By now, we are all familiar with this iconic image, which for all of us symbolizes the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin, and the “hoodie” that racists have used to blame him for his death at the hands of George Zimmerman.
Other images have followed this one, especially the “hand-up don’t shoot” gesture from protestors across America after the killing of Michael Brown. Or the last words of Eric Garner “I can’t breathe.”
And there were many that preceded it. I think back to the fists raised gesture on the podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, by Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
The right-wing frenzy to punish us, vilify us, blame us for our oppression has reached new, but not-surprising heights.
The latest blatantly racist absurdity is from the state of Oklahoma.
New Bill Would Make Wearing Hoodies A Crime
Oklahoma lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill this February that would make it illegal to wear hooded sweatshirts, or “hoodies,” in public, according to a report from Oklahoma’s Channel 6 News.Republican Senator Don Barrington will introduce the bill, which would make it a misdemeanor to “wear a mask, hood, or covering” either while committing a crime or in order to intentionally conceal one’s identity. If the bill is passed, offenders would be subject to a fine of $50 to $500, and up to one year in jail. The ban would not affect mask-wearers on Halloween or at masquerade parties, nor would it apply to people who wear head coverings for religious purposes.The bill’s purpose is seemingly to deter crime. As Channel 6’s report notes, robberies caught on surveillance camera often show the perpetrator wearing a mask or hoodie to cover his or her face. With the bill’s language only prohibiting wearing hoodies while committing a crime or to intentionally hide, supporters say the ban wouldn’t negatively affect people just trying to wear a sweatshirt in day-to-day life.
Others, however, have argued that bans on hoodies – no matter the intention – only serve to exacerbate problems with racial profiling. CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin took on the issue when an Indiana mall banned the garment in March:
“This is about the pretext of being able to stop young African-American males,” she said. “Hoodie is code for ‘thug’ in many places and I think businesses shouldn’t be in the business of telling people what to wear. The Fourteenth Amendment protects us from this.”Hostin argued that hoodie bans are similar to previous bans on sagging pants, in that both target clothing items or styles worn predominantly by black men. Because of that, Hostin said, the bans give businesses and police officers an excuse to racially profile.
“When do we get to a place in our society where we stop doing this kind of thing?” she continued. “Where we stop targeting young black men so there is a pretext for being allowed to escort them out of a mall simply because of what they’re wearing?”
There are no words, really. If this wasn’t so awful, I’d be rolling on the floor laughing my black ass off.
I’ll let Key and Peele speak for me.
Happy New Year, of racist absurdities.
We will continue to fight back against them.
Get out your hoodies folks. We’ve got a Klanner wannabe in Congress, the new Majority Whip Steve Scalise, without his hood, but we know the deal. Heh. Crickets from the Southern Avenger buddy in the Senate, Rand Paul.
Welcome to 2015.
Cross-posted from Black Kos
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