About that unacceptable double standard and erroneous expectations

"Perhaps, someday, blacks will win the right to be treated like volitional human beings. But not yet."
 - Ann Coulter

(Trayvon Martin) was "an enraged black man-child"..."dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy."
- Ted draft-avoiding pants-pooping Nugent

The question needs to be asked, why is it that conservatives feel entitled to demand a different standard of behavior from people just because they CHOOSE to see them as 'other'?  Why do they EXPECT that their irrational, unfair, and ludicrous prejudices should be indulged just because it makes them feel more comfortable?

Every one of us who has ever attended a block-watch meeting with police, or a self-defense class, has been taught by law enforcement and other safety experts that we should view being followed as threatening behavior.  But I have yet to see one of the white conservative racists acknowledge that when a stranger - as George Zimmerman was - does this to someone, that it is threatening, provocative behavior.

Instead, we see conservatives accusing Trayvon Martin of dope smoking. We don't have any evidence that he did so; the trace amount of chemical in his body was too small to identify how it was ingested.  As we know, it is possible to have trace amounts to substantial amounts of the active chemical in marijuana, even a contact high, from being around other people who are smoking pot, without a person themselves smoking it.

We have ZERO evidence that Trayvon Martin EVER sold marijuana to anyone.  We have ZERO evidence that Trayvon Martin was a gangsta-wannabe either.  That 'gangsta-wannabe' accusation is inconsistent with a kid who is making plans to go to college, who is participating in school sports, who is a good student, who is active in their church and who has a happy, close, supportive family life.

"skittles hoodie-boy"......Is there anything inherently wrong with either skittles or hoodies? NO, of course not, so therefore criticizing Trayvon Martin for wearing a hooded sweatshirt on a rainy night in February, where even in Florida it can become uncomfortably chill after dark is not justified, much less the 'crime' of bringing candy to a future step-brother.  Let's call that what it is - kind, considerate, thoughtful and polite behavior.

dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

an enraged black man-child” and a “dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

an enraged black man-child” and a “dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

an enraged black man-child” and a “dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

an enraged black man-child” and a “dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

an enraged black man-child” and a “dope-smoking, dope-peddling, gangsta wannabe, Skittles hoodie boy.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/868450/ted-nugent-stevie-wonder-is-brain-dead-for-defending-trayvon/#pbG8SU25ZJZafetg.99

Stephen Colbert calls it, and calls it out, demonstrating why the hoodie meme is a stupid stereotype:

The white majority would never accept having to tell their sons they can't wear hoodies, can't go to buy ice tea and candy after the sun goes down, or that they can't run to catch a movie if they're late, as was the example given by AG Eric Holder, describing an incident when he was stopped by police, earlier in his career as a federal prosecutor.  Why would anyone then think it is acceptable that black people, or people of any other race or ethnicity should do so?  If people, including male black teens, cannot go make a legal purchase, and walk home, without someone accusing them of being drunk, high, dangerous or criminal, they are not equally free people, the same as the white majority. Rather, they are second class Americans.

The real question remaining, the one which should be asked of all conservatives who think blaming the victim for not "dressing appropriately" (according to their own standards for blacks), is this.  Would you put up with being told how to dress, when to run, when not to run?  We think you wouldn't.  We think, just like if you were told you can't wear a gun on your hip you would not accept it.  Yet, wearing a gun is obviously far more threatening and dangerous than a "hoodie."  If you would not permit it to you, why do you feel it is fair to demand from something similar from an entire race of people?  Are all blacks to be personified by the likes of Willie Horton?  Are you personified by Timothy McVeigh?  More to the point, would you, will YOU, put up with your children's lives being held at risk if they simply run down the street?  If not, and to be clear you SHOULD not have to, why is it OK for you to expect it of others?  You have blamed the victims here (Mr. Nugent).  You have said they have to genuflect to your own varying standards of conduct for an entire race, standards you'd never accept for yourself.  You've said they have to bow and scrape - small wonder they are outraged.

If we believe these stereotypes are not reasonable, and we do believe they aren't, then we should also understand the behavior of George Zimmerman in following Trayvon Martin was not reasonable.  It lead to precipitating an argument between a 17 year old boy (many of whom are a little mouthy), one who was probably and reasonably afraid, and a 33 year old man  - the 33 year old who was the "adult in the room" and responsible to keep his head.  That confrontation between one boy who was reasonably afraid, and a 33 year old who in-part profiled this boy because of his clothing and the weather led to the boy being killed - in what some have referred to as a "murder." (namely, those on the jury who said Zimmerman, "Got away with murder" - even though they could not vote that way due to the way the law is written).  The bottom line here is simply this, no one, not any race, not age, not any gender, should be expected to dress a certain way or have their lives or liberty be held in jeopardy by ANYONE, right-wing pseudo-civil libertarians or actual sane people.  The under-reported story here is that we, a significant percentage of mainstream society has accepted that Trayvon, by virtue of his attire, was somehow to blame and the important follow-on point, that we have failed to see the massive injustice that exists in our society when we have an entire race of people who feel the need to teach their children to behave to a double-standard just to stay alive.  It is morally outrageous, and we, as a nation, should be ashamed it is so.