Lethal steryotypes cause national uproar

After purchasing a bag of Skittles and iced tea, a hooded teen, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed Feb. 26, 2012 walking to his place of residence in Sanford, Fla.
George Zimmerman, the shooter, was an appointed coordinator for the neighborhood watch in the gated community. He reported suspicious activity to Sanford Police Department about Martin and proceeded to confront him after being instructed not to, which eventually led to Martin's death.
Young African-American men are often stereotyped for being angry, aggressive, uneducated, dangerous and flat out trouble. Style of dress plays a major part with the association of these stereotypes.
Geraldo Rivera was heavily criticized after making offensive comments stating Martin's hoodie is responsible for his death. It can be argued stereotypes are instilled in minds and people react accordingly.
Many people believe others should not be judged by appearance and what is worn should not define who you are as a person.
Sir Congress, a junior psychology major, said, "This just enhances the stereotypes. If someone sees a young black man, dressed down, they feel like they are some kind of hoodlum or are not up to any good. It slows down our progress trying to break that stereotype."
The media exploits many different stereotypes creating negative perceptions about certain groups of people. Battling stereotypes is a difficult challenge, being fought daily, sometimes literally.
"My mom always told me that one of the hardest things in life is to be a young black man because people think we are destined for failure. People just assume the worst. We have to change that," said Congress.
Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder on April 11, 2012. According to CBS News, he has requested a five month delay of his trial to prepare his case and was denied the request. His trial date is set to be June 10, 2013.
Dominique Barker, a junior criminal justice major, said, "I believe George Zimmerman stereotyped Trayvon Martin. He should serve life in prison for killing him. Certain people should not have weapons in our country. Things could have been handled differently and Trayvon could still be alive right now. Every black man in a hood is not dangerous, people have to understand that."