Statement: Leonard Peltier
People who love freedom
http://socialistworker.org/2009/06/30/people-who-love-freedom
June 30, 2009
Leonard Peltier, one of America's longest-serving political
prisoners, has spent 34 years of his life behind bars for a crime he
didn't commit. He was an active member of the American Indian
Movement in the 1970s and was framed for the murder of two FBI agents
on the Lakota Sioux Pine Ridge reservation in June 1975.
On July 28, Peltier will come before a parole hearing. Supporters are
mobilizing a campaign of letter-writing and petitioning in an effort
to free him. He wrote the following statement to his supporters on June 26.
--
GREETINGS MY friends and relatives,
I want to start off this statement or speech or whatever you want to
call it by saying again as I've said before: thank you, thank you,
thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and for
standing up for right wherever you are. I can't express to you in
words how extremely grateful I am not just to the people of America,
but to the people all over the world, who have supported the cause of
Indian people and myself.
I know a lot of you have given up a lot to help so many in my
predicament. Daily I am made aware of political prisoners around the
world. Many who have been killed or tortured or who knows what for
trying to right the wrongs in their area, country or nation.
I have been asked to make statements in support of other movement
people around the world from time to time, South America, Europe and
other places. People who love freedom, people who love the earth,
people who love their family, people who love the freedom to make
their own choice with their own resources, and all indigenous
people--we share a common bond. The bond of brother-and-sisterhood,
the bond of believing there is a greater power than ourselves. And I
don't mean some government power; I mean the greatest power in all
the universe, the Creator Himself.
We also as human beings upon this earth have to recognize that there
have always been those who suffer from an illness called greed. They
have an appetite for gaining material wealth that is never satisfied.
They have an appetite for land that is never satisfied. And the most
common symptom of their illness is indifference to the suffering they
cause with their quest.
These people are the ones that have identified themselves as our
common enemy. It is so terrible that, under the guise of religion and
shouting freedom, they pit one people against another. This isn't
something new. All down through history, it has taken place. All down
through history, there have been men, spiritual men, holy men, great
thinkers and philosophers who have tried to unite us against this common enemy.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TODAY, MY brothers and sisters, I want you to know that, if nothing
else, if we don't unite against the destruction against the Mother
Earth, we will have a common future that is void of clean air, clean
water and basic freedoms. We must reach our hands out to embrace
others to the cause of life. We must do our best from where ever we
are with whatever tools available to enhance and further our quality of life.
We must find a way to break down the barriers that divide one people
from another. We must find the things we have in common and find ways
to solve our differences as basic humanity. We must evolve to a
higher level of thinking or to, as you might say, a traditional level
of thinking which obviously is superior to what they call progress today.
Our traditional values taught us to live in harmony with Earth, the
greatest manifestation of the Creator that we have to relate to. Our
traditions taught us to respect our bodies, the greatest gift we have
or possess as an individual. Our traditions taught us to preserve the
environment for our children and all our future generations. As a
member of the American Indian Movement, these values are what we were
about. Poverty isn't solved by money, poverty is solved by attitude.
The problems we have today among all our people are caused by
attitude. They are caused by an attitude that was given to us in
boarding schools and on reservations that were nothing more than
concentration camps in the past. They are attitudes by people who
came to us talking to us about God and wanting us to embrace their
version of religion, and as one brother said once, "They told us to
bow our heads, and when we looked up our land was gone, our culture
was gone, our children was gone, our way of life was gone." And now
the air itself is dwindling.
I have been in this cage for some 34 years and though I have been
caged, I have sought the spirit in prayer of our brother the eagle, I
have sought to have an overview of things for as anyone can see I
don't have the freedom to examine life from a close perspective. And
from this distant view, abstract view, this detached view, at times I
get to see the destruction and divisiveness that these political
powers that have scattered us for so long have involved themselves in
promoting among our people.
I don't know if it is because I am older now or because my future is
so uncertain or if through some spiritual inspiration I deeply want
to say so much. I deeply want to move you to do something to save our
earth and our children and our children's future. I didn't get to
raise my children; I haven't got to really know them, or my
children's children. I may never get to, but I love them all just the
same. And I love life as much as anyone on the outside. And I don't
know how long I will walk this cage.
Some days, I feel quite healthy and energized and some days I feel
like the 64-year-old man that I am. I'm always hopeful that I will be
free at some point, perhaps in the latter part of July after my
parole hearing, and perhaps I won't. The people that hold me, the FBI
and the conglomerate corporations that have for so long controlled
the resources of this country and others, and for so long have done
their best to stifle, to denigrate, and to vilify the voice of the
oppressed, are some of the most-formidable well-funded political
people on Earth. I was told that the FBI themselves are some 10,000 strong.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I AM but a common man, I am not a speaker but I have spoken. I am not
all that tall, but I have stood up. I am not a philosopher or poet or
a singer or any of those things that particularly inspire people, but
the one thing that I am is the evidence that this country lied when
they said there was justice for all. I am the evidence that they lied
when they extradited me from Canada. I am the evidence that they can
lie at your trial, they can manufacture evidence at your trial, they
can intimidate witnesses at your trial, they can have back-room
conversations and agreements with the judge at your trial.
I am the evidence that the attitude, the powers that be still hold us
in a grip. They hold us in an emotional grip. They hold us in a
poverty grip. They hold us in a cultural deprivation grip. I could go
on and on about the things that go on that weigh so heavily against
our people, but the bottom line is my case is well documented by
court after court after court, by hearing after hearing after
hearing, by statement after statement after statement.
And we as a people are the evidence that this country fails to keep
its treaties, this country fails to keep its word. This country has
failed to follow its own Constitution--the treaty between the people
and the government. We are that evidence. I am nothing more than
evidence. That is why people all over the world and here at home have
supported the cause of justice in my case. In my particular situation
I can't say that there will ever be any level of justice.
They cannot give back the 34 years of life that have been taken from
me. They cannot give back the life of Joe Stuntz that they took June
26, 1975. They cannot give back the lives of the 60-something people
that they directly or indirectly caused the deaths of. They cannot
give back the thousand upon thousands of Indian people that were
killed and abused since the inception of this government.
But the one thing we can do, we must do, is find a way to change
their attitude. My brother Leonard Crow Dog once said, "If you want
to change the white man, you have to change his religion." And
religion is a word that means how you do something on a regular
basis; most generally it is associated with your spirituality.
Perhaps with global warming as it is, and the changes in the weather
patterns and the questionable future that faces the earth, they will
start to listen. Maybe they will reach back and embrace the words of
our people, foretold again and again.
We must live the way that the Earth will renew itself every spring.
We must help them reach back. We must speak to them at every
opportunity. We must make an effort to reach back ourselves to our
own cultural values. And in doing so, we can start to solve the many
destructive challenges we face. We must more than ever before find a
way to heal the wounds of our children and prevent the social
illnesses that are so prevalent across our reservations and communities.
We have the tools, we have the teachings, we have the philosophies,
we have the culture, we have the artists, we have the singers, we
have the philosophers, I could go on and on but in essence what I am
trying to say is it is imperative that we bring together all our
resources to enhance the future for our children in a way that they
themselves can further the healthy teachings of our culture and way
of life; and in doing so I have no doubt that we can change the world.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
IF I am freed next month, or if I die in prison, remember my words
and remember we are evidence that the Creator made a beautiful people
a people that respected the Earth and nature and each other. We are
evidence on every level of goodness that when the Creator made us He
meant for us to be free. All our traditions have taught us this way.
And even this very form of government that exists today was copied
from our people.
Our people with our foods, our medicines, belief in freedom and the
right to choose have influenced the world. It's too bad they didn't
adopt a healthy attitude that we had toward the Earth, or an attitude
of respect for us the first keepers of this portion of the Earth. If
there is something about me that this government can point at and say
is wrong, or any person say is wrong, I will by my own choice, if it
proves to be fact, seek to fix it myself. But I also want to remind
them the policies that have been in place for so long have made us
what we are today. The policies that have been in place for so long,
have created another reservation called Iraq and another reservation
called Afghanistan, and the list goes on and on--you see, what's
happening over there is what happened here, and all down through
North and South America.
I am just a common man and I am evidence that the powers that put me
here would like to sweep under the carpet. The same way they did all
of our past leaders, warriors and people they massacred. Just as at
Wounded Knee, the Fifth Cavalry sought its revenge for Custer's loss
and massacred some 300 Indian men women and children, then gave out
23 Medals of Honor and swept the evidence of their wrongdoing aside.
Perhaps this statement is somewhat more lengthy than the others I've
made; perhaps it is some things I should have said before and perhaps
more, if so I hope you will forgive me. I recently was thought to be
having a heart attack because of pain in my chest. After having been
beaten and kicked and stomped in the last year, I am not quite sure
what was causing the pain. I had never been beaten, kicked and
stomped like that before. And also I have never been 64 years old
before. The one thing all this did for me is it really brought home
my sense of mortality.
I don't want to spend the rest of my life in this prison. And I don't
want you to spend the rest of your life in some prison of the mind,
heart or attitude. I want you to enjoy your life.
If nothing else give somebody a hug for me and say, "This is from Leonard."
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
--------
10 Reasons Why Leonard Peltier Should Never Be Freed
Friday, June 26, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James Simon at jamessimon500@comcast.net
News Alert: 10 Reasons Why Leonard Peltier Should Never Be Freed
June 26, 2009 - Every year in June, Leonard Peltier supporters and
ranters unite in calling for his release from the confines of the
federal penitentiary. Even those who say he may be guilty argue that
Peltier should be freed for "humanitarian" reasons because he'll soon
be 65-years-old. For the record, Peltier objects to serving two
consecutive life sentences for the execution-style murders of FBI
Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams on June 26, 1975. Peltier has
always claimed the truth of his innocence has never had a chance to
blossom. While truth, no doubt, plays a reassuring role in the quest
for justice, it is not something that has been a friend to the
infamous Native American cause célèbre. The truth is particularly
harmful to Peltier this year because he comes up for a parole board
hearing on July 27, his first since 1993. Some say this is his last
chance to bamboozle the board.
Though Peltier is loath to admit it, the truth has never failed to
surface; first during his trial, and ever since, through old secrets
revealed. And the evidence has always beaten a path to Peltier's cell
door, most often by way of his own flawed thinking. Peltier thought
the Agents were there to arrest him (they weren't), that he was
justified in shooting two men in the face at point-blank range (he
wasn't), and that he can now lie his way to freedom before a parole
board (he can't.) But because Peltier says he didn't do it, his
followers simply believe him. Not only do they believe him, they
issue astounding proclamations in support of his innocence, his
make-belief persona as "political prisoner," and his "human rights
activist" nonsense. As one blogger recently swore, "Leonard Peltier
is not in prison for killing the two Federal Bureau of Investigations
(FBI) Agents as is alleged, he has been incarcerated for 33 years
because he belonged to a group (American Indian Movement) that dared
to challenge the federal government and their lies. When one has the
audacity to challenge the fedgov, he/she becomes a target for
malicious prosecution, fabricated evidence, witness tampering and
illegal imprisonment. Leonard Peltier has experienced all of these in
the extreme. "
"Extreme" is certainly a word Peltier pushers are familiar with.
"Extreme," as in not allowing the facts to get in the way of
regurgitating fables and falsehoods. "Extreme," as in ignoring the
Federal Register, the Federal Record, and the court testimony, all of
which place Peltier at the scene of the crime, at the moment the
killing shots were fired. And so in the spirit of Coler and Williams,
here are ten truthful reasons why Peltier should never see the light
of day as a free man:
1. Peltier was fairly tried and fairly convicted. This is the
conclusion of every federal judge who's reviewed the case. Since his
conviction in 1977, the evidence against Peltier has been repeatedly
confirmed, expanded, and corroborated. [See:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/585.html (Note FN 15: "The two
witnesses testified outside the presence of the jury that after their
testimony at trial, they had been threatened by Peltier himself that
if they did not return to court and testify that their earlier
testimony had been induced by F.B.I. threats, their lives would be in
danger")]
2. Facts of the case prove that Peltier opened fire on the Agents
from a distance of over 200 yards. Armed with only their side arms,
both young men were soon wounded. After the initial shooting ended,
Peltier, along with two other men, walked down to the wounded Agents
and finished them off, shooting them both in the face at point-blank range.
3. A few months after the murders, Peltier bragged about killing
Agent Ron Williams, as recalled by a witness in a separate murder
trial in 2004. Under oath, the witness recalled Peltier's exact
words: "The motherfuer was begging for his life but I shot him
anyway. " (See: http://www.jfamr.org/doc/kmtest1.html.)
4. Peltier has parlayed his Native American ancestry into a
successful defense fund, bilking millions of people out of their time
and money. He has fooled Amnesty International, Mikhail Gorbachev,
Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Dali Lama, and people all
over the world. Peltier is supported by Hollywood heavyweights Robert
Redford, David Geffen, and Oliver Stone, all of whom have fallen prey
to his propaganda machine. Redford produced and narrated a
documentary that uses Peltier's own concoctions to explain away his
guilt, such as the Mr. X alibi, later exposed as another Peltier ruse.
5. Freeing an unrepentant murderer like Peltier is contrary to all
principles of parole and rehabilitation. It would undermine law
enforcement efforts, subvert the rule of law, and compound the
anguish of the victims' families. Freeing a killer like Peltier would
be particularly devastating to FBI Agents who risk their lives every
day in pursuit of criminals. A pardon would also be detrimental to
American interests by giving ammunition to our enemies. They will
point to our system of justice as one that convicts innocent Native
Americans, thus confirming their argument that Peltier was wrongfully
convicted and that our court system is unfair. Worldwide media will
parrot these conclusions as if they are fact-based.
6. Freeing a guilty killer like Peltier would undermine efforts to
investigate crimes on Indian reservations. Many Indians would view
his freedom as a sign that the FBI and the Justice Department had
always tried to mislead Indian Country about the facts of the case.
Many Indians would be more reluctant to cooperate with current investigations.
7. Peltier escaped from prison in July 1979 during which a young
Indian was shot and killed. Peltier claimed he was targeted by the
FBI for assassination. The truth is that he had planned his escape
for several years, and counted on help from outside contacts. Peltier
must be held responsible for the needless death he caused and for
threatening a man from whom he stole a truck during his escape.
Peltier was sentenced to seven additional years for his escape attempt.
8. If Peltier is freed, it will be more difficult to indict him on
other murders in which he may have been involved. In one of these
cases, Peltier interrogated a young woman, Anna Mae Aquash, by
putting a loaded gun in her mouth. Aquash's execution was ordered by
leaders of the American Indian Movement (AIM) because they mistakenly
believed that she was an FBI informant. (See
www.americanindianmafia.com/audio/GunInHerMouthReMix.wmv.)
9. Contrary to his claims, Peltier has always put himself above the
welfare of Native Americans. One of his recent newsletters opened
with the words, "May Death Be Upon You, FBI" These are not the
thoughts of an innocent man, but rather the wish of someone wanting
to stir up violence. Peltier would like nothing better than to
agitate for criminal acts against Indians who oppose his freedom and
who count on the FBI to apprehend evildoers on the reservation.
Peltier has nothing but contempt for our system of justice. He has
done nothing to earn his freedom.
10. Peltier's 1993 Parole Board recognized that he was convicted of
aiding and abetting the murders. But then the Board went on to say:
"... the greater probability is that you yourself fired the fatal
shots... It would be unjust to treat the slaying of these F.B.I.
agents, while they lay wounded and helpless, as if your actions had
been part of a gun battle. Neither the state of relations between
Native American militants and law enforcement at the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation prior to June 26, 1975, nor the exchanges of
gunfire between individuals at the Jumping Bull Compound and the law
enforcement agents who arrived there during the hours after Agents
Coler and Williams were murdered, explains or mitigates the crimes
you committed... Your release on parole would promote disrespect for
the law in contravention of 18 U.S.C..."
Leonard Peltier is guilty. He has done nothing to show that he
accepts responsibility for his crimes. To this day, Peltier remains
defiant, manipulative, and completely remorseless. Freeing this
ruthless killer would be a terrible travesty of justice.
John M. Trimbach
Trimbach & Associates, Inc.
Atlanta
770-883-5086
.
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