Fox News pundit Geraldo Rivera last year, you’ll remember, just a few months after George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, actually blamed Martin’s choice to wear a hoodie for his death. Not “Stand Your Ground,” not racism, not an over-zealous neighborhood watch patrol, not Florida’s gun laws, not even — as the defense argued — the concrete Martin was “armed with.” But his hoodie.
The nation was so outraged that Rivera almost immediately was forced to issue an apology, and invited Martin’s parents on to his show.
“What I was trying to do was caution parents that allowing kids to wear hoodies or similar clothing in certain circumstances, particularly if they were minority young men, could be dangerous,†Rivera explained to the grieving parents in April of last year. “But I never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings and certainly Sybrina and Tracy, I never intended to hurt your feelings. I want to personally convey my deepest apologies to both of you. I am sorry, Tracy, if anything I said added to your misery.â€
So much for that.
Today, less than 48 hours after Zimmerman was acquitted in a “not guilty” verdict that shocked about half the world, Rivera in effect withdrew his apology.
Re: hoodies. As a lifelong sailor I noticed long ago that the Coast Guard always stopped the boats that flew the Jolly Roger pirate flag.
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) July 15, 2013
This, by the way, just three days after Rivera on Fox & Friends said that all six jurors in the Zimmerman murder case would have shot and killed Trayvon long before Zimmerman did.
But now the modern-day hoodie — a simple garment worn since the 1930’s by good and honorable people — is akin to a pirate flag? And a license to kill?
Rivera should also know that the hoodie’s pre-1930’s origin is as clothing for Medieval European monks.
But by all means, Geraldo, let’s blame the hoodie for Trayvon Martin’s death.
Now, let’s have a chat about mustaches…