Matt Meyer

Thank you Fox News for revealing the true identity of middle-aged soccer moms everywhere. Those sweet ladies that shuttle young children to sporting events and plays in soft-toned minivans are really gangbangers.

According to Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera, the hoodie worn by recently gunned-down teenager Trayvon Martin was “as much responsible for his death as (shooter) George Zimmerman.”

Martin, who was wearing a hoodie with the hood up (it was raining), was shot and killed by Zimmerman, an overzealous neighborhood watchman.

Armed with only skittles and an iced tea, Martin is clearly a threat because of his hoodie.

This isn’t exactly new for Fox News. The network is famous for being wildly out of touch, and is rightly accused of pandering to the far-right masses. Rivera (http://geraldoinahoodie.tumblr.com/ for pictures of Rivera in a hoodie) capitalized on a tragic death of a teenager for some publicity.

Martin was gunned down by a man who clearly had something wrong with him. Zimmerman used 911 over 40 times this year. Zero arrests. Zimmerman also mentioned the hoodie in the 911 call, along with the color of Martin’s skin. The dispatcher said not to follow Martin because he was doing absolutely nothing wrong. Zimmerman alledgedly used a racial slur in the 911 call as well.

This highlights two major problems nationally, and on the CMU campus. Rivera, a minority himself, is doing what Fox News does best: blaming minorities for their own problems. If it were a white teenager in a hoodie, do you really think Zimmerman would have been as keen to follow? The answer is obviously no, and that is royally screwed up. It’s not Martin’s fault some overzealous, wannabe cop decided to follow him because he is black.

That’s the problem, not the hoodie. Justin Bieber wears a hoodie. Grandmothers wear hoodies. Fox News even sells hoodies on their website. It’s the perfect article of clothing for in-between weather, not a target.

Events like this are a wonderful opportunity to look inward at the campus environment we’re fostering. Don’t let prejudices, fears, and sometimes downright hatred spread. Differences deserved to be embraced.

Black or white.

Gay or straight.

Thin or Fat.

Muslim or Christian.

No one deserves to be gunned down because they decided to go buy some Skittles and iced tea at a gas station. Fox News needs to quit pandering and focus on awareness of this massive tragedy. It’s a shame that we live in a world were people try and capitalize on tragedy for personal gain.