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Does anybody else feel guilty being suspicious of anybody in a black hoodie with the hood up? (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by venusaur@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Specifically because I live in a hot climate, I'm always fighting the feeling of being suspicious of anybody I pass in the streets with a hoodie pulled up. I feel guilty because of racial profiling associated with hoodies, but gotta protect myself and my family, especially because in many cases the perpetrators of assault and murder seen in media are somebody with a hood and/or mask on.

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[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

you said i shouldn’t be concerned because crime rates are down.

I don't think I said this.

Overall my point is just - we all have our biases. If you feel guilty about being suspicious about folks in a black hoodie, and if bias against hoodies is likely to be of racist origin, your guilt is some portion of you being aware of that. If you weren't, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

It's OK to admit that, even if only to yourself. I don't think you should feel guilty about it. But I do think you should acknowledge what's contributing to that bias. We all have that in some way or another, and I don't think you can move past it while denying it's there.

[–] venusaur@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

I get what you’re saying, but in this case it’s the opposite. I’ll lay it out again.

There are multiple articles of clothing that are suspicious to me regardless of who is wearing them and how police treat people wearing them.

Hoodies are included amongst them.

Due to racial profiling of POC’s wearing hoodies, I feel guilty being suspicious of people in hoodies.

I’m also suspicious of people in trench coats, but we don’t racially profile people in trench coats like we do with people in hoodies, so I don’t feel guilty about it.

It could be anybody in a dark hoodie with the hood up that makes me suspicious, but if they’re a POC, I feel guilty because of police racially profiling people wearing them.

Does that make sense?

[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Does that make sense?

It does, and honestly I probably belabored this discussion far beyond what I had any reason to. Thanks for staying patient.

[–] venusaur@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Nah all good. Appreciate the conversation. The media is never truly portraying the reality of our society, so important to use your own judgment.