Tell Geraldo, It Wasn't a Hoodie that Pulled the Trigger on Trayvon
- by: Susan V.
- recipient: Geraldo Rivera
According to Geraldo, neither racial profiling, guns, over-zealous Zimmerman, nor Florida's "stand your ground" law killed Trayvon Martin. He says Trayvon was killed because he was wearing a hoodie.
And he didn't just say that hoodies make males look suspicious, as he later equivocated, he said he thought "the hoodie is as much responsible" for Trayvon's death as Zimmerman was. Still not backing down, Geraldo claims he just wants to save lives.
But why doesn't he address the important issues surrounding Trayvon's and similar deaths? Is his real goal to divert attention from growing criticism of Florida's "stand your ground" law or from the NRA's pushing of similar laws in all 50 states?
Whatever his motives, Geraldo left out a lot of don'ts. He forgot: Don't run, don't walk, don't ask why you're being stalked, don't be male, don't fight back, and by all means don't be black.
Tell Geraldo, it wasn't a hoodie that pulled the trigger on Trayvon.
And he didn't just say that hoodies make males look suspicious, as he later equivocated, he said he thought "the hoodie is as much responsible" for Trayvon's death as Zimmerman was. Still not backing down, Geraldo claims he just wants to save lives.
But why doesn't he address the important issues surrounding Trayvon's and similar deaths? Is his real goal to divert attention from growing criticism of Florida's "stand your ground" law or from the NRA's pushing of similar laws in all 50 states?
Whatever his motives, Geraldo left out a lot of don'ts. He forgot: Don't run, don't walk, don't ask why you're being stalked, don't be male, don't fight back, and by all means don't be black.
Tell Geraldo, it wasn't a hoodie that pulled the trigger on Trayvon.
We, the undersigned, object to your blaming Trayvon's death on the jacket ("hoodie") he was wearing.
Not only do the comments you continue to defend serve to trivialize this terrible tragedy, but they appear to divert attention from what really should be done, or at least discussed, to try to put an end this kind of senseless violence.
The role of the media should be to first, stop promoting the kind of fear-mongering that encourages the kind of scenario that very likely led to Trayvon's killing and next, to start talking about how to remedy the poverty and economic inequalities in our society that directly and indirectly lead to minorities' involvement in crime, giving the false impression that blacks, themselves, are more prone to violence, when in fact it's about poverty, oppression, and especially generational poverty, along with lack of opportunity.
Another issue the media should address is gun laws and just who exactly is benefiting from the NRA's promotion of these "stand your ground" laws that have caused "justifiable homicides" to skyrocket since Florida passed its version. Since Zimmerman is using this law as his defense, this issue cannot be ignored by a responsible media. Also we also must ask, had Zimmerman not had possession of a gun and the backing of this law, would he have felt so emboldened as to go after Trayvon, as the 911 transcripts certainly verify he did.
Ultimately, it's not the place of the media or commentators like you, Geraldo, to give young black males the "Black Male Code" talk. It is, rather, the responsibility of our media, which has been given the privilege to use our public airwaves, to serve the public by reporting facts and giving serious attention to the kinds of issues discussed here.
We ask that you please start focusing your attention on the real issues that affect the majority of Americans and stop blaming deaths such as Trayvon's on the victims or trivializing the causes that lead to such tragedies.
Thank you for you attention to these concerns.
Sign PetitionSign PetitionNot only do the comments you continue to defend serve to trivialize this terrible tragedy, but they appear to divert attention from what really should be done, or at least discussed, to try to put an end this kind of senseless violence.
The role of the media should be to first, stop promoting the kind of fear-mongering that encourages the kind of scenario that very likely led to Trayvon's killing and next, to start talking about how to remedy the poverty and economic inequalities in our society that directly and indirectly lead to minorities' involvement in crime, giving the false impression that blacks, themselves, are more prone to violence, when in fact it's about poverty, oppression, and especially generational poverty, along with lack of opportunity.
Another issue the media should address is gun laws and just who exactly is benefiting from the NRA's promotion of these "stand your ground" laws that have caused "justifiable homicides" to skyrocket since Florida passed its version. Since Zimmerman is using this law as his defense, this issue cannot be ignored by a responsible media. Also we also must ask, had Zimmerman not had possession of a gun and the backing of this law, would he have felt so emboldened as to go after Trayvon, as the 911 transcripts certainly verify he did.
Ultimately, it's not the place of the media or commentators like you, Geraldo, to give young black males the "Black Male Code" talk. It is, rather, the responsibility of our media, which has been given the privilege to use our public airwaves, to serve the public by reporting facts and giving serious attention to the kinds of issues discussed here.
We ask that you please start focusing your attention on the real issues that affect the majority of Americans and stop blaming deaths such as Trayvon's on the victims or trivializing the causes that lead to such tragedies.
Thank you for you attention to these concerns.
See more petitions:
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.