Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera is under fire for making a controversial statement last Friday during a discussion on “Fox and Friends” about the Trayvon Martin shooting death case.
While discussing the situation, Rivera said that the reason 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was gunned down, was simply because he was wearing a hoodie, which he says he believes made the “nutty neighborhood watch guy” respond in a “violent and aggressive way.” (his words)
“I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies,” Rivera said on “Fox & Friends.” “I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.”
“When you see a kid walking down the street, particularly a 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,” Rivera said, as he continued on to argue that there is an “instant association” with someone that is wearing a hoodie.
“When you see a black or Latino youngster, particularly on the street, you walk to the other side of the street. You try to avoid that confrontation,” Rivera continued. “Trayvon Martin, God bless him, an innocent kid, a wonderful kid, a box of Skittles in his hands. He didn’t deserve to die. But I bet you money, if he didn’t have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent and aggressive way.”
[Source]
Trayvon Martin was shot and killed a month ago today (Feb 26) in a suburban community in Florida by a racist gun-toting neighborhood watchman named George Zimmerman, who claims he was being attacked by Martin (who was wearing a hoodie because it was raining), and that’s why he murdered him.
Trayvon Martin, however, was running away from George Zimmerman throughout the ordeal and the only thing he had in his possession was a bag of skittles and a can of Arizona iced tea he had purchased just moments ago from a nearby convenience store.
Trayvon’s hoodie has become a symbol of protest in light of his death, which has sparked numerous rallies nationwide, including one in New York last week called the “Million Hoodie March,” which drew thousands of supporters and was even attended by Martin’s parents.
It should also be noted that Fox News is the only major news network that is not covering the Trayvon Martin case, unless they’re blaming his hoodie for his death (instead of the guy who was holding the gun) or publishing false reports of a witness claiming they saw Martin attack George Zimmerman.
Typical Fox News behavior.
