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Geraldo Rivera said Trayvon Martin’s ‘hoodie is to blame’ for his death? Stereotypes are alive and well!

What is to blame for Trayvon Martin’s death? According to Geraldo Rivera, a hoodie. Rivera, host of Fox News Channel’s “Geraldo at Large,” claimed that George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot and killed the 17-year-old, unarmed Martin, was only partially responsible for the tragedy.

“I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was,” Rivera said on Fox News early Friday morning.

Rivera said that wearing a hoodie makes black and Latino kids look like gangsters, and gives the impression that they are up to no good. He continued, “I’ll bet you money that if he didn’t have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent and aggressive way,” Rivera said.

Unsurprisingly, Rivera’s comments have sparked an uproar in the Twitter-sphere.

Many users simply highlight the ridiculous nature of Rivera’s comments in their tweets.

@Rschooley: Geraldo puts all Target employees on notice. “Wear a target on your chest, what do you expect?”

@mollycrabapple: According to Geraldo, guns don’t kill people. Racist gun owners don’t kill people. Soft cotton over-garments kill people

@cschleichsrun: “If she didn’t want to be eaten by a wolf, then why did she wear that little red riding hood?” – Geraldo reading to preschoolers

Others insinuate that Rivera needs to make outlandish comments to remain relevant.

@pattonoswalt: “Hoodie”? Oh Geraldo, the way you’re battling the irrelevance that long ago vanquished you is ADORABLE.

@TVsAndyDaly: “Hey! People are talking about me! And all I had to do was be a living joke” – Geraldo

@azizansari: Somewhere the 5 people that have any respect for Geraldo just said – “I’m disappointed in you Geraldo.”

Some tweets joke, with heavy sarcasm, about hoodies’ role in violence.

@JennyJohnsonHi5: Please stop making fun of what Geraldo said, I lost my grandmother to hoodies :(

@alexblagg: Guys enough with these Geraldo jokes. It’s like shooting little hoodied fish in a barrel.

Some twitter users, however, come to Rivera’s defense. Unfortunately for Rivera, they are doing so in a mocking manner.

@scullymike: Let’s not let a few poorly chosen words from Geraldo wipe out a lifetime of brilliant, thought-provoking journalism.

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via TheWordEyeHeard