Social “Presenting”

Kenneth Morgan Stancil III

About two years ago I posted on the ‘hoodie’ controversy as it pertained to the Treyvon Martin case:

In both cases, the individual in question could be the coolest, most intelligent and compassionate guy you would ever wanna meet.  But when first met, in the restroom, or in the bar, on the street or in the elevator, the level of suspicion will be elevated and the level of societal trust will be less than it otherwise would have been had the person signaled or presented in a more mainstream manner.

I don’t think that this is surprising or even controversial.  In fact, I suspect that societies signal mainstream as a means of survival and cohesion.

All of which is a very long way of saying that when people wear a hoodie, in certain and specific contexts, they are presenting or signalling in a more suspicious manner than they otherwise might have.

Well, a similar case occurred in Carolina today:

Goldsboro, N.C. — A 20-year-old man wanted in connection with the Monday morning shooting death of a longtime employee at Wayne Community College was taken into custody early Tuesday in Florida, according to the Goldsboro Police Department.

This guy, pure and simple, presents as an asshole and looks like a criminal.

One response to “Social “Presenting”

  1. It’s a fundamental truth of life that the weirder one is going to behave, the more important it is to look normal. The reverse is also true — when you see a kid with a face full of tats and studs, you instantly know that there is absolutely nothing exceptional about that individual. Exceptional people neither whore for attention nor signal as thugs.

Leave a Reply