May 26, 2016 

Staff and Wire Report

Trayvon Martin killer George Zimmerman recently sold the gun he used to shoot the unarmed teen for $250,000 according to recent news reports. United Gun Group hosted the online auction from which the gun was sold, confirmed the amount for reporters on May 21. The group picked up the Kel-Tec PF-9, a 9mm pistol after another site refused to take part in the sale.

Critics called the planned auction an insensitive move to profit from the slaying.

Zimmerman had told Orlando, Florida, TV station WOFL that the pistol was returned to him by the U.S. Justice Department, which took it after he was acquitted in Martin's 2012 shooting death.

Zimmerman’s listing said a portion of the proceeds would go toward fighting what Zimmerman calls violence by the Black Lives Matter movement against law enforcement officers, combatting anti-gun rhetoric of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and ending the career of state attorney Angela Corey, who led Zimmerman’s prosecution.

The listing ended with a Latin phrase that translates as “if you want peace, prepare for war.”

Zimmerman, now 32, has said he was defending himself when he killed Martin, 17, in a gated community near Orlando. Martin, who lived in Miami with his mother, was visiting his father at the time.

Zimmerman, who identifies as Hispanic, was acquitted in Martin's February 2012 shooting death. The case sparked protests and a national debate about race relations. The Justice Department later decided not to prosecute Zimmerman on civil rights charges

Lucy McBath, the mother of another black teenager shot by a white man during an argument at a Jacksonville convenience store in 2012, said the auction reflected a “deplorable lack of value for human life.”

“I am deeply disappointed that the man who killed Trayvon Martin is trying to sell the very gun he used to cut that precious life short to raise money,” McBath said in a written statement.

The slaying of her son, 17-year-old Jordan Davis, by Michael Dunn drew parallels at the time to the Zimmerman-Martin case. Dunn told police he had felt threatened by Davis. Unlike Zimmerman, Dunn was convicted of murder.

Since Zimmerman was acquitted, he has been charged with assault based on complaints from two girlfriends. Both women later refused to press charges and Zimmerman wasn't prosecuted. His estranged wife, Shellie Zimmerman, also accused him of smashing her iPad during an argument days after she filed divorce papers. No charges were filed because of lack of evidence. They were divorced in January.

Orlando-based attorney Mark O'Mara has previously represented Zimmerman. A receptionist in O’Mara’s office said Thursday that he no longer represents Zimmerman and had no comment.

Martin’s parents declined to address Zimmerman’s actions in statements made through representatives.

Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, said through an attorney that she would rather focus on her work with the Trayvon Martin Foundation than respond to “Zimmerman’s actions.”

Daryl Parks, whose firm represented the Martin family during the trial, is now chairman of Fulton's foundation. He says Fulton is pushing for policies that protect youth and address gun violence.

Fulton also founded the Circle of Mothers conference, a three-day event to help mothers who have “lost children or family members” to gun violence. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be keynote speaker at the event in Fort Lauderdale starting May 20.

In the auction listing, Zimmer­man cited strong interest from collectors including “The Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.”

Smithsonian spokesman John Gibbons denied any interest.

“The Smithsonian has never expressed an interest in collecting this firearm and has no intention of collecting or displaying this fire­arm,” Gibbons said.

May 19, 2016 

The Associated Press 

Nigerian soldiers have found one of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Chibok, making her the first freed from the Islamic extremists since the mass kidnapping more than two years ago. Her uncle describes her as pregnant and traumatized but otherwise fine.

Amina Ali Nkeki is the first of the 219 Chibok girls to escape from her captors since their abduction grabbed worldwide attention more than two years ago.

She was found wandering in the forest, uncle Yakubu Nkeki told The Associated Press. He said the 19-year-old — she was 17 when she was abducted — was brought to Chibok Tuesday night for her identity to be verified and to be reunited with her mother. Her father died while she was held captive, he said.

He said the soldiers then took the young woman away, apparently to a military camp in the town of Damboa.

300 rescued in Nigeria are not missing schoolgirls

Other Chibok girls may also have been rescued by soldiers hunting down Boko Haram in the remote northeastern Sambisa Forest on Tuesday night, said Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus. He said he is working with officials to establish their identities.

Boko Haram Islamic extremists stormed and firebombed the Government Girls Secondary School at Chibok on April 14, 2014, and seized 276 girls who were preparing to write science exams. Dozens escaped in the first hours, but 219 remained missing.

The inability of Nigeria's government and military to rescue them led, in part, to the electoral defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan last year.

It's not known how many thousands of girls, boys and young women have been kidnapped by Boko Haram in a nearly 7-year-old insurgency that has killed some 20,000 people and spread across Nigeria's borders.

Nigeria's military has reported freeing thousands this year as they have forced the extremists from towns and into strongholds in the sprawling Sambisa Forest. Boko Haram has turned to soft targets using suicide bombers. 

May 19, 2016 

By Danny J. Bakewell, Jr. 

Executive Editor 

Being President of the Los Angeles City Council or any public official comes with its share of critics and public criticism, it’s simply part of the job.  But, the alleged attacks, threats and plain disrespect for the office and also the man (Herb Wesson) himself have risen to new levels by one alleged protester, Mr. Wayne Spindler.

Spindler, who according to the California State Bar website is a licensed attorney was arrested by Los Angeles Police Department and booked in the LA County Jail May 13 for making comments and presenting notes which could be considered a hate crime during a City Council special Rules Committee meeting held in the valley on May 11. Spindler allegedly passed a speaker card to the city clerk,  which contained graphic drawings of a man assumed to be Council President Herb Wesson, being hung, another man celebrating in a Ku Klux Klan mask and a cross burning. According to council members, the antics are a regular habit of Spindler’s who often attends council meetings in Klan costumes and anti-Semitic attire including Nazi Swastikas,  giving the salute of the German Nazi in hail to Hitler.

“Criticism comes with the job and I can usually blow it off as part of the job,” said Wesson.

“But the often harassing and threatening comments made by Mr. Spindler have become increasingly worse over time.  It has risen to the point that I have serious concerns about my safety, my family’s safety, my staff’s safety and the safety of my colleagues on the city council.”

Spindler has also targeted other Council members. Councilmem­bers Curren Price and Marquisse Harris-Dawson both whom are African American said “Mr. Spindler is constantly making racist and degrading remarks not only to Council President Wesson, but to all of the members of the council.  Simply put, it is just disrespectful, undeserved and a waste of time, when there are serious issues we as a council need to be addressing.”

At recent meeting during which members were recognizing “Denim Day” in support of women who are victims of rape, Spindler is said to have directed his attacks to Councilwoman Nury Martinez.

 “Wayne Spindler uses foul language and swear words in all his public comments,” Martinez said.

“When there are kids attending the Council meeting, he will use the ‘f’ word every-other-word.  He gets some sick joy out of traumatizing kids.  On a day when the Council recognized Denim Day to fight rape, Mr. Spindler made disgusting and sexist language that promotes rape culture.  When Mr. Spindler calls me and other women ‘cunt’ or ‘bitch,’ he is not advancing constructive dialogue.  He is abusive and sexist. His only goal seems to be to disrupt meetings and offend everyone in the room.”

Councilmember Paul Koretz who represents the district in which Mr. Spindler lives has also been the subject of his verbal attacks. 

“I am quite embarrassed that Wayne Spindler is one of my constituents,” he said.

“He has frequently crossed the line of right and wrong in the past, but in this instance, with his drawing suggestive of a lynching adding the threat of violence to his typical hate speech, I believe he’s crossed over into criminal behavior.”

Executive publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper and Brotherhood Crusade Chairman Danny Bakewell Sr. called the drawings “outrageous” and unquestionably a hate crime.

“If you paint a swastika on a person’s house that is a hate crime,” he said.

“If you paint a picture of a man hanging from a tree on a house that is a hate crime.  It is no less offensive or hateful if you draw it on a piece of paper and then hand those symbols to that person. These acts of hatred and discrimination are becoming all too common today and are reflective of the type of hatred and divisiveness that is not only being spread in Los Angeles but in parts of the National Political Campaign as well.  Not only are these attacks and threats harmful to Council President Wesson, his colleagues and his family but this is an insult to the institution that is the Los Angeles City Council and the Office of the Council President.  We must remember that these insults are not just made at a man, but are made to the second highest ranking official in the second largest city in country.” 

Bakewell said that he and other community leaders plan to encourage District Attorney Jackie Lacey to launch a full investigation and prosecute Spindler “to the max”. 

“This is not about freedom of speech, in my opinion and many other community leaders this is a hate crime,” he reiterated.

Spindler was released on $75,000 bail from Los Angeles County jail and as of Sentinel press time no trial date had been set.  Community leaders are also encouraging the California State Bar to review Spindler’s actions and revoke his law license for unethical acts by a member.  California State Lawmakers are looking into establishing laws that would heighten the crimes of individuals who use public comment forums in public meetings as a bully pulpit to harass and insult members of any legislative body.

“I think what he’s done is… it’s really been a desecration of the institution,” said Councilman Mitch Englander.

“It discourages public participation by others. It impedes the work of the body as a whole and it’s outright hate speech. This is a place and time in this world, in these United States where that’s just not called for anymore…”