Over the past month, the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin has dominated headlines throughout the country. The majority of those stories have more to do with what Martin was wearing than the actual case itself. In particular, Martin’s hoodie has garnered both positive and negative attention from a number of media outlets. At the same time, the controversy over Martin’s attire takes away from what the case is actually about.
Trayvon Martin was gunned down by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, in Sanford, Florida. Minutes before the shooting, Zimmerman described Martin to a 911 operator as wearing “a dark hoodie” and looking like he was “up to no good.”
By now, anyone watching the news has seen politicians, news anchors and reporters wear hoodies in honor of Martin. The donning of hoodies could be viewed as a touching expression of human sympathy by many political and television figures; however, dusting off an old hoodie and calling it a tribute makes the story more about themselves and not about Martin.
For instance, Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was escorted off the Congressional floor on March 28 after wearing a hoodie in honor of Martin. Representatives are not allowed to wear hoods of any kind on the House floor since it is a violation of dress code. As a result, Rush’s speech on the Trayvon Martin tragedy was not even heard since he was dismissed by the presiding officer Gregg Harper (R-Miss.).
On the other hand, commentary on hoodies is going too far as well. Two weeks ago, Fox News host Geraldo Rivera stated that Martin’s death occurred because of his attire. 
“I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was,” Rivera said on Fox News. “When you see a kid walking down the street [with a hoodie], particularly a dark skinned kid…people look at you and what’s the instant identification, what’s the instant association? It’s those crime scene surveillance tapes.”
What is forgotten in all of this is the fact that Trayvon Martin was using his hoodie for its basic utilitarian purpose—to simply protect his head from rain. Rivera could have also said that umbrellas and raincoats are responsible for deaths around the country as well. 
Martin was not looking for trouble or carrying a concealed weapon either; unless, of course, a pack of Skittles and an iced tea constitute as a weapon. The only person with an actual weapon that night was George Zimmerman. 
Zimmerman has yet to be charged with any crime and is entitled to his due process rights. Nevertheless, what should not be overlooked is that Zimmerman essentially shot an unarmed teenager in the back because Martin looked like he was “up to no good.” 
In the end, the hoodie did not make Trayvon Martin guilty of any crime, so it should not be the primary focal point when discussing this case. Being in front of a camera does not mean that news anchors and politicians should wear hoodies in “support” as well. All it does is make them look unprofessional.