look at it.

White men wearing hoodies dropped off a package at a bank not 2 blocks from my house, 2 years ago, the package a bomb, killed 3 people, including the police chief. The color of your skin does NOT reflect the blackness of your heart.

I think it really comes down to that. Martin didn't just randomly jump some dude walking around as it feels like some people *cough*Ron*cough* are making it seem.

The evidence as of right now says that the 17 year old attacked him,if you can not prove that is not what happened,then it will stand as self defense. you can twist it all you want *cough*Amber Prewitt*cough*, does not change the facts.

empowering

Blacks are also twice as likely as whites to go to prison for crimes they didn't commit, be falsely accused and tortued by law enforcement and be unfairly represented by the judicial system.

Do you have anything other than just your word to back up this statement?

Zimmerman called 9-1-1 from his truck.

If Martin tackled him from behind the grass stains would be on his knees and his chest, not his back. I am a mother of a football player, I know grass stains!!

Geraldo is a true example of an idiot

If Martin tackled him from behind the grass stains would be on his knees and his chest, not his back. I am a mother of a football player, I know grass stains!!

Martin attacked him from behind(as in a blow to the back of the head),they were not playing football.

Jim from Buffalo, # 20-16, you say that "Heraldo Rivera in no way represents Fox. They have to bring on liberal dingbats like him and Alan Colmbs to give the liberal view points".

Well, they certainly don't need any conservative dingbats to give the conservative view points, now do they? Their regular? staff pretty much has that view point covered automatically.