Bobby Rush, Illinois Congressman, Thrown Off House Floor For Wearing Hoodie (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was thrown off the House floor Wednesday after wearing a hoodie and sunglasses in protest of the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida.

"Racial profiling has to stop," Rush said as he peeled off his suit jacket to reveal a hoodie underneath, at which point he pulled the hood over his head and replaced his glasses with sunglasses. "Just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum."

Rush began citing passages from the Bible about the need "to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" and about being "sent ... to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and to recover the sight to the blind and to set the oppressed free .... I urge all men who hear these words to heed these lessons."

Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), who was presiding over the chamber at the moment, repeatedly hammered the gavel and tried to interrupt Rush, but he kept talking with a louder voice.

"May God bless Trayvon Martin's soul, his family," Rush shouted. He was still yelling as he was escorted off the floor by the House Sergeant at Arms.

Harper said Rush violated House rules by wearing a hoodie and reminded those in the chamber of the rules.

"Clause 5 of Rule 17 prohibits the wearing of hats in the chamber when the House is in session," Harper said after Rush had been taken out. "The chair finds that the donning of a hood is not consistent with this rule. Members need to remove their hoods or leave the floor."

A request for comment from Rush's office was not immediately returned.

Comments

[wanttruth]

10:59 PM on 04/13/2013

Important moment.

[Gwen6274]

09:52 AM on 12/14/2012

WE ARE NOW WITNESSING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO EMMETT TILL....RACISM IN THE HIGHEST....STANDOFF LAW IN FLORIDA..SHOULD BE ABOLISHED ..THIS MAN SHOULD GET LIFE IN THE PENN ...TRAYVON 'S LIFE IS OVER FOR NO REASON...THIS MAN DID NOT HAVE TO SHOOT TRAYVON REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPEN..HE DID NOT HAVE TO SHOOT....WATCHDOG PEOPLE FOR ONE THING ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO CARRY WEAPONS...THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE POLICING! Whereever you are in America you should not be threatened by BLACK PEOPLE...THAT'S WHAT THE MOVIE "Lincoln" was about...Declaration of Thanksgiving Day in Honor of African Americans...the reason why ALL you Individuals are FREE!

ANNA BROWN HAS BEEN ADDED TO OUR LIST TO THE MOVEMENT TO WEAR PURPLE ON WEDNESDAYS IN HONOR OF MURDERED VICTIMS, AND ABUSED AND ABORTED CHILDREN. SHE HAD THE ARTHRITIS PAIN THAT IS SOMETHING...THIS PRISON SHOULD BE SUED AND THE GUARDS PUT IN THE PENITENTIARY...ANNA BROWN'S CASE IS HEALTHCARE ....SHE WAS NOT A CRIMINAL...HERE WE GO AGAIN!. (THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO A LADY HERE IN CHICAGO...DIED IN LOCKUP BECAUSE SHE DID NOT HAVE HER MEDICATION)! Will do my research to get her name!
ANNA BROWN'S CHILDREN ARE PROBABLY DEVASTATED OVER THE HORRIFIC WAY THEIR MOTHER DIED. What's the reasoning of DCFS...insofar as her NOT SEEING HER children!

[Maren Cooke]

07:25 PM on 04/21/2012

Hmm. While I applaud Rush for speaking out about racial profiling, I think the bulk of his speech, all the bible quotes and "the spirit of the lord is upon me" stuff, was wholly inappropriate in Congress. The hoodie, great -- our K-8 urban public school had a Hoodie Day a couple of weeks ago, for which hoodies were encouraged (they are usually prohibited), and a great, thoughtful assembly discussed the whole Trayvon Martin case and what it means for society and individuals. The Chair citing the rule about hats made me wonder what about Jewish men, or other cultural/religious hat-wearing; those people wouldn't be in congress, I take it?

[jordanp321]

08:03 PM on 04/10/2012

I felt like I was watching a movie

[jackiee274]

12:01 AM on 04/01/2012

This is a political statement...nothing new or ignorant about what he did. These actions are the cornerstone of American government until recent years. This man was simply employing rhetoric as a means to arouse awareness. Political leaders and activists have been taking such radical and controversial actions since the Constitution was signed (for those truly ignorant people - that is long before a black representative out of Chicago stepped foot on the House floor).

[Sultry]

01:43 PM on 03/31/2012

As hard as it is for a African American to rise to that position, You would think he would know better, but know, he had have a Boondocks moment. Now instead of winning favor for relection he just might be out of job.

[jackiee274]

12:04 AM on 04/01/2012

African-Americans did rise to that position by being conformists. If they did then the Civil Rights Movement would have been a wasted effort.

[jackiee274]

12:07 AM on 04/01/2012

I meant did not...

[Liz Preza]

06:10 AM on 04/18/2012

this is a really unfortunate comment: i can think of no political stunt that would better reflect the representative's point than to BE a successful black man in congress wearing a hoodie.

[KatKambes]

10:56 AM on 03/31/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1h0XuOmMpQ&feature=share

[geofury]

02:26 AM on 03/31/2012

Now he looked like a damn old fool.

[Thomas Zell]

01:56 AM on 03/31/2012

Meanwhile in Florida, a murderer is walking around free without so much as a warrant for his arrest.

[thc4me420]

12:45 AM on 03/31/2012

Teach our young ones about profiling and tokenism.
"A Tiger Bites" is available at Amazon . c o m

One of the fastest selling children's books ever.

[jedi0808]

12:44 AM on 03/31/2012

This dude is a perfect example of why Chicago is sooooo messed up

[MClifer]

12:20 AM on 03/31/2012

Is Bobby Rush slight mentally challenged or what? He talked like he had a dead gopher in his mouth. Is he really the best we can do for a representative? Good Lord, know wonder we are in the mess we are in.

[dogfacebryan]

12:13 AM on 03/31/2012

Bobby, please stop trying to relive the civil rights glory days. You do a great deal of damsge to what has been won by looking so foolish.

[MClifer]

12:22 AM on 03/31/2012

According to them they never have been freed. Still holding out for a free flat screen I guess.

[tepeko]

11:14 PM on 03/30/2012

Typical Huffington Post headline: Bobby Rush, Illinois Congressman, Thrown Off House Floor For Wearing Hoodie.
Fact, "Bobby" was not "thrown off the House floor. He wa asked to leave and was escorted off the House floor. See the difference? In addition, he was aaked to leave not because of qwhat he was sayimg, but because he vilolated the Congressional Dress Code. We don't need our elected officials carrying out the nation's business dressed as thugs!

[esauron]

11:59 PM on 03/30/2012

REALLY? A HOODIE EQUALS THUG? People like you who share that disposition are the problem that he was trying to address. Like an idiot you just validated the position of Trayvon supporters. In addtion, when people use "thrown" in this context, it is not to be taken literal. If you hear that someone was "thrown" out of an establishment, you don't take it literally. It is understood by most of us that the individual was escorted out. You are just a closed minded individual who has already judged Trayvon. You are only looking for ways to defend your unjust position instead of looking to see if there is anyway you could be wrong. A intelligent man once said "A wise man know that he knows nothing at all."

[jackiee274]

11:45 PM on 03/31/2012

Unfortunately, there are 283 @$$holes who share this disposition!!!

[rascal barquecat]

03:07 AM on 03/31/2012

I'm a grandma-aged paler than pale, whiter than white, blond, blue-eyed woman who wears a hoodie pretty much everywhere I go (I think it might even be required dress code here in the Seattle area.) Wow, I did not know that, everyday, I'm dressed like a thug.

Should I be afraid of my neighborhood watch?