Hoodwinked: Oklahoma lawmakers propose ban on hoodies

The decision stems from the shooting of African American teenager Trayvon Martin.

According to local news station KFOR a proposed bill could make it criminal for people to wear hooded sweatshirts, hoodies in public in Oklohoma stated the Huffington Post.

Wearing head covering during the commission of a crime has been against the laws of the state since the 1920s. The original intent of doing so was to curb the violence caused by the Ku Klux Klan but the newly proposed laws would also ban people from intentionally concealing their identity in a public place with the aid of a robe, mask or any other material used for disguise regardless of whether or not they are involved in any criminal activity.



If a person is found guilty of the misdemeanour they can be punished with a fine of up to $500.

Though the bill has made exception for religious garments and clothing, which is used for weather protection and safety or medical purposes, the residents have expressed concerns regarding the language used in the proposed bill. While speaking to KFOR many of them have said that the new law could be easily misinterpreted and may result in a ban upon hooded sweatshirts.

Oklahoma City attorney James Siderias was critical of the proposed law terming it as a “violation of an individual’s right.”

“I think this is a violation of an individual’s right to choose what they want to wear as long as it doesn’t violate the realm of public decency and moral values, and I think this could be very problematic,” stated Siderias.

Another person Tracy Wehagen reasoned that people might have several reasons for choosing to wear hoodies such as a bad hair day, hair loss or even cancer.

Senator Don Barrington who has authored the bill said that the main purpose of it was to eliminate criminal activities from the region.

“The intent of Senate Bill 13 is to make businesses and public places safer by ensuring that people cannot conceal their identities for the purpose of crime or harassment. Similar language has been in Oklahoma statutes for decades and numerous other states have similar laws in place,” he stated.



The decision to ban hoodies stems from the assassination of teenager Trayvon Martin. His death sparked a series of protests across the country with notable personalities such as NBA’s LeBron James and members of congress donning hoodies as a reference to the clothing Martin was wearing when he was shot dead.

According to CNN’s legal analyst, Sunny Hostin the issue seems to be more about race, stated the source.com. The website further added that hoodies are considered a code for thugs and such laws would only lead to more racial profiling and discrimination.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th,  2015.

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