The hoodie has been a fashion choice among those seeking a quick means of cool, casual clothing and to protect from various uncomfortable weather conditions. It has also been the preferred couture of criminals (as countless surveillance cameras will testify). So, while it’s true that wearing a hoodie doesn’t make a hoodlum, a great majority of outlaws use it to hide their identity during the commission of a crime. In fact, it may, due to its overwhelming popularity among gangsters, be officially declared the preferred habiliment of thugs. Since life is all about perception, and the perception is as named above, it may be stipulated that most heartbeats will rise when a hoodied man walks into a liquor store.
It’s ironic that Congressman Bobby Rush, D-Ill., in his ill-conceived effort to show support for Trayvon Martin, proceeded during his myopic effort to prove that wearing a hoodie shouldn’t be associated with one ignoring regulations to defy those of the American Congres. Rush violated House rules by wearing a hoodie on the House floor. In essence, he succeeded in strengthening the very case he sought to quell; and that before the most powerful lawmakers in this country.
Michael E. White
Brush Prairie
