http://www.good.is/post/hug-a-hoodie-what-the-u-k-teaches-us-about-making-a-sweatshirt-a-symbol/
In the article, Hug a Hoodie:What the U.K. Teaches Us About Making A Sweatshit A Symbol by Tim Fernholz, the article mentions the heated debate between citizens/strangers about Trayvon Martin's death. Tim mentions in the article how a tv broadcaster and the U.K. blamed the outfit that Trayvon chose that day as the cause of Trayvon's Death. Many other people were outraged by this accusation, calling it racism and injustice to blame articles of clothing as the cause for someone's death. Tim Fernholz brings up these heated topics in the article about hoodies. Not only to people blame the hooodie, they still do blame Zimmerman, but unlike others, people count the hoodie as well. The article tackles mentions different quotes taken from important people in the world. The quotes voice the opinion of the speaker and how diferent people may have different approach to this topic. While some may want Zimmerman locked up in jail, others also want to make a point to the public speaking out against sweatshirts. How in society today, a common article of clothing can now be blamed for the death of a teen.
Tim Fernholz voices his opinion in the article. At the end of the article, the very last line is; "While it’s easier to demonize a few square feet of cotton than face up to endemic racism and poverty, it doesn’t get us any closer to tackling the real problems." Fernholz mentions this meaning how people in the world can blame a sweatshirt and make the sweatshirt seem like the bad one. But while everyone is pointing fingers at the sweatshirt, we as a society will make no progress on trying to find out the real problems and taking care of them. Fernholz makes a big point in his opinion in the very first paragraph of the article. It states; "Profiling is a dangerous game. Trayvon Martin lost his life in February after George Zimmerman decided the unarmed black 17-year-old in a hooded sweatshirt on a rainy night was a threat." Tim states this as the beginning of the article for a reason. He starts out with his opinion. He is speaking out against stereotypes and how people profile others based simply on appearance.
I am personally outraged by the accusations against the hoodie. I will admit, while it HAS been observed that low-income teenagers do where hoodies, I DO NOT believe that certain races only wear hoodies, or many in one race wear hoodies. I believe that any race has the option to wear hoodies, just as much as the others. But although there migh be more races who wear hoodies than others, people shouldn't stereotype them for that reason. I am nor latino nor black and yet i do wear hoodies. My friends, who are culturally diverse, wear hoodies. Does that make us bad? Does that mean that (god forbid) we can be killed because we are wearing hoodies? Will someone be sent to jail because they wore slip on shoes? If we start basing our justice system upon stereotypical remarks about clothing and crime, our justice will be forever inblanced. I think that Trayvon wearing a hoodie had nothing to do with his death. Maybe Trayvon always wore hoodies, maybe he felt most comfortable in the them. But one night, wearing his favorite hoodie, he was shot dead. It was an unlucky night for him, but he did not lose his life based upon articles of clothing. When people base unlawful actions on articles of clothing (like hoodies), you are stereotyping eveyrone who has ever worn that article of clothing. Everyone has to go through a sweatershirt phase in their life. But if they wear hoodies, does that give people the right to go around and shoot them, and then get off free because of what the victim was wearing? "Oh, he was wearing a hoodie. Okay, that makes your point blank range shot perfectly acceptable." I don't believe that's right, do you?
No comments:
Post a Comment