Fox News' Geraldo Rivera stunned viewers with remarks about the Trayvon Martin case, saying that by wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the slain teen made himself a target.
Martin, the 14-year-old candy-carrying, hoodie-wearing African-American boy, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a Sanford, Fla., neighborhood watch captain.
He was walking home from a 7-Eleven and was unarmed. Zimmerman, who claimed self defense, has not been charged, though a grand jury will hear the case.
Martin supporters participated in a "Million Hoodie March" to protest Zimmerman's freedom. But the hoodie has taken on new meaning thanks to Geraldo.
"When you see a kid walking down the street, particularly dark-skinned kid like my son Cruz - who I constantly yelled at when he was going out wearing a damn hoodie or those pants around his ankles, 'Take that hood off!'" Rivera said on Fox & Friends.
"People look at you, and what’s the instant identification, what’s the instant association? It’s those crime-scene surveillance tapes."
"Every time you see someone stickin’ up a 7-Eleven, the kid’s wearing a hoodie," Rivera continued. "Every time you see a mugging on a surveillance camera or they get that old lady in the alcove, it’s a kid wearing a hoodie."
"You have to recognize that this whole stylizing yourself as a 'gangsta' … You’re gonna be a gangsta wannabe? Well, people are going to perceive you as a menace. That’s just what happens. It is an instant reflexive action."
The negative reaction to this was fast and furious.
Many viewers claimed this was a call for a dress code for minorities, or equivalent to saying women who wear revealing clothes are asking to be raped.
Questlove sent a long series of Tweets at Rivera, including:
"sorry @GeraldoRivera, what i gotta stroll around rocking a tux 24 7 so i can put others who are ignorant at ease? what about the OTHER side of that coin?"
With more brevity but just as much furor, Parks & Recreation star Aziz Ansari said, "It's really appropriate to tweet this any day, but seriously, F--k you Geraldo."
Rivera followed up on Twitter, defending his position:
"My own son just wrote to say he's ashamed of my position re hoodies - still I feel parents must do whatever they can to keep their kids safe," he wrote.
"Its not blaming the victim Its common sense-look like a gangsta&some armed schmuck will take you at your word... Its sad that I have to be the one reminding minority parents of the risk that comes with being a kid of color in America."
Do you agree with Geraldo's comments on Trayvon Martin?
gabby marcel the shell with shoes on ecu john wooden mirror mirror tanuki mirror mirror trailer
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.