NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel commentator Geraldo Rivera said Tuesday that he's sorry for suggesting that a hoodie worn by unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was as much responsible for his death as the neighborhood watch captain who shot him.

Rivera said a conversation with his oldest son on Monday convinced him he was wrong. Rivera said it was the first time 32-year-old Gabriel Rivera had said he was ashamed of something his dad had said — and it caused the dad a sleepless night.

"He had never, ever used language like that," Rivera said. "It was like, 'Whoa, what have I done that would make my son say that?'"

Rivera's comments last week triggered an angry response among people concerned about the case involving the 17-year-old Martin, who was carrying a bag of candy and a can of iced tea while returning to the Sanford, Fla., home of his father's fiancée when he was shot last month.

Martin, who was black, was shot by George Zimmerman, who has a white father and a Hispanic mother and has said he was acting in self-defense. The lack of legal action taken against Zimmerman has stoked racial tensions and led to protests around the country and debate about self-defense legislation.

Rivera said he was apologizing "for offending anyone."

"I apologize for the language," he said. "I don't apologize at all for the substance of my advice. I was trying to save lives."

Rivera said his oldest son was witness to tension between his father and brother, 24-year-old Cruz Rivera, over the young man's clothing. Rivera said he wanted urban parents to realize that clothing their children wear — such as hooded T-shirts or low-slung pants — could appear menacing to people who don't know them and could put them unnecessarily in danger.

http://news.yahoo.com/foxs-geraldo-r...221726122.html

As I have said before, overstating this obvious point has gotten away from the main point. The separate conversation has become the main conversation. In overstating the correlates to the issue, people have become perplexed as to whom they want to blame (even if Zimmerman is not brought up on charges).

Just as if this was a GC discussion of an alleged rape victim and perpetrator. A brief mention of what the victim was wearing would suffice--and even that would get an eyebrow raise from those who believe rape victims are never victim precipitators. If there were two GC pages on what the alleged rape victim was wearing or doing, it would be interpreted as forcing the alleged victim to share the blame with the perpetrator. If only that rape victim had not worn that sexy outfit and had that "come hither...my sex is awesome" look on her or his face. For generations courts have torn (alleged) rape victims apart by talking about their past (i.e., discussing what Trayvon Martin has been doing at school) and what the alleged rape victims were doing or wearing at the time that encouraged the alleged attack (i.e., discussing what Trayvon Martin was wearing when walking around a neighborhood in the rain). If that is not acceptable as far as people are concerned, neither is where this discussion of Trayvon Martin has gone.

I surely hope that the outfit I wear to the gym and to the grocery store afterwards does not confuse people and invite something. I typically look younger than my age and not as educated and occupationally attained as I am---I may look like a thug or even a sex kitten with an afro or a twist-set. To avoid that, I will print out a handout of my resume` and introduce myself as "Dr." to everyone in my nearest vicinity--just in case!!! This will be fun!!!

Amen. I also firmly believe that the hoodie had nothing to do with it. George Zimmerman would have found ANY black male, regardless of age or clothing, walking through his neighborhood suspicious. He didn't know him so OBVIOUSLY Martin was up to no good. The hoodie IS a distraction and an excuse. Hell, if I had on a hoodie and it was raining outside, you bet I'd pull that hood over my head. There is something wrong with a person's ability to reason if THAT is suspicious. PERIOD.

Now, I will agree that people discriminate based on many things, but are you really going to live your life trying to avoid that? As someone pointed out Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr were both shot and killed, but they were wearing suits. You can't win at this game.

Zimmerman's previous calls as Neighborhood Watch have been relatively shortly and quickly scrutinized; Trayvon Martin's previous run ins with the school and his hoodie have been scrutinized ad nauseam; and now Zimmerman's past with the po-po is being examined:


http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...police-officer

Oh snap! Billy Badass among us! Maybe Trayvon's hoodie-was-all-goodie!!

I have to laugh because WHOWOULDATHUNK the photo of Zimmerman in the orange polo was a booking photo from 2005. I thought it looked like a booking photo but I told myself "self, surely that would not be what it looks like because Zimmerman's prior run-ins with the law were never an issue...right?" This booking photo has been allllll over the media in the past few weeks (with exception for a nonbooking photo that is occasionally shown). Did anyone wonder why the hell it looks like a booking photo?

^^^ Ditto. I thought it was a jumpsuit.

It could have just as easily been a driver's license photo, which is what I thought it was. I do question how he was able to get a concealed weapons permit with a prior arrest for domestic violence and an altercation with police.

That's a good point about the concealed weapons permit. I do not know how it works in Florida.

It does look like it could be a driver's license photo but would they be able to obtain his driver's license photo beyond asking Zimmerman for his driver's license? Serious question, I really don't know.

Rep. Bobby Rush gets kicked off the floor for wearing a hoodie.

I salute you sir...

And make sure you listen to the end of the video

This is great. Kudos to Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago.

The audio at the very end is cut off - I heard, "Pers...". I tried another link and it was cut off in the same place. Was there something else you were wanting us to listen to, or was it the rule against wearing a hat/hood that you were talking about?

^^ That...because of course someone will come along and say "well he should have been kicked out, I don't see the problem" and "well he WAS out of order."

but...so is shooting unarmed kids in Florida with a registered firearm and not being arrested for it.

Ok, gotcha. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

You need to go away. Seriously. Like right now.

Hi Max. Long time no troll.

LOL. C'mon, you know you don't really want an answer. And you know you'll be banned before you can wrap your head around any answers anyway.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/d...chieBunker.jpg