The killing of a teenage boy in Florida last week by a neighborhood watch captain has stirred many emotions in the American public, with race being one of the most prominent. The boy who was killed was black and wearing a “hoodie’ and the man who killed him was hispanic. Apparently wearing a hoodie portrays the image of a thug or gangster and many feel that this image contributed to the boy’s death. 

There have been protests all over the country and 1 member of Congress showed up on the House floor wearing a hoodie and was promptly asked to leave. Many of the protests around the country have included people wearing hoodies. 

I’m not sure what the protests are supposed to do, and I’m really not sure what wearing a hoodie accomplishes. Like usual, the uproar over this case will die down and things will go back to the way they were. But nothing will change. 

We could all go out and buy a hoodie and wear it until it is threadbare. But it won’t change anything. Rather than running out to buy a hoodie, why can’t people examine the prejudices they hold in their heart and ask why they are there, if they belong there, and how they can get rid of them. Real introspection and thoughtfulness would be a far greater tribute to the fallen boy than a hoodie parade. 

If people could look inside themselves and ask how they can be part of the solution then we could make real progress. Wearing a hoodie just makes people feel good, like they are doing something meaningful. 

If you want to do something meaningful, look into your heart and examine what you see, don’t run out and buy a hoodie.