What's wrong with the world?

I haven't said much about Trayvon Martin to anyone. I think it's difficult to comment on a situation in which the details are fuzzy and with national media likely spinning the story and falling into easy cliché story lines.

But I find it interesting that there is national outrage now. On this specific case. As if Trayvon Martin is some kind of anomaly in the midst of "post-racial" society that some in this country claim that we live in. (As this article points out, homicides are nothing new in predominantly working class black neighborhoods. Or as a mom writes just how concerned she is about the racial profiling of her sons.)

It's interesting that an article of clothing as sparked so much controversy. What does wearing a hoodie really mean? This story has exposed for the world to see, just what racial and class privilege means.

As undergraduates, the classic wardrobe in a Monday morning was a hoodie pulled up over our heads with our university name across the front. Were we trying to hide and look mischievous? No. Some mornings it was cold and we hadn't showered and were just trying to make it to the 9am class on time with something decent on. Our status at the university afforded us this privilege of wearing a hoodie and not being mistaken as a teen up to no good.

I know lots of high schoolers who wear their American Apparel hoodies on a daily basis. It's practically a uniform for them. Are the students that I hang out with through Young Life or the students at my cousin's high school in an affluent neighborhood wearing the hoodie as some kind of rebellious statement? Probably not.

But what we see in this story is that a piece of clothing that seems like it should be neutral, can actually be perceived quite differently in various settings. In a small way, I think this incident has helped more people understand just how traumatic any kind of profiling can be--whether it be racial, age, or clothing inspired.

So what do we do? The more I wrestle with these issues, the more I come back to a quote by G.K Chesterton, a Catholic thinker. In response to a newspaper asking "What's wrong with the world?", he said, "Dear Sirs, I am."

On an individual, communal and national level, I think we have to own up to our own failings. Our own instances of racial profiling. Or own instances of judging someone based on appearances. Our own entitlements to what we think we've earned or deserved. Our own selfish pursuits. Our own fears that lead to suspecting those around us.

I read about a beautiful act of a community members coming together in D.C. in response to the Trayvon Martin story. Please read it. It's a tremendous picture of the Gospel and what it means to repent. It starts with us.