need to add title here

Congressman removed from House floor for wearing "hoodie"

March 28, 2012 8:41 AM

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was escorted from the House floor on Wednesday for wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses-violating a rule against wearing hats. Rush said there needs to be a full investigation into the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

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by MDavidAlbritton March 29, 2012 3:45 PM EDT
"I applaud the young people all across the land who are making a statement about hoodies, about the hoodlums in this nation, particularly those who tread on our laws wearing official or quasi-official clothes."

Who is Representative Rush referring to in the latter part of that statement? "Those who tread on our laws wearing official or quasi-official clothes" - Is that about Zimmerman or the Tea Party?

I applaud Representative Rush for reading the Bible on the House floor, but he was kind of being unreasonable if you ask me. Martin needs reasonable and remedial justice, not unreasonable displays of disobedience.
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by thomasmc1957 March 29, 2012 11:52 AM EDT
Yes, of course: the bigger crime here isn't a racial execution, but violating the Holy Dress Code of Congress. And they wonder why they are the second most hated group of people in America after lawyers!
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by nya61806 March 29, 2012 10:41 AM EDT
Honestly I could not have been More PROUD,, Stand up for what you believe in,, HELLO White America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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by notyrants March 29, 2012 2:18 AM EDT
What a joke of a government. Disgusting reminder of the British Empire from which this dysfunctional divided global house of ill repute for global private corporate government special interests arose from.
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by Dave_Ki March 29, 2012 12:43 AM EDT
Link didn't come through correct so trying on last time:
<a href="http://theindependentmoderate.blogspot.com/2012/03/facts-furor-and-demagoguery-surrounding.html">Sifting Through the Facts, Furor, and Demagoguery Surrounding the Trayvon Martin Shooting</a>
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by sarahs862 March 28, 2012 11:50 PM EDT
White Lies

It is time for us so called "white people" to wake up. What is white? We are people from 100 different countries, with nothing in common other than the tone of our skin- we have more in common with dark skinned Americans than we ever will with people in Germany, Ireland, England or elsewhere. We have been brainwashed by a culture that told us we were different and special, by those who used color to gain and keep unearned power and privilege. It's not even really our fault, we were born and raised in a country that told us we were better from the day we were born, but deep inside we have always known it was unfair and a lie. We breathed it in like air, it soaked into our skin like sunlight. Deep inside we always had to wonder if any of our accomplishments were really ours, or given to us by an unfair system. We have been bound by the chains of advantage for hundreds of years. We will never be sure we deserve what we have until we have earned it for real. We live in fear of being called 'racist' by a country that made us this way.

Why the fear of dark skin? It's behind every quick pulled trigger, behind every car door locked in a dark neighborhood. Why the fear? It's killing black men, but it kills us too. It makes us less human. So what do we do?

First, we acknowledge it. We find the courage to look within. We have seen the enemy and it is us. We admit that as a culture we fear black men beyond reason. We admit that we have been infected with a cultural virus. Second, we work to counteract it, we question it, we ask ourselves "is this really how it is, or am I reacting to old programming, deep inside?" Only we can do this for us. This is our work in this century.

We forgive ourselves for what has been done to us and then work to build a country worth fighting for.

Truth and reconciliation. We will feel so much better on that day. We begin to fix what has been broken in us and in doing so we improve the nation for everyone. Are you with me? We have nothing to fear, but the fear itself. It's time, time and past time.
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by Dave_Ki March 28, 2012 11:22 PM EDT
-Being willing to look at all sides of an issue is critical to rational thinking. Meaning, don't bash others opinion until you at least look at the rational for it.

-This is a terrible tragedy. I really dislike the whole racial/hate crime topic though and it's been way overblown imo. The odds are that this had nothing to do with a race/hate crime (time will tell). We have a presumption of innocence in this country and a legal system to follow. Just because the process isn't moving "fast enough" for you that's not justification for the demagoguery and associated visceral mob mentality being displayed. Remember, innocent until "proven" (by more than popular opinion) guilty...

-Remember the west Memphis 3 & Duke Lacrosse cases where everyone was "convinced" everyone was "convinced" were guilty?... One of 100's of cases where people had it all "figured out" (till they didn't...) ...
-If your child was Zimmerman would YOU want people using "assumptions and interpretations" to prejudge, threaten, and convict him OR would you want them to wait for "all" the facts to come out?... I bet it's the later..

-As a prior military officer with investigatory experience I always use a pragmatic, rational thought process and don't jump to any conclusions. People with celerity influence (including politicians) are extraordinarily out of line making comments other than something to the effect of "this was a tragedy, my condolences, and I have to reserve judgement till the facts come out."

- You're welcome to look at my full take on it and provide you're well thought out opinion. I'm "not" trying to push my opinion/blog (just trying to advance rational critical thinking).

http://theindependentmoderate.blogspot.com/2012/03/facts-furor-and-demagoguery-surrounding.html
Take care
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by asny2468 March 28, 2012 8:59 PM EDT
******
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by NikitaBlue23 March 28, 2012 4:59 PM EDT
NO. He was trying to do something to make the statement and didn't care that it wasn't allowed because the whole point of wearing the hoodie to make a statement is wearing it. Their rules are utterly petty, but he drew attention to the issue. You watched it, didn't you?
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by American_voter March 28, 2012 4:19 PM EDT
No, he was removed for wearing something on his head. Your apparently not allowed to wear hats or something like that. They won't let anyone wear a hat of any kind. Has nothing to do with being a "hoodie" which they were trying to tell him but he wouldn't use manners or follow decorum and let them explain this.

Very overdramatic.
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