| Flyby News Home - Flyby News Archives - Casinni NoFlyby - Flyby Links |
Men in Suits March to White House to Denounce Peltier - Media Obeys! WHAT NOW?
President Clinton must really have a difficult decision to make, considering the pressure from the FBI, and yesterday's sweep of disinformation via international media sources. More than three thousand individuals marched last Sunday in support of Clemency and it was barely mentioned. This is the same control that can convince people to support and pay for Missile Defense, which may not work, and can trash Earth and its atmosphere. It makes me wonder how far this power will go to control individuals and leaders for [sic] "national security interests?" President Clinton could be inclined to say, 'four more years for you fella, better than my neck, or my family's.' Four years for Leonard Peltier has been multiplied six times already. It may be now or never for basic justice and human rights to free him, and demand honesty in Government, law enforcement and national security interests that doesn't threaten life and all our relations.
REACT:
Purchase the video of last May's Congressional Briefing Tape
[Send $15 to the LPDC, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044]
http://www.freepeltier.org ] Tel: (785)842-5774
The Congressional Briefing Video tells the story of the Reign of Terror and FBI-involvement from those who lived through it: Traditional Indians, lawyers, representatives of human rights organizations, activists and journalists. Then take video to your local community access television station and give it as much public airing as possible between now and January 21, 2001. Go around the media blockade, carry the torch for truth and reconciliation * honor justice and help end a 'reign of terror' for all humanity and life.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^
Call the White House Comment Line Weekdays -- (202)456-1111
Support Presidential Executive Clemency to Free Leonard Peltier
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^
Write to President Clinton and Letters to Editors:
___________
Publication
Address
City, ST ZIP
December 16, 2000
Dear Editors:
I am writing in regard to the FBI's march in Washington, D.C. to oppose clemency for Leonard Peltier. True to form, the FBI continues to spread misinformation about Mr. Peltier's case. Hopefully, President Clinton will not succumb to their desperate attempt to distort the truth.
Mr. Peltier never received a fair trial. The witnesses were intimidated and coerced by the FBI, false testimonies were utilized and a ballistics test reflecting his innocence was concealed from the defense. U.S. Attorney Lynn Crooks now admits no one knows who killed the two agents.
Judge Gerald Heaney, who authored the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals' denial of a new trial, has himself written to express his full support for a grant of clemency. He condemned the FBI's tactics in the overall investigation and trying of the case. Furthermore, Heaney stated that favorable action by the President in this case would be an important step in the healing process between the United States and the Native American community.
While the deaths of Ron Williams and Jack Coler are a terrible tragedy, it is also a tragedy to imprison an individual for nearly 24 years who was so obviously never granted a fair trial.
Mr. Peltier's clemency supporters include the National Congress of American Indians, Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Dalai Lama, Robert Redford, the National Council of Churches, Amnesty International and many others.
As President of the United States, it is Clinton's duty to mitigate injustices. Granting clemency to Leonard Peltier is not only morally right, but necessary.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City, State
* * * * * * * * *
The following are excerpts from Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance by Leonard Peltier.
LEONARD PELTIER'S MESSAGE TO THE SLAIN AGENTS' FAMILIES:
IF YOU, THE LOVED ONES of the agents who died at the Jumping Bull property that day, get some salve of satisfaction out of my being here, then at least I can give you that, even though innocent of their blood. I feel your loss as my own. Like you, I suffer that loss every day, every hour. And so does my family. We know that inconsolable grief. We Indians are born, live and die with inconsolable grief. We've shared our common grief for twenty-three years now, your families and mine, so how can we possibly be enemies anymore? Maybe it's with you--and with us--that the healing can begin. You, the agents' families, certainly weren't at fault that day in 1975, any more than my family was, and yet you and they have suffered as much as, even more than, anyone there. It seems it's always the innocent who pay the highest price for injustice. It's seemed that way all my life.
To the still-grieving Coler and Williams families I send my prayers if you will have them. I hope you will. They are the prayers of an entire people, not just my own. We have many dead of our own to pray for, and we join our sorrow to yours. Let our common grief be our bond. Let those prayers be the balm for your sorrow, not an innocent man's continued imprisonment. I state to you absolutely that, if I could possibly have prevented what happened that day, your menfolk would not have died. I would have died myself before knowingly permitting what happened to happen. And I certainly never pulled the trigger that did it. May the Creator strike me dead this moment if I lie. I cannot see how my being here, torn from my own grandchildren, can possibly mend your loss. I swear to you, I am guilty only of being an Indian. That's why I'm here. Being who I am, being who you are -- that's Aboriginal Sin.
* * * * * *
ABORIGINAL SIN
We each begin in innocence.
We all become guilty.
In this life you find yourself guilty of being who you are.
Being yourself, that's Aboriginal Sin,
the worst sin of all.
That's a sin you'll never be forgiven for.
We Indians are all guilty,
guilty of being ourselves.
We're taught that guilt from the day we're born.
We learn it well.
To each of my brothers and each of my sisters, I say,
be proud of that guilt.
You are guilty only of being innocent,
of being yourselves,
of being Indian,
of being human.
Your guilt makes you holy.
* * * *
Doing time creates a
demented darkness of my
own imagination...
Doing time does this thing
to you. But, of course, you
don't do time.
You do without it. Or
rather, time does you.
Time is a cannibal that
devours the flesh of your
years
day by day, bite by bite.
**********************************************************************
Leonard Peltier's book, Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance,
is available from bookstores, libraries and the LPDC.
http://www.freepeltier.org
Check out a special offer for Prints of the donated artwork of Lahri Bond,
http://earthlovers.org/leonard/
"In the Spirit of Crazy Horse - Free Leonard Peltier"
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^