Even Geraldo Rivera‘s son is disappointed in his father’s controversial remarks about Trayvon Martin.
“My own son just wrote to say he’s ashamed of my position.” – as tweeted by Geraldo on Friday
Rivera created a firestorm earlier this week when he argued the hoodie the unarmed teen chose to wear when he was killed in Florida was as much to blame for his death as the man that shot him.
Despite his own family’s harsh criticism, Rivera refused to budge on his position.
“Still I feel parents must do whatever they can to keep their kids safe.” – another tweet by Geraldo
Rivera elaborated on his 32-year-old son’s shame to Politico.
“Gabriel broke my heart…He just told me for the first time in his life he’s ashamed ….. gone viral for all the wrong reasons.” – Geraldo to Politico
“….. every hoodie should come with a warning like cigarettes, ‘caution wearing this could get you killed.” – Geraldo to his son, Gabriel
Martin, 17, was shot and killed Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. He was returning home from a trip to a convenience store when neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman started following the teen, telling police dispatchers that he looked suspicious.
Zimmerman claimed he fired in self-defense after Martin jumped him. He has not been charged and has kept out of the public eye since the incident.
“If didn’t have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent and aggressive way.” – Geraldo on Fox & Friends
He added he has previously warned his own children against wandering around the streets wearing hoodies, “particularly a dark-skinned kid like my son Cruz.”
“If you dress like a hoodlum eventually some schmuck is going to take you at your word.” – Geraldo on a Fox News Latino post
The television personality even took a shot a President Obama, who said Friday the nation needs to do some “soul searching” over the tragic shooting, which has sparked nationwide furor over race and justice. The commander-in-chief said “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Rivera tweeted that Obama should also add that he “would never let his son walk around DC in a hoodie.”
