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Local News Trayvon Parents Speak continued from page 1 parents that "we got your back," as Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, put it. "We see so clearly a case of racial profil- ing," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, who mentioned he is also dealing with the New York City police force's stop-and-frisk policies. The parents drew many onlookers who lined a wall and waited for the meeting's end for a chance at a glimpse of the parents. At a news conference following the forum, Fulton had to pause and fight back emotions before telling reporters she was looking to the congressional members for help. Asked about a a bounty issued by the The parents' attorney, Ben Crump, said the negative reports that are being leaked about Martin are making Zimmerman look like the victim and Trayvon as the suspect Black Panthers for Zimmerman, Fulton said "we want this done peaceful. We want you to protest. We want you to rally. We want this done peaceful." The Orlando Sentinel has reported that Zimmerman told police that he and Martin exchanged words before the teen punched him in the nose and began banging his head on the ground. He says he cried out for help. Martin's parents said their son made the pleas for help. Witness accounts differ, and 911 record- ings in which the voices are heard are not clear. The parents' attorney, Ben Crump, said the negative reports that are being leaked PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED their independent investigation." At a news conference after the forum, Martin and Fulton renewed their calls for justice in their son's death. When asked whether he thought his son's death was a hate crime, Martin said: "Yes, I believe he was racially profiled." The family's attor- ney, Benjamin Crump, said racial profiling also was a factor in the way the police con- ducted their investigation. Several members of Congress have called for the case to be investigated as a hate crime. Another attorney for the Martin fam- ily, Daryl D. Parks, has said that statements from Department of Justice officials in a meeting with Mar- tin's parents make clear that getting hate crime charges is going to be a challenge. Martin was black. Zimmerman's father is white and his moth- er is Hispanic. Tuesday's session was not an official House Judiciary hearing, so no votes or for- mal action could occur. The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, said the meeting was intended to be a discussion of racial profiling, hate crime laws and Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which eliminated a person's duty to retreat when threatened with serious bodily harm or death. But much of the discussion revolved around criticism of the police investigation, the failure to arrest Zimmerman, Zimmer- man's actions, and reassurances to Martin's Hundreds of people turned out to a rally and march to celebrate the life of Trayvon Martin, March 25 at the Greater Mt. Baker Baptist Church. The overflow crowd in the church joined hundreds of people outside for a march to The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park. about Martin are making Zimmerman look like the victim and Trayvon as the suspect. Martin's parents initiated the campaign to draw national attention to their son's death with an online petition calling for Zimmer- man's arrest. Their son's death quickly caught fire through social media and then drew national media focus. His parents have since attended rallies in Florida and appeared on national television shows. Earlier Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner said "clearly what happened is in fact a tragedy," but he steered clear of call- ing for Zimmerman's arrest as some law- makers have done. "It's being investigated by state and federal officials, which I think is appropriate," said Boehner, R-Ohio. ----- Associated Press writer Stacy A. Ander- son contributed to this report "It's just one small step removed from them saying, here are the guns lying around the house; here, take one," he said. The boy was visiting his mother, who does not have custody, when he took the handgun, which belongs to Bauer, authori- ties said. The boy was reportedly planning on running away and took the gun for pro- tection. He pleaded guilty last week to reck- less endangerment and was sentenced to probation and counseling. He is expected to testify in the case against his mother. The school shooting was the first of three child shootings in three weeks in western Washington. Last Saturday, the 7-year-old daughter of an off-duty Marysville police officer was accidentally shot and killed when a sibling found the officer's gun as the children were left alone in a van parked near the Stanwood City Hall. On Wednesday, a 3-year-old accidentally killed himself when he found his father's gun under a car seat after the family had stopped for gas in Tacoma and the parents were out of the car. domestic violence, has been reauthorized several times and this year has 58 co-spon- sors - two senators short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. The co-sponsors include five Republicans: Sens. Scott Brown of Massachu- setts, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Lisa Murkows- ki of Alaska and Olympia Snowe of Maine. Also signed onto the bill is Repub- lican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who is on leave recovering from a stroke. This year's update has run into opposition from Republicans who object to new provi- sions, such as one that includes gay and transgender victims in the protections. Republicans also object to a provision regarding visas for immigrant victims. The measure also would give Native American tribes authority to prosecute non- Indians who commit violence against American Indian women, which raises con- cern among some opponents about giving tribal courts increased power over defen- dants who are not tribal members. In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled that tribes do not have authority over people who are not American Indian, even when the crime takes place on a reservation and involves a member of a tribe. © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be pub- lished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Gun continued from page 1 home as a convicted felon and the second for allowing her son access to a gun. Bauer, 50, is charged with one count of allowing access. Chaffin and Bauer both pleaded not guilty Thursday. Chaffin was arrested during the court appearance and led away in handcuffs. She was being held on $50,000 bail as a convicted felon. She has a history of drug- related offenses, Hauge said. Bauer has no prior record and was released without bail. Both are due back in court March 21. Bauer's lawyer, Wayne Fricke, told the judge the assault charge was a "novel appli- cation of the law," the Kitsap Sun reported. It is unusual to bring the unlawful posses- sion charge for enabling access to a weapon, Hauge said, adding that there were at least It is unusual to bring the unlawful possession charge for enabling access to a weapon three other loaded guns in the home. © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be pub- lished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Women continued from page 1 violence. While grappling for a way to rebut the "war on women" narrative, Republicans said the legislation at issue would add objectionable measures to violence against women law. Two weeks ago, Republicans narrow- ly lost a Senate vote on trying to reverse President Barack Obama's directive that health insurers pay for the cost of birth control pills or devices even if they object on moral or religious grounds. Republicans criticized Democrats for making a scene Thursday on the Senate floor without having so much as sched- uled a vote. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell complained that the issue dis- tracted from a small business bill that could create jobs. "Their plan isn't to work together to make it easier to create jobs but to look for ways to make it easier to keep their own, then use it for campaign ads in the run-up to the November elections," said McConnell, who Republicans said the legislation at issue would add objectionable measures to violence against women law has voted for the Violence Against Women Act in the past. The act, which would add government funding and legal muscle to the fight against March 28, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 3
