Neighbourhood Watch Kills Unarmed Black Kid

[Ree]

How? How does it back up your point, when what you're claiming he didn't say is exactly what he typed?

But everyone has immediately jumped to the mindset that he is saying it with the conviction that it's a correct assumption for people to make. The way I see it, he is not condoning the stereotype at all. My opinion is that he his addressing the fact that the bias exists and as a result, not just Trayvon Martin has been a victim of that bias.

Geraldo had very real fears for his own son because of the bias and would fight with his son about his going out in public wearing a hoodie, His fear was that some bigot would automatically make that "gangsta" connection and assume the kid was up to no good and end up blowing him away.

I have seen him referred to as a "Hispanic Uncle Tom" because of this comments. I believe even his own son is embarrassed by the comments.

I'm no fan of Geraldo. In fact, I think he's an opportunist who uses tragic news stories as a way to gather press and boost his own fame, and this case is no different.

I just feel that there has been a lot of unfair criticism of the message he was trying to send with his words.
Unfortunately, he dug himself into a pit and every time he tweets another message, he just digs himself deeper.

I think his brain was trying to get one message out, but his mouth failed him.

I think his wording has been very clumsy.
It's sad that what he was trying to say has been trivialized into an accusation that he was blaming the hoodie for the death or blaming the victim for the crime.

The focus should be that an innocent boy went to the store for a snack and never made it home because some overzealous, self-appointed neighbourhood watch captain made an incorrect assumption and reacted in a way that was completely out of proportion to the situation. It was compounded by a total mishandling by the police department and a subsequent butt covering that only made things worse.

That is the real tragedy of it all.

[KnitShoni]

It's not been trivialized, Ree. THAT IS WHAT HE SAID. No one is jumping to any mindset or trying to say he said something he didn't. Those are his words-that came out of his mouth and that he reiterated and backed up on twitter-that have people upset.

[Hyena Dandy]

I do side with Knit here, actually. What Rivera said WAS kinda out of line. Whether that's what he was actually TRYING to say or not is a different question. But saying the hoodie is just as responsible for it as Zimmerman is is in no way right.

[Ree]

Those are his words-that came out of his mouth and that he reiterated and backed up on twitter-that have people upset.

But it's the interpretation of it.

I still say he was trying to send a message that addresses the bias that already exists, and was not actually condoning the bias at all.

I doubt we will ever agree on that point, though.

He added, "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 the 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 what happens. It is an instant reflexive action."

Seriously, when I see this:



I don't even know this person's race or even sex, but my mind does not immediately jump to "well-adjusted kid"

That may well be a bias on my part, but it's a bias based on life experience.
Part of it stems from having had troubled kids in my home who dressed like that and hung with others who dressed like that. (And...I only foster girls, so, yes, girls do dress like that, too.)

Another part of it is because of the message put out there by the media.

I think that's what Geraldo was saying.

He is not saying Zimmerman isn't to blame for what he did, because he has said that Zimmerman deserves to be prosecuted.

"I believe that George Zimmerman, the overzealous neighborhood watch captain, should be investigated to the fullest extent of the law and if he is criminally liable, he should be prosecuted"

He is addressing the fact that Martin, like so many other young Black or Latino youths, ended up losing his life because of a confrontation that stemmed from a bias based on the kid's appearance, and specifically, his choice of clothing.

[radiocerk]

I find the pants more "non-adjusted kid" than the hoodie, but in my neck of the woods, a hoodie, t-shirt and jeans seems to be the town uniform.

[KnitShoni]

Except...he lost his life to a guy who previously called the cops to report a "suspicious 7-9 year old Black male."

And, if the girlfriend is to be believed, Zimmerman saw what Martin looked like before he ever pulled that hood up over his head.

Edit: And, either way you slice it, it's victim blaming. It's saying that, if he'd just dressed differently, he wouldn't have been shot. And you don't see how that's in any way similar to, "If she'd just dressed more modestly, she wouldn't have been raped"? Ok.

This man has been in media entirely too long to not know how to say what he means to say.

[kibbles]

I don't think it's just the hoodie itself that creates the bias, but the way one wears it..especially if it seems like they are trying to hide their identity.

I am in no way condoning what Zimmerman did, he had no right to follow or even approach Martin IMO. But I understand what Ree is saying.

[KnitShoni]

I don't think it's just the hoodie itself that creates the bias, but the way one wears it..especially if it seems like they are trying to hide their identity.

I am in no way condoning what Zimmerman did, he had no right to follow or even approach Martin IMO. But I understand what Ree is saying.

...Again, if the girlfriend is to be believed, he was trying to hide his identity. From the random who was following him in a vehicle.

[bara]

...Again, if the girlfriend is to be believed, he was trying to hide his identity. From the random who was following him in a vehicle.

If some person in a car was following, hiding who you are makes sense if you dont know who they are.

If the guy wasnt following him, I doubt the boy would have paid him any attention.

[Ree]

Zimmerman's behaviour was inexcusable.
I think he was a paranoid control freak with a gun fetish.

Only George Zimmerman was responsible for what happened to Trayvon Martin.
There is absolutely no doubt!

This young boy's death sickens me.

I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to grow up as a minority youth and have total strangers judge you based on your skin colour and make assumptions based on your clothing choice.

It angers me that, in 2012, in a country that looks down on other nations for being so backward in their thinking, there are still people who feel that skin colour is relevant.

I still feel, though, that it was the total picture of clothing choice, behaviour, and skin colour that set off those biased alarm bells in Zimmerman's head in the first place.

No woman is asking to be raped, and their clothing choice is not an invitation to rape. The thing is, with rape, even a dumpy, homely fat chick like me could end up raped, regardless of what I was wearing.

In the case of a young person, (white, Black, Latino, or whatever) wearing certain clothing, for some people, there is going to be a perception and bias that immediately associates them with "gang" or up to no good.
The "hoodie" stereotype had to have come from somewhere, and it did.

Does it need to stop?
Yes.

Will it stop any time soon?
Probably not.

[BlaqueKatt]

Seriously, when I see this:



I don't even know this person's race or even sex, but my mind does not immediately jump to "well-adjusted kid"

oddly enough when I see that I think, "high school kid", generally because in my area 90% of school kids dress like that, it's the style that's currently in fashion for that age group.

To me it's like someone in the 60's judging a person as a pothead or hippie because they wore bellbottoms, or a hooligan/delinquent for wearing a beatles' hairstyle-which was the fashion at the time.

[Ree]

oddly enough when I see that I think, "high school kid", generally because in my area 90% of school kids dress like that, it's the style that's currently in fashion for that age group.

Well, as I said, that's YOUR experience...and my opinion is based on MY experience.

[Gravekeeper]

I don't even know this person's race or even sex, but my mind does not immediately jump to "well-adjusted kid"

When I see that I just think "Dipshit teenager that thinks he's cool". But its more because of the inability to pull up their pants rather than the hoodie. The hoodie means nothing to me. *I* wear a hoodie all the time. Certainly doesn't stop random strangers from asking me for directions constantly. -.-

[bainsidhe]

Good lord what a mess. Black Panthers put $10,000 bounty for Zimmerman's capture.

Also, a new witness has come forward, claiming Martin was on top and Zimmerman was calling for help: http://www.blippitt.com/breaking-wit...mmerman-video/

Of course Zimmerman is still claiming he was heading back to his truck when Martin attacked him, something I think is total bull. And I want to know how close Zimmerman was to the kid when he shot him. Remember, there were two gunshots on the 911 tape, so what happened following the first shot?

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

When I see that I just think "Dipshit teenager that thinks he's cool". But its more because of the inability to pull up their pants rather than the hoodie. The hoodie means nothing to me. *I* wear a hoodie all the time. Certainly doesn't stop random strangers from asking me for directions constantly. -.-

I feel pretty much the same. There are plenty of kids from good homes that dress like that.

The thing is clothes don't really tell you a lot about the person wearing them.

Depending on my outfit I can either look like a rich and successful business person, a football dad, a homeless person, a college student or a geek just to name a few.

But I am who I am regardless of the clothes I wear. Just because I may APPEAR to be something, doesn't mean I am that something.

I wear a hoodie frequently too, merely because the one I have is comfy and keeps me warm when it's cool outside.