We knew it would eventually come and it has.
The reactionary media is starting to react to demands for justice in the death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed Feb. 26 by a neighborhood watch captain while walking home from a convenience store in Sanford, Florida.
And it's getting ugly.
In a classic "blame the victim" ploy, Fox News host Geraldo Rivera said today he believes Trayvon wouldn't have been fatally shot had he not been wearing a "hoodie" sweatshirt.
"I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was," Rivera told the wide-eyed panelists on the Fox & Friends curvy couch.
"It’s those crime scene surveillance tapes. Every time you see someone sticking up a 7-Eleven, the kid'swearing a hoodie. 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 going to be a gangsta wannabe? Well, people are going to perceive you as a menace."
Yes, Rivera says, Trayvon's fashion choice got him killed.
Wait, don't a lot of the criminals captured in those surveillance tapes also have mustaches?
And remember, the unabomber (left)? He wore both a hoodie and a mustache!
Even Geraldo himself likes to wear hoodies. And his son disagrees with his father's views:
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
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) March 23, 2012
Geraldo also urged "the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies."
But he might want to alert his own company (Fox News) to let them know they are selling hoodies on their own website!
Glenn Beck's news website, The Blaze, opened the door to all of this on March 19 by posting an article speculating that Martin, who was on suspension from school at the time of his death due to excessive tardiness, might have actually been suspended for any number of criminal acts, including arson, sexual battery, and homicide and, therefore, might have had it coming.
Then, Fox News host Sean Hannity wondered on his show last night whether the killing could have been a "horrible accident," even though the shooter, George Zimmerman, said he shot Martin in self-defense.
"Could this be a terrible tragedy?" Hannity said. "Could this just be a case where Trayvon was running because he thought he was in jeopardy, he was in the neighborhood, and that we had a series of crimes so there was a community watch? Is it possible that it was just a horrible accident?"
No Sean, we already KNOW it was not an accident. Move on.
One more example: after President Obama comment on the Trayvon tragedy, Michelle Malkin wrote (take note of the focus group-tested coded-language to stir up rightie fears) that progressives have "turned the horrible death of Trayvon Martin into a racial litmus test" and "Barack Obama is all too willing to pour gas on the fire."
She added: "The Al Sharpton/New Black Panthers Party-led mob is forging ahead with its polarizing racial profiling narratives despite the fact that the alleged shooter is Hispanic and multiracial."
Hmmmm. So Hispanics and/or people who are multiracial are not capable of being racist?
Ed will have extensive coverage of the right-wing coverage of the Trayvon Martin tragedy on The Ed Show tonight at 8pET on MSNBC.
Leave a Comment:
"It’s those crime scene surveillance tapes. Every time you see someone sticking up a 7-Eleven, the kid'swearing a hoodie. 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 going to be a gangsta wannabe? Well, people are going to perceive you as a menace." - I'm glad I didn't wear my hooded sweatshirt to work this morning. I might have gotten shot by Geraldo.
GOMERS That Wear Suits Look Like Gangsters !!!!!!!
http://www.miamishoresvillage.com/Police/police_procedure.htm == Florida = Police PROPER PROCEDURE !!!!!!
Funny how most lawyers and politicians look like Mafiosi...
TRAYVON WAS - One OF AMERICA'S SON'S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
apparently like fox viewers, who are the most uninformed of ALL news viewers, geraldo has become very uninformed.
i just bought the book, "SHOWDOWN": the inside story of how Obama fought back against boehner, cantor and the tea party.
love crawling into bed with a good book!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWJhuHWzrqA =JCBBB = America's Son's !!!!!!!!! A Small Tribute To TRAYVON and Other's !!!!
Hey R4 . You say whorealdo didn't shoot you?Well if at first you don't suckseed try,try again.
That's a lame thing to say. It was raining. If you had a hooded sweatshirt and it was raining would you not use your hood.
I was appalled at the original incident and how the police responded (drug testing the victim, but not the shooter). Geraldo's comment shows how delusional some people can be. We do not need the likes of GR spewing this nonsense (and that is a charitable word for it). As a human, let alone Caucasion, I am appalled by how this could happen to any of us in America.
Rivera needs to put a hood on his imagination. There is no evidence that attire marks another for death. It is however in the mind of a sociopath, as Zimmerman proved.
WELL THEN - Does This Mean That ALL LADIES Who Wear HIGH-HEELS And Short Skirts Are HO'S / Prostitutes ????? OH I THINK Soooo !!!!!!???????? Ha Haaaa !!!
Some people identify them that way. Sad. When I hear Geraldo say this morning I wanted to scream........so I did. Could you hear me all the way to MI?
Geraldo Rivera is a wash up journalist and lawyer. I wish he would craw back under the rock.
My white kids wear hoodies ages 26, 20, 13 with team logos etc,.
I think it's easy to see that ALL PEOPLE IN HOODIES AREN'T CRIMINALS ... That would be "Stereotyping" this is 2012 Mr Geraldo Rivera... You want kids to dress like you?
It's clear to see we need to Educate the Educated...
Yeah = The Educated Idiots / Morons !!!!!! geraldo = What A GOMER !!!!!!
This from the Great Reporter best known for his Dramatic Opening of the Long-Lost Vault of AL CAPONE!
Come on, that was great! And the way he ran away right after it was opened? Priceless!
I also enjoyed his boxing match where he got the crap beaten out of him. He stopped it before it was over!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P84OKTUx6LY
I remember watching it I laugh at the end what a jerk he was.
All I can think of to say is "This is a damn shame"
Rachael = AMEN and You Got That RITE !!!!!!! YOU Are A Very Good Person !!!!!!
The GOP wants to outlaw hoodies as a deadly weapon to improve public safety in a world filled with bullet holes?
Geraldo Rivera is living proof that drugs cause permanent brain damage.
Crack = Amen = You Got That RITE !!!!!!!
What next? They seem to alway be trying to place the blame on someone or something else. And claim, as Rev Al says, they have the blue berry pie all over their faces......this guyis not to blame. They know he is one of their limpbrain crazies are they would not be trying to make excuses for the murderer.
I just lost all respect for Geraldo. That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in some time. We need to focus on the issue. The issue is profiling, and discontinuing wearing hoodies does not address the underlying issue; therefore, the problem will persist. Further he contradicted himself when he said unless its raining outside, don't wear a hoodie.....news flash...it was raining. Also, my children play basketball for a private catholic school and guess what they wear with their uniform before games? You guessed it...a hoodie. So I suppose we should notify the Archdiocese that components of their athletic uniforms are contributing to unjustified homicides in America. Hopefully they can come up with something else before my 11 and 12 year olds are slayed for wearing their sports attire and being black in America. Yeah thats it lets discontinue the use of hoodies. I'm sure that will play a pivital role in resolving the profiling issue in America that leads to unjustified homicides.
ULLL = AMEN !!!!! The gop-re-baggers Will Stop AT NOTHING To Protect And Defend Their Own = RIDICULOUS / DISGUSTING !!!!!!!!!
These Fox News radicals are really gone in the head! Maybe they don't offer mental health coverage for their anchors!
It MUST Be The OXY That They DIVI-Up In Their Meetings Before Their Day Begins !!!!!!
http://www.kochbrothersexposed.com/
Geraldo lost all credibility the day he opened Al Capone's vault and found it as empty as his head. I used to think he had a few brains, but whatever he did have got sucked out by Fox. As far as Glenn Beck goes, he's psychotic and loves to make up stories to entertain himself. And Hannity never HAS had any credibility OR brains!
Whats next Geraldo ? Blacks and Latinos being targeted not wearing Gap clothing.All those years of you working the media and you blurt out crap like that.
And the stupidity of Fox news and the right go marching on. What next Burka's to prevent rape? Because you know sweat pants and baggy shirts drive men into a sexual feeding frenzy.
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/03/10/the-koch-brothers-exposed/
MSNBC seams to forget that Geraldo is a liberal Hispanic
See Fox news does have opposing voices on their pay roll unlike MSNBC
So If you want to bad mouth Geraldo i agree he does need a good whipping for what he said but remember you are attacking one of your own
Here you go again projecting conservative traits onto the backs of liberals. What Geraldo being Hispanic and having his start on ABC makes him liberal? He isn't liberal he is one of those media sluts who will say anything for a buck, a conservative trait.
Geraldo is not a liberal never was, he is slime ball.
Hoodies?! Sure, and every woman who wears a miniskirt must be a prostitute huh?
The hoodie had nothing to do with Trayvon's murder, it was a wanna be cop & a 9 millimeter gun. The republican far right should be feeling guilt, Hannity, Rush, & Beck have preached hate constantly & this causes heinous actions. Some citizens cannot stand that a black man is president therefore acting like jerks. We should all be ashamed that an innocent young man was murdered & Zimmerman is loose.
HR's comments can be as equally applied to women who are raped and blamed for wearing a sexually provocative outfit. What an ass.
Geraldo is proof that asses aren't only four legged animals. He wants kids to dress to make others feel comfortable around them. Wow.
OK, saw the segment about the Wisconsin case. I feel that is an entirely different animal than the Zimmerman/Martin case. While tragic and shouldn't have happened, having some stranger actually come into your home is a whole lot different than being suspicious of someone out on the public streets.
My wonderful son in law now deceased was an avid sportsman and he ran every morning for ten miles and he wore a hood early mornings when it was damp and cool. Our beloved Alan who was mugged at gun point in broad daylight was not wearing a hood and the criminal was not black and was not wearing a hood. Shame on Heraldo and Hannity for their heartless and insensetive disrespect for Trayvon and his grief stricken family . My prayers and my heart goes out to Trayvon's family.
When I listened to the tapes, on television, I definately heard Zimmerman say" They always get away " as he muttered , something else I couldn't make out, as he was persuing Trayvon. I have been wondering if everyone heard this remark by Zimmerman as well, In My opinion I feel that Zimmerman had already decided that this was one that he was not going to let get away. It is an absolute outrage that Zimmerman wasn't arrested immediately
I heard the comment about they always get away. IMHO this is the point when the shooter decided to do something. I believe he carried a gun for a reason and this was it, this was the time he would not get away.
I honestly wish someone would clobber gerolda over the head once more. you are a truly
a maggot when I was in ny working with disable kids you were a JACKASS and 25 yrs later you are a bigger ashl.
This is 2012 and most sweatshirts comes with hoods. As a matter of fact a lot of clothing comes with a hood attached. Gerald Rivera's comments are so stupid; I believe he said that to get publicity because I have not heard his name in years. Being at Fox only destroys your image as a human being. One thing he did say which made sense regarding his own son was his child wears clothing with hoods attached. So you good parent what did you tell your son since his complexion is dark regarding hoodies and from your comments he is wearing hoodies about being approached by a policeman? Did you tell him he is going to die because he wears a hoodie? And if you are shot by a policeman it is because you were wearing a hoodie and it would be his fault?
Rivera use to be respected, now he is just a worn out joke. This comment about the hoodie is one of the silliest thing I have ever heard. No Mr. Rivera, Trayvan Martin was murder because he was black. And then I hear that that lowlife of a police chief was on FOX this morning trying to smear Trayvan's name. He was saying that he found no receipt for the skittles and tea anywhere on Trayvan's body. Trying to imply Trayvan might have stole the candy and can tea. As I've said before what a bunch of lowlife there at FOX. I have been to some stores and they don't give receipts all the time, not when you are just buying a piece of candy and soda.
Shame on you Geraldo Rivera, as an American citizen, I watch you on fox News, as well as others on MSNBC, CNN, ABC, etc.,I do this to get a (as your network calls "FAIR AND BALANCED" news so I can come to my own conclusions on whats happening around the world.
I view your conclusions to be very narrow minded and biased, what about george zimmerman, he claims to be hispanic, yeah, like Bashir Assad is Chinese.
Geraldo, for once, just forget about "ratings" and all other "feel good" things you do for your network and face reality, Mr. Martin was murdered, just because he was black.
You are hopeless, it seems your son has not inherited the "self-serving" gene code you have.