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Geraldo Rivera sort of apologizes for Trayvon Martin hoodie remarks

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Geraldo Rivera has apologized for putting part of the blame in Trayvon Martin’s death on the Florida teenager’s choice of clothing.

Rivera staked out his own little corner of the ever-widening Trayvon Martin controversy last week when he made comments on Fox News claiming that Martin’s death at the hands of neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman was partly the fault of Martin’s hoodie.

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While appearing as ‘Fox and Friends’ on Friday, Rivera said, ‘I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.’ He later explained: ‘I’ll bet you money, if he didn’t have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent and aggressive way.’

After enduring his own wave of outrage, Geraldo has finally apologized. In his own way.

On Twitter on Monday, Rivera wrote, ‘Heard petition demands my apology to Trayvon’s parents. Save effort: I deeply apologize for any hurt I caused-that is not my goal or intent.’

But Rivera’s famously outsized ego was not about to let him go down without a slap back at his critics. On Tuesday morning, Rivera clarified his apology in an email to Politico, writing, ‘I apologize to anyone offended by what one prominent black conservative called my ‘very practical and potentially life-saving campaign urging black and Hispanic parents not to let their children go around wearing hoodies.’’

The blowback from Rivera’s comment was immense and included the newsman’s own son, who told him that he was ‘ashamed’ of his stance on Martin and hoodies.

Over the weekend, wearing a hoodie became a shorthand way for many to commemorate the slain teenager who was shot to death while walking to the home of his father’s girlfriend.

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-- Patrick Kevin Day

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