The Lion King: The Retribution of Cecil

A rip on the social media reaction.

Zimbabwe To USA: Send Us That Dentist

Reuters reports:

The American dentist who killed Cecil the lion was a "foreign poacher" who paid for an illegal hunt and he should be extradited to Zimbabwe to face justice, environment minister Oppah Muchinguri said on Friday. In Harare's first official comments since Cecil's killing grabbed world headlines this week, Muchinguri said the Prosecutor General had already started the process to have 55-year-old Walter Palmer extradited from the United States. Muchinguri, a 91-year-old veteran from President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, described Cecil - a black-maned lion well-known to foreign tourists in the Hwange National Park - as an "iconic attraction". "The illegal killing was deliberate," she told a news conference. "We are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he can be held accountable for his illegal actions."

Late yesterday the White House announced that it will respond to the petition created by JMG participant Scott Wooledge.

Feds Investigate Lion-Killing Dentist

But does Zimbabwe even want him? Via Reuters:

"What lion?" acting information minister Prisca Mupfumira asked in response to a request for comment about Cecil, who was at that moment topping global news bulletins and generating reams of abuse for his killer on websites in the United States and Europe. The government has still given no formal response, and on Thursday the papers that chose to run the latest twist in the Cecil saga tucked it away on inside pages. One title had to rely on foreign news agency copy because it failed to send a reporter to the court appearance of two locals involved. For most people in the southern African nation, where unemployment tops 80 percent and the economy continues to feel the after-effects of billion percent hyperinflation a decade ago, the uproar had all the hallmarks of a 'First World Problem'.

Perhaps the feds are acting because the petition launched by JMG participant Scott Wooledge has now exceeded the threshold that results in an official White House response.

Yesterday In Minnesota...

Lion-Killer Apologizes To His Patients

Lion-killing Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, whose whereabouts are still unknown, has issued an apology to his patients. An excerpt:

To my valued patients: As you may have already heard, I have been in the news over the last few days for reasons that have nothing to do with my profession or the care I provide for you. I want you to know of this situation and my involvement In addition to spending time with my family, one of my passions outside dentistry is hunting. I’ve been a life-long hunter since I was a child growing up in North Dakota. I don’t often talk about hunting with my patients because it can be a divisive and emotionally charged topic. I understand and respect that not everyone shares the same views on hunting. [snip] Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion. That was never my intention. The media interest in this matter – along with a substantial number of comments and calls from people who are angered by this situation and by the practice of hunting in general – has disrupted our business and our ability to see our patients. For that disruption, I apologize profoundly for this inconvenience and promise you that we will do our best to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We are working to have patients with immediate needs referred to other dentists and will keep you informed of any additional developments. On behalf of all of us at River Bluff Dental, thank you for your support.  Sincerely, Walter J. Palmer, DDS River Bluff Dental

RELATED: Local police have barricaded the street around Palmer's office in advance of a protest planned for this evening. A parody Twitter account pretending to belong to his dental practice is posting photos.

Headline Of The Day

As you can see, Teabagistan is ever so pissed about The Hill reporting on the lion-killer's donation to Romney.

Jimmy Kimmel Goes Off On Lion-Killer

"Is it that difficult for you to get an erection that you have to kill things?" Kimmel goes on to get choked up while suggesting that embarrassed Americans donate to the Zimbabwe wildlife researchers entrusted with Cecil's care. Kimmel's plea has crashed the group's site at this writing.

MINNESOTA: Dentist Goes From "Suburban Obscurity To Global Infamy"

PETA: Hang The Lion-Killing Dentist

Lion-Killing Dentist Goes On The Lam

Walter Palmer, the American dentist charged in the killing of Africa's "most famous lion" has reportedly gone into hiding.

Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday that Dr. Walter Palmer is wanted for the death of Cecil the lion but that his whereabouts were unknown. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said 'we are looking for Palmer' who allegedly paid $55,000 (£35,000) for a big game permit and traveled from his home town of Minneapolis to Africa to kill the lion. Dr. Palmer's hunting colleagues, Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst and local landowner Honest Ndlovu are due to appear in court this week on poaching charges for allegedly killing Cecil. "We arrested two people and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case," said Charamba. The much loved big cat was wounded by an arrow after he was allegedly lured out of the national park by the hunter's bait. After spending two days tracking the injured beast, Cecil was eventually found and shot dead. The corpse was then skinned and the head hacked off as a trophy.

While Palmer's current location is unknown, this afternoon the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published his statement.

"In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have. Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

Palmer's accomplices face up to either ten or fifteen years in a Zimbabwean prison, according to conflicting reports. It's not clear what punishment Palmer would face should he be extradited back to Africa. An extradition treaty between the United States and Zimbabwe was signed in 1997 and went into effect in 2000.

ZIMBABWE: American Dentist Exposed As Killer Of Beloved Cecil The Lion

Via the Telegraph:

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks – was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal. Walter Palmer (above left), a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit. Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park and shot.

Palmer and the man who assisted him have been charged with poaching. At the link you'll find photos of Palmer posing with other killed animals including a leopard and a white rhino. He has previously been convicted of illegally killing a black bear in Wisconsin.

Jeb Bush Hires Anti-Gay Activist Who Supports Criminalization Of Homosexuality

MSNBC reports:

Prominent evangelical attorney Jordan Sekulow announced that he had signed on as senior adviser to Bush’s Right to Rise political action committee. Sekulow, the 32-year-old executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), is notorious within LGBT advocacy circles for his support of anti-gay legislation abroad, particularly in Africa, where he has worked to keep homosexuality a criminal offense.

The timing of Sekulow’s hire is unusual, given that Buzzfeed’s Mckay Coppins recently dubbed Bush “2016’s Gay-Friendly Republican” for his seemingly softened stance on same-sex marriage and his growing team of gay-friendly operatives. But it serves as yet another reminder of the difficult position in which Republican presidential hopefuls now find themselves — not only do they have win over the GOP’s evangelical base to secure the nomination, they have to do so in a way that doesn’t completely alienate the general electorate, which is growing ever-more diverse and supportive of gay rights.

Jordan Sekulow is the son of infamous anti-gay activist Jay Sekulow, who yesterday joined Tony Perkins in testifying before the Senate on religious liberty. The elder Sekulow has argued before the US Supreme Court many times, most often on the issue of religious speech. Both Sekulows work for the Pat Robertson-founded American Center For Law & Justice, which in 2010 published a document in Zimbabwe which calls for "sexual relations between partners of the same-sex, bestiality, and other perversions to remain a criminal activity."

Four years ago I reported that the Sekulow family is raking in tens of million from their "charity" work. From the USA Today piece I excerpted:

Since 1998, the two charities have paid out more than $33 million to members of Sekulow's family and businesses they own or co-own, according to the charities' federal tax returns. One of the charities is controlled by the Sekulow family — tax documents show that all four of CASE's board members are Sekulows and another is an officer — an arrangement criticized by a nonprofit watchdog group. The founder of a different Christian legal organization takes aim at the idea of Sekulow profiting in the name of religion, saying it isn't what Jesus would do. The American Center for Law and Justice's tax attorney says the payments to the Sekulows and businesses they own or co-own are all made for the charities' benefit and have passed an IRS audit. Sekulow's supporters say he is a humble man dedicated to the Christian cause. Members of the Sekulow family declined requests for interviews.

Here's more about the ACLJ, which in 2013 was named by Human Rights Watch as one of the "four worst anti-gay villains" in the world:

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), for attempting to export homophobia to Africa. Founded in 1990 by the Baptist Minister and televangelist Pat Robertson, and headed by Jay Sekulow, its chief counsel, the ACLJ strongly opposes LGBT equality and reproductive rights in the United States and across the globe. It works through offshoot organizations such as the East African Centre for Law and Justice (EACLJ) in Kenya, the African Centre for Law and Justice (ACLJ) in Zimbabwe, and the Brazilian Center for Law and Justice (BCLJ) in Brazil. The EACLJ unsuccessfully lobbied against Kenya’s progressive new constitution in 2010 solely on the basis that the constitution’s anti-discrimination clause could eventually be used to advance LGBT equality and that it allows for abortion when the mother’s health is at stake.

Last year the Human Rights Campaign lumped Jordan Sekulow in with Scott Lively, Porno Pete, and Robert Oscar Lopez in their "Exporters Of Hate" report. Jeb Bush's in-house homocon must be SO proud.

ZIMBABWE: President Robert Mugabe Threatens To Expel Pro-Gay Diplomats

"Some years ago, l was warned that there was some secret organisation of that nature which was addressing young men to join them as homosexuals. This nonsense from Europe, keep their homosexual nonsense there and not cross over with it. We did not fight for this Zimbabwe so it can be a homosexual territory. We will never have that here and if there are any diplomats who will talk of any homosexuality, just tell me. We will kick them out of the country without any excuse. We won’t even listen." - Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, 90, speaking today on the 34th anniversary of his country's independence from Britain.

Mugabe's speech also quoted from the biblical story of Adam's rib, and he threatened to lock gays and lesbians together in a room and not let them out until they make a baby. Zimbabwe is another country that gay people should thank Jesus Christ for, obviously.

Zimbabwe President Denounces Tutu

"Archbishop Tutu said it is nice to be gay, yet he has a wife, he should have begun by getting himself a man for a woman. When you are a bishop and cannot interpret the Bible, you should resign and give it to those who can. We will not compromise our tradition and tolerate homosexuality. I want to urge parents to be careful with your teenage children who are 17 years and older not to be swayed into this act as children are easily persuaded to accept it. During creation, God made Adam and saw that he was lonely, and he created Eve out of Adam’s rib and not another man. Animals are better off as they know who to mate with. Everyone knows what to do, even animals know which animal to mate with, goats know where to go, and cows know where to go too. We see donkeys all the time on top of each other, why can’t you humans do the same?” - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, reacting to Tutu's declaration that he would not want to go to a homophobic heaven. (Via Pink News)

Robert Mugabe: Gays Should Make Babies With Each Other Or Go To Jail

"So how would they (gay couples) have children? I should like to shut them-up in some room and see if they get pregnant; if they don’t then its jail because they have claimed they can have children. So, to that kind of rot, we say no, no, no, no! Women are also engaged in this vile activity. We have some claiming to be men but what is it that makes you a man? Show us your manhood; you want to make other women your wives and you the husband? Well, that is madness; we refuse to accept that." - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, speaking to thousands of supporters in Harare.

Quote Of The Day - Robert Mugabe

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"We do not have a culture of men marrying men or women marrying women. We cannot accept it, no, no, no. These things are taboo in our society. Some rape minors they are entrusted with in a short space of time, maybe it is for juju. We regret this is happening, big men do it. What is getting into our society?  After the polls, we will strengthen the law and make it really punitive and bitterly punishable for such people. At the moment, they get something like three months’ imprisonment. They should rot in jail. We want a nation guided by strong values, we cannot give up our values for money. I am glad in the Catholic Church there is stiff resistance to homosexuality, unlike in the Anglicans in Britain where the church accepts it." - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, promising to worsen penalties for homosexuality in a speech made at a Catholic-run college graduation ceremony.

Gay Rights Are Inherently Misogynistic

"Mothers were given the talent to bear children. That talent doesn't belong to men. When a man says he wants to get married to another man, we in Zimbabwe don't accept it. We can't talk of women's rights at all if we go in that direction. It will lead to extinction. Our customs look down on women as inferior. Men pay cattle and money to get a wife and expect women to obey them. Women will surely lose. Men say that women are not as knowledgeable as us. The attitude of men still despises women." - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, speaking at an HIV/AIDS conference.

Zimbabwe Justice Minister: We Will Continue To Imprison Homosexuals

Zimbabwe's Minister of Justice rejected reports of state-sponsored violence yesterday and declared that his department will continue to prosecute homosexuals.

After meeting with the UN human rights chief, the justice minister of Zimbabwe vowed not to recognise any gay rights, and also rejected all allegations that the country harbours state-sponsored violence. Navi Pillai, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was in Harare today, in order to assess the human rights situation there, while, in a joint statement, 36 different groups said they will boycott a meeting with her arranged by the justice ministry at the Parliament, on account of it being “fraudulent.” Patrick Chinamasa, the country’s justice minister claimed in a press conference that there was no state-sponsored violence, and that he had conveyed as much to Ms Pillai. However, he added that Zimbabwe will continue to arrest members of the same-sex engaging in sexual activity which is illegal in the country.

RELATED: Last week a member of the Zimbabwe parliament publicly called for gay people to be evicted from their homes and banished from their communities.

ZIMBABWE: Government Leader Calls For Gay People To Be Evicted And Banished

A member of the Zimbabwe Parliament yesterday called for gay people and their allies to be forcibly evicted from their homes and banished from their communities.

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has urged traditional chiefs to banish "people who support homosexuality" from their communities and take away their land. The ZANU PF MP was addressing villagers in Lupane who had come to witness the installation of Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo last Thursday. "The chiefs are there to protect and promote our cultural values and those who support same sex marriages must be banished from the communities and be dispossessed of their land. What kind of madness is this that when we have beautiful women in our country some people want to marry other men," he said.

Local human rights lawyers condemned Chombo: "Chombo's appetite for forced evictions, especially in the month of May, is reminiscent of the scorched earth programme of Operation Murambatsvina which had far-reaching consequences on a large portion of the Zimbabwean population."

Quote Of The Day - Robert Mugabe

"It becomes worse and Satanic when you get a prime minister like Cameron saying countries that want British aid should accept homosexuality. To come with that diabolical suggestion to our people is a stupid offer. Do not get tempted into homosexuality. You are young people. We will punish you severely. It is condemned by nature. It is condemned by insects and that is why I have said they are worse than pigs and dogs." - Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe.