Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has written to the President to urge clemency. The Human Rights Commission is the second largest body of the United Nations and Mary Robinson is the most important figure in international human rights. She wrote the letter after the United Nations Workshop on Indigenous Media unanimously supported Peltier and asked her to intervene.
On December 31st Congresswoman Maxine Waters released a strong statement supporting clemency and condemning Leonard Peltier's imprisonment.
CALL THE WHITE HOUSE DAILY!!!
202-456-1111
www.freepeltier.org
Free Leonard Peltier ::: Sign Petition, Send Free Fax!
Fri, 24 Nov 2000
Sign On Letter to President Clinton Asking for Clemency for Leonard Peltier
JOIN U.S. CELEBRITIES IN MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT CLINTON IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
November 23, 2000
Dear President Clinton,
In the old days, before the broken treaties, before the wars of conquest and the ethnic cleansing,
the People honored the man who held your office with the title "Great Father," because they, like
the early settlers of this country, believed in the noble experiment called America. A land where
freedom was king and all people were equal under the blindfolded figure of Justice.
This once great nation has lost sight of the simple yet sacred intentions that defined our existence-blinded by humanity's greatest affliction-the infection of the mind known as greed. In doing so, our nation has failed us all, but none so much as the People who first believed-the first
inhabitants of this continent who welcomed as brothers and sisters those castaways from Europe who had labored under feudalism for thousands of years.
The tribes that saved our lives and first showed us what it really meant to be free have paid the heaviest price for our failing experiment. If there was an easier way to describe the reality of today, we would certainly use it, but our time cries out for Truth. We, the undersigned, do not claim perfection. In fact, by our signatures we attest that each and every one of us is human and as such we have all made mistakes.
However it is the gift of Life that allows us to strive to right our wrongs. One stroke of your pen, one moment of your time, one breath of your Life undoes a great injustice and returns one man to the People he loves and serves. We are calling for the release of the man known as "Wind Chases the Sun" or "He Leads the People" or Leonard Peltier and also, regrettably, as U.S. Prisoner # 89637-132.
Leonard's file speaks for him, the evidence, the truth is there buried under a quarter century of
deceit. We need only note the knowingly fraudulent affidavit that led to his extradition from Canada, the deliberately suppressed, misleading and false evidence that led to his conviction and the politics that thwarted his appeals. Even the prosecutor has since admitted that the government does not know who committed the crime that sent Leonard to prison. This is an irreconcilable fact, underlying an unacceptable status quo.
Contact any of us if you need more information than you already have. But what your action truly requires now is courage, integrity and justice. By granting clemency, you take the first step on a new path, one where the original inhabitants finally find compassion, justice and, most of all, the right to exist, from the nation that once oppressed them. Failure, on the other hand, hobbles our future, for a nation built upon injustice cannot survive no matter who is at its helm. If Leonard Peltier dies in prison, a piece of all of us will die with him-that piece that stands for the People, that piece that displays courage in the face of adversity, that piece that holds hope for the future, that piece that is Free.
As we leave you with the knowledge empowering you to make the right choice, we find it appropriate to close with Leonard Peltier's own words: Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity. But silence is impossible. Silence screams. Silence is a message, just as doing nothing is an act. Let who you are ring out and resonate in every word and every deed. Yes, become who you are. There's no sidestepping your own being or your own responsibility. What you do is who you are. You are your own comeuppance. You become your own message. You are the message.
May the Great Spirit Make Sunrise in Your Heart . . .
Hoka Hey!
Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, Julia Butterfly Hill,
Ben Harper, Thomas J. Ballauco, Billy Jack Blackhawk
Please add your name as an individual, organization or nation!
Send to 10 friends and associates
and to the White House ::: president@whitehouse.gov
Print & Fax ::::
White House fax number is: 202-456-2461
"American Indians share a history rich in diversity, integrity, culture and tradition. It is also
rich in tragedy, deceit and genocide. As the world learns of these atrocities and cries out for
justice for ALL people everywhere, no human being should ever have to fear for his or her life
because of their political or religious beliefs. We are in this together, my friends, the rich, the
poor, the red, white, black, brown and yellow. We share responsibility for Mother Earth and those who live and breathe upon her. Never forget that."
--Leonard Peltier
EXTREMELY URGENT ACTION - From: LPDC
FAX A LETTER TO THE WHITE HOUSE SUPPORTING CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER FOR FREE!!!
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
Send a free fax to President Clinton from the Global Exchange website:
www.globalexchange.org/ca...olved.html
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
CALL THE WHITE HOUSE FOR LEONARD PELTIER:202-456-1111
CLEMENCY MAY BE DECIDED SOON
Dear Friends,
We have some very exciting news for everyone!
President Clinton has publicly confirmed that Leonard's clemency petition has reached his office,
and that it will be decided one way or the other in the very near future.Quite possibly, a decision could be made over the Thanksgiving holiday!
It looks like critical decisions are being made in the White House RIGHT NOW.
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard the last many years for Leonard. You have
brought this case right up to Clinton's desk. But now we must work harder than ever for the next few weeks. We are down to the wire and this is literally a matter of life and death. It looks like Bush will be the new President, and you know what that means for clemency for Leonard.
It is now or never for telling the White House how we feel about the case. We are asking people to
call every single day to the White House, starting now, and up through December 1. (We will send
out new information then). While it is possible that a positive decision might take longer, we must
make very sure that Leonard's case is not dropped from the list in the early stages.
The FBI camp has initiated their own phone campaign to the White House protesting clemency. WE
MUST DROWN THEM OUT. Leonard's support across country is huge, but we must now make ourselves heard, more than ever.
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
PLEASE CALL THE WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS LINE EVERY DAY THROUGH DECEMBER FIRST!
TRY TO ORGANIZE AS MANY FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE CALLS WITH YOU!
To reach the White House Comments Line, just call 202-456-1111. You will get a recording, but you can skip it by dialing "0" for the live operator. What counts is that hundreds of calls come in
every single day. Clinton needs to know he has our full support for Leonard's release.
You may get an operator who seems very interested in talking, or someone who does not want to talk at all and doesn't care. This doesn't matter at all either. Whoever answers your call, they must tally the total at the end of the day and send the numbers upstairs to Mr. Clinton.
Keep the message courteous and straightforward. Here is a sample :
1. Identify yourself and your state.and any nation you belong to..any job title if you wish.
2. Explain that you want Clinton to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Peltier.
3. Explain that Mr. Peltier never got a fair trial because the FBI coerced witnesses and concealed
the ballistics test reflecting his innocence.
4. Mr. Peltier especially deserves clemency because of his incredible record of good deeds behind
bars, like sponsoring a Native scholarship program, adopting children in Central America, supporting battered women's centers and substance abuse programs, and sponsoring an annual Christmas clothing and toys drive for the children of Pine Ridge.
5. Time is running out to resolve this national tragedy, because Peltier now suffers from
diabetes, a heart condition and high blood pressure.
6. Releasing Mr. Peltier will be an important first step in national reconciliation between the
United States government and the Native American people of this country.
If you wish to write as well as call, the White House fax number is: 202-456-2461
COUNTDOWN TO CLEMENCY : FINAL PHASE : IT'S NOW OR NEVER --LPDC
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LEONARD PELTIER! PLEASE FORWARD!
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
COUNTDOWN TO CLEMENCY, WALK FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION SUNDAY DECEMBER 10, 2000
Indigenous Rights Activist, Leonard Peltier, is currently facing what may be his only chance for
freedom for years to come. Leonard Peltier has been unjustly imprisoned for over 24 years. Amnesty International considers him to be a political prisoner who should be immediately and
unconditionally released. Despite the fact that formerly withheld evidence forced the US prosecutor to admit that he could not prove who was actually guilty of the crime he was convicted of, Leonard Peltier's court appeals are exhausted and his chances for parole are very slim. His only remaining avenue for release lies in the hands of President Clinton through a grant of Executive clemency. Time is running out!
As part of our emergency effort to gain Leonard Peltier's long overdue freedom, we are organizing a major event in New York City on Sunday, December 10, which is Human Rights Day. This will be a time for us to send a positive and united message of support for Leonard Peltier's freedom, as a gesture of truth and reconciliation for all Indigenous Peoples.
We will gather in Union Square at 12:00 noon and we will walk to the United Nations (Dag Hammarskjold Plaza) where a candlelight vigil and program of speakers, cultural activities, and traditional music will be presented from 2pm-4pm. The walk will be led by members of the Pine Ridge Lakota Nation and members of Leonard Peltier's family. Come show your solidarity by representing your Native Nation, church, organization, union, or just yourself. The event will be peaceful. No alcohol or drugs. For updates contact the New York City Hotline: 212-539-6027. To find out how you can help make this a successful event, contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee: 785-842-5774. Thank you. In Solidarity, The LPDC
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
American Indian National Day of Mourning ::: "Turkey Day"
Native American Indians and their supporters will gather at Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Mass Thursday to mourn for ancestors, the genocide of the native American peoples and the theft of their lands on the 31st National Day of Mourning. The "National Day of Mourning" is a day when they mourn, but also feel strength in political action. This year the NDOM is once again dedicated to Leonard Peltier and to push for president Clinton to grant Mr. Peltier clemency. "It is with mixed emotion that I stand here to share my thoughts. This is a time of celebration for you - celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America. A time of looking back, of reflection. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People."
With these words Mr. Wamsutta (Frank B.) James, an Aquinnah Wampanoag man, was to begin a speech at a Commonwealth of Massachusetts banquette in 1970 celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. However, according to the Department of Commerce and Development at the time, the speech, which they had a chance to review, was " inflammatory [and] would have been out of place" at a "celebration [of] brotherhood." Thus they bared Mr. James from presenting it at the dinner.
"We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people." Mr. James' speech was an angry protest that in his own land-land "we fought as hard to keep as you the whites did to takefrom us"-his people are considered "low man on the totem pole." It was also a merciless attack upon the psyche of those attending the dinner which, had he been allowed to present, would have forced them pay witness to the crimes of the past and present which "drained our culture" and have driven their language into near extinction.
"You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We the Wampanoags will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian."
This tame reference to an "anniversary"-in fact an annual insult of history and truth that the
Native American's, especially the Wampanoag, endure-is Mr. James' only mention of the significances to himself, and his people, concerning the date upon which his speech would have been given.
A date that simultaneously brings millions of Americans to the table to "give thanks", and brings a group of Native Americans and their supporters to the edge of the continent to mourn. After the Department of Commerce and Development refused to allow Mr. James' to present his speech, they offered him their own to read. He refused and on Thanksgiving Day 1970 when the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts celebrated the myth of a Native American and Pilgrim "brotherly" feast 350 years prior, Mr. James'-and several hundred other Native people and supporters from throughout the Americas-gathered in Plymouth and grieved for the 700 Pequot women, children and men who's slaughter the first Thanksgiving honored. Likewise they wept for the millions of Native American peoples raped of their culture, history and homeland. The event is know as the "National Day of Mourning."
According to William B. Newell, former chairman of the anthropology department at the University of Connecticut, Thanksgiving Day was first proclaimed by the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 to commemorate the massacre of 700 people who were celebrating their annual green coredance-Thanksgiving Day to them-in their own house. They were attacked by mercenaries, Dutch and English who ordered them from the building and, as they emerged, shot them down. The rest were burned alive inside.
Those, who 31 years after the Mr. James' stated the tradition, still make the journey to Cole's
Hill in Plymouth, come not only to remember the past, but to focus on the future; just as Mr. James' would like them to. "We are determined, and our presence here this evening is living testimony that this is only the beginning of the American Indian, particularly the Wampanoag, to regain the position in this country that is rightfully ours."
The organizers of the NDOM welcome non-Native supporters to stand with them, but make it clear that this is a day when only Native people speak about their history, what is going on with them now and the struggles that are taking place throughout the Americas. This year the NDOM is once again dedicated to Leonard Peltier. However, this year a clemency request for Mr. Peltier sits before president Clinton and 18 days after the NDOM, on Dec. 10, New York City will host the "Peltier Walk for Freedom."
UAINE /"National Day of Mourning" idt.net/~uaine19/
The International Office of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
www.freepeltier.org
Peltier Clemency Alert
idt.net/~uaine19/peltier_...alert.html
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
Campaign Demands White House Executive Clemency for Native American Activist
Leonard Peltier
Interview by Melinda Tuhus
Native American activist Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 24 years, convicted in the killing of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota in 1975. Since his conviction witnesses have come forward to reveal that during the trial, U.S. government prosecutors withheld critical information from defense attorneys which many believe would have exonerated Peltier. Despite two decades of appeals, all efforts for a new trial have been rejected. Leonard Peltier's only hope now is a grant of executive clemency from President Clinton serving his final weeks as head of state. Peltier's defense committee is asking supporters to call the White House comment line to demand clemency. The group is also organizing a free Peltier demonstration at United Nations headquarters in New York City Dec. 10.
In a recent interview, President Clinton told Pacifica Radio's Amy Goodman that he would review
Peltier's case and reach a decision on whether or not to grant him executive clemency before leaving office in January. Between The Lines Melinda Tuhus spoke with Gina Kiala of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, who summarizes the goals of her groups' current campaign.
Contact the Committee by calling (785) 842-5774 or visit their website at
www.freepeltier.org
Listen to ::: Between the Lines on the internet :::
www.wpkn.org/wpkn/news/btl120100.html
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
Leonard Peltier continues to be harshly treated and harassed by the prison system as the executive clemency campaign presses forward toward a Presidential decision.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), with each day that passes, continues to be
ridiculously late with the case work findings and its recommendation due President Clinton (the clemency petition was filed in late November of 1993). Normally in a difficult case, the process would take about one year. People around the world need to express their outrage with the delay tactics of the DOJ. To let this case linger after over twenty three years of incarceration, is nothing short of inhumane.
Leonard continues to work in the furniture factory at Leavenworth penitentiary. He is currently
wrongly assigned to this work detail. There has been a subjective judgment as to a change in his
medical status to allow this job assignment. It is in error and Leonard continues to suffer physical pain and places himself and those around him on the job at risk due to his limited eyesight as the result of the retinal hemorrhage suffered years ago. He has seen his rights to the use of the telephone suspended numerous times. These sanctions resulted from what were once routine practices, but now without warning, selective penalties applied.
Through all of this, Leonard remains strong and his spirit is not broken. His hope is that all of us will not tire at this most critical time in his bid for freedom. Leonard is suffering physically, but is strong otherwise and he continues to be an inspiration to us all.
The recent news exposing the FBI crime lab problems certainly applies to Leonards case. We have documented FBI misconduct throughout the false extradition, prosecution and subsequent legal proceedings in the Peltier case. Still at issue, remains manipulated, manufactured, suppressed and withheld evidence in the case. As well, there were coerced witnesses resulting in falsified testimony, all directly at the hand of the FBI. With each request to President Clinton we ask that these inexcusable acts by the DOJ, U.S. prosecutors and the FBI be included to add weight to the efforts to persuade the President to make the right decision, a decision in favor of freedom for Leonard.
This summary is not good, but we can all dedicate our continued or renewed efforts to make this the year of release for Leonard Peltier. Now is the time to add volume to our collective voice, the voice of the people. We must now bring Leonard home to his family and to the land.
FREE LEONARD PELTIER...FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS...FREE THE PEOPLE
Peace In Struggle, The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
OVER 30 MILLION PEOPLE, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, ARE ASKING FOR JUSTICE BY DEMANDING PRESIDENT CLINTON GRANT EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY TO LEONARD PELTIER
WE MUST DEMAND JUSTICE AND FREEDOM!
After the freedom of information act exposed evidence against his conviction......After the
Justice Department admitted in Leonard's second appeal that it had no idea who killed the two FBI agents--a crime for which Leonard is now wrongly serving two life sentences.........Leonard still remains a political prisoner in a country that champions political prisoners of other countries....
Leonard Peltier Support Group
www.lpsg-co.org/index.html
You can also write to the following:
Honorable Eric Holder
Deputy Attorney General
10th & Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Honorable Janet Reno
Attorney General
10th & Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Roger C. Adams
Acting U.S. Pardon Attorney
500 First Street N.W. Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20530
ph (202) 616-6072
fax (202) 616-6069
White House fax number is: 202-456-2461
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
"It is not the Kings and Generals who make History. It is the masses of the People."
Nelson Mandela
"The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."
Lily Tomlin
"I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention."
Diane Sawyer
"Unfortunately, sometimes people don't hear you until you scream."
Stefanie Powers
"Western civilization is a loaded gun pointed at the head of this planet."
Terence McKenna
"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."
H.G. Wells
"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."
-- Alfred Austin (1835-1913)
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
MUTANEX BeamShip * Gaia Core
Animation: Great Turkey Revolution Day
On December 31st Congresswoman Maxine Waters released a strong statement supporting clemency and condemning Leonard Peltier's imprisonment.
CALL THE WHITE HOUSE DAILY!!!
202-456-1111
www.freepeltier.org
Free Leonard Peltier ::: Sign Petition, Send Free Fax!
Fri, 24 Nov 2000
Sign On Letter to President Clinton Asking for Clemency for Leonard Peltier
JOIN U.S. CELEBRITIES IN MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT CLINTON IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
November 23, 2000
Dear President Clinton,
In the old days, before the broken treaties, before the wars of conquest and the ethnic cleansing,
the People honored the man who held your office with the title "Great Father," because they, like
the early settlers of this country, believed in the noble experiment called America. A land where
freedom was king and all people were equal under the blindfolded figure of Justice.
This once great nation has lost sight of the simple yet sacred intentions that defined our existence-blinded by humanity's greatest affliction-the infection of the mind known as greed. In doing so, our nation has failed us all, but none so much as the People who first believed-the first
inhabitants of this continent who welcomed as brothers and sisters those castaways from Europe who had labored under feudalism for thousands of years.
The tribes that saved our lives and first showed us what it really meant to be free have paid the heaviest price for our failing experiment. If there was an easier way to describe the reality of today, we would certainly use it, but our time cries out for Truth. We, the undersigned, do not claim perfection. In fact, by our signatures we attest that each and every one of us is human and as such we have all made mistakes.
However it is the gift of Life that allows us to strive to right our wrongs. One stroke of your pen, one moment of your time, one breath of your Life undoes a great injustice and returns one man to the People he loves and serves. We are calling for the release of the man known as "Wind Chases the Sun" or "He Leads the People" or Leonard Peltier and also, regrettably, as U.S. Prisoner # 89637-132.
Leonard's file speaks for him, the evidence, the truth is there buried under a quarter century of
deceit. We need only note the knowingly fraudulent affidavit that led to his extradition from Canada, the deliberately suppressed, misleading and false evidence that led to his conviction and the politics that thwarted his appeals. Even the prosecutor has since admitted that the government does not know who committed the crime that sent Leonard to prison. This is an irreconcilable fact, underlying an unacceptable status quo.
Contact any of us if you need more information than you already have. But what your action truly requires now is courage, integrity and justice. By granting clemency, you take the first step on a new path, one where the original inhabitants finally find compassion, justice and, most of all, the right to exist, from the nation that once oppressed them. Failure, on the other hand, hobbles our future, for a nation built upon injustice cannot survive no matter who is at its helm. If Leonard Peltier dies in prison, a piece of all of us will die with him-that piece that stands for the People, that piece that displays courage in the face of adversity, that piece that holds hope for the future, that piece that is Free.
As we leave you with the knowledge empowering you to make the right choice, we find it appropriate to close with Leonard Peltier's own words: Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity. But silence is impossible. Silence screams. Silence is a message, just as doing nothing is an act. Let who you are ring out and resonate in every word and every deed. Yes, become who you are. There's no sidestepping your own being or your own responsibility. What you do is who you are. You are your own comeuppance. You become your own message. You are the message.
May the Great Spirit Make Sunrise in Your Heart . . .
Hoka Hey!
Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, Julia Butterfly Hill,
Ben Harper, Thomas J. Ballauco, Billy Jack Blackhawk
Please add your name as an individual, organization or nation!
Send to 10 friends and associates
and to the White House ::: president@whitehouse.gov
Print & Fax ::::
White House fax number is: 202-456-2461
"American Indians share a history rich in diversity, integrity, culture and tradition. It is also
rich in tragedy, deceit and genocide. As the world learns of these atrocities and cries out for
justice for ALL people everywhere, no human being should ever have to fear for his or her life
because of their political or religious beliefs. We are in this together, my friends, the rich, the
poor, the red, white, black, brown and yellow. We share responsibility for Mother Earth and those who live and breathe upon her. Never forget that."
--Leonard Peltier
EXTREMELY URGENT ACTION - From: LPDC
FAX A LETTER TO THE WHITE HOUSE SUPPORTING CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER FOR FREE!!!
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
Send a free fax to President Clinton from the Global Exchange website:
www.globalexchange.org/ca...olved.html
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
CALL THE WHITE HOUSE FOR LEONARD PELTIER:202-456-1111
CLEMENCY MAY BE DECIDED SOON
Dear Friends,
We have some very exciting news for everyone!
President Clinton has publicly confirmed that Leonard's clemency petition has reached his office,
and that it will be decided one way or the other in the very near future.Quite possibly, a decision could be made over the Thanksgiving holiday!
It looks like critical decisions are being made in the White House RIGHT NOW.
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard the last many years for Leonard. You have
brought this case right up to Clinton's desk. But now we must work harder than ever for the next few weeks. We are down to the wire and this is literally a matter of life and death. It looks like Bush will be the new President, and you know what that means for clemency for Leonard.
It is now or never for telling the White House how we feel about the case. We are asking people to
call every single day to the White House, starting now, and up through December 1. (We will send
out new information then). While it is possible that a positive decision might take longer, we must
make very sure that Leonard's case is not dropped from the list in the early stages.
The FBI camp has initiated their own phone campaign to the White House protesting clemency. WE
MUST DROWN THEM OUT. Leonard's support across country is huge, but we must now make ourselves heard, more than ever.
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
PLEASE CALL THE WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS LINE EVERY DAY THROUGH DECEMBER FIRST!
TRY TO ORGANIZE AS MANY FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE CALLS WITH YOU!
To reach the White House Comments Line, just call 202-456-1111. You will get a recording, but you can skip it by dialing "0" for the live operator. What counts is that hundreds of calls come in
every single day. Clinton needs to know he has our full support for Leonard's release.
You may get an operator who seems very interested in talking, or someone who does not want to talk at all and doesn't care. This doesn't matter at all either. Whoever answers your call, they must tally the total at the end of the day and send the numbers upstairs to Mr. Clinton.
Keep the message courteous and straightforward. Here is a sample :
1. Identify yourself and your state.and any nation you belong to..any job title if you wish.
2. Explain that you want Clinton to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Peltier.
3. Explain that Mr. Peltier never got a fair trial because the FBI coerced witnesses and concealed
the ballistics test reflecting his innocence.
4. Mr. Peltier especially deserves clemency because of his incredible record of good deeds behind
bars, like sponsoring a Native scholarship program, adopting children in Central America, supporting battered women's centers and substance abuse programs, and sponsoring an annual Christmas clothing and toys drive for the children of Pine Ridge.
5. Time is running out to resolve this national tragedy, because Peltier now suffers from
diabetes, a heart condition and high blood pressure.
6. Releasing Mr. Peltier will be an important first step in national reconciliation between the
United States government and the Native American people of this country.
If you wish to write as well as call, the White House fax number is: 202-456-2461
COUNTDOWN TO CLEMENCY : FINAL PHASE : IT'S NOW OR NEVER --LPDC
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LEONARD PELTIER! PLEASE FORWARD!
~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~<=<I>=>~
COUNTDOWN TO CLEMENCY, WALK FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION SUNDAY DECEMBER 10, 2000
Indigenous Rights Activist, Leonard Peltier, is currently facing what may be his only chance for
freedom for years to come. Leonard Peltier has been unjustly imprisoned for over 24 years. Amnesty International considers him to be a political prisoner who should be immediately and
unconditionally released. Despite the fact that formerly withheld evidence forced the US prosecutor to admit that he could not prove who was actually guilty of the crime he was convicted of, Leonard Peltier's court appeals are exhausted and his chances for parole are very slim. His only remaining avenue for release lies in the hands of President Clinton through a grant of Executive clemency. Time is running out!
As part of our emergency effort to gain Leonard Peltier's long overdue freedom, we are organizing a major event in New York City on Sunday, December 10, which is Human Rights Day. This will be a time for us to send a positive and united message of support for Leonard Peltier's freedom, as a gesture of truth and reconciliation for all Indigenous Peoples.
We will gather in Union Square at 12:00 noon and we will walk to the United Nations (Dag Hammarskjold Plaza) where a candlelight vigil and program of speakers, cultural activities, and traditional music will be presented from 2pm-4pm. The walk will be led by members of the Pine Ridge Lakota Nation and members of Leonard Peltier's family. Come show your solidarity by representing your Native Nation, church, organization, union, or just yourself. The event will be peaceful. No alcohol or drugs. For updates contact the New York City Hotline: 212-539-6027. To find out how you can help make this a successful event, contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee: 785-842-5774. Thank you. In Solidarity, The LPDC
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American Indian National Day of Mourning ::: "Turkey Day"
Native American Indians and their supporters will gather at Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Mass Thursday to mourn for ancestors, the genocide of the native American peoples and the theft of their lands on the 31st National Day of Mourning. The "National Day of Mourning" is a day when they mourn, but also feel strength in political action. This year the NDOM is once again dedicated to Leonard Peltier and to push for president Clinton to grant Mr. Peltier clemency. "It is with mixed emotion that I stand here to share my thoughts. This is a time of celebration for you - celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America. A time of looking back, of reflection. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People."
With these words Mr. Wamsutta (Frank B.) James, an Aquinnah Wampanoag man, was to begin a speech at a Commonwealth of Massachusetts banquette in 1970 celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. However, according to the Department of Commerce and Development at the time, the speech, which they had a chance to review, was " inflammatory [and] would have been out of place" at a "celebration [of] brotherhood." Thus they bared Mr. James from presenting it at the dinner.
"We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people." Mr. James' speech was an angry protest that in his own land-land "we fought as hard to keep as you the whites did to takefrom us"-his people are considered "low man on the totem pole." It was also a merciless attack upon the psyche of those attending the dinner which, had he been allowed to present, would have forced them pay witness to the crimes of the past and present which "drained our culture" and have driven their language into near extinction.
"You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We the Wampanoags will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian."
This tame reference to an "anniversary"-in fact an annual insult of history and truth that the
Native American's, especially the Wampanoag, endure-is Mr. James' only mention of the significances to himself, and his people, concerning the date upon which his speech would have been given.
A date that simultaneously brings millions of Americans to the table to "give thanks", and brings a group of Native Americans and their supporters to the edge of the continent to mourn. After the Department of Commerce and Development refused to allow Mr. James' to present his speech, they offered him their own to read. He refused and on Thanksgiving Day 1970 when the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts celebrated the myth of a Native American and Pilgrim "brotherly" feast 350 years prior, Mr. James'-and several hundred other Native people and supporters from throughout the Americas-gathered in Plymouth and grieved for the 700 Pequot women, children and men who's slaughter the first Thanksgiving honored. Likewise they wept for the millions of Native American peoples raped of their culture, history and homeland. The event is know as the "National Day of Mourning."
According to William B. Newell, former chairman of the anthropology department at the University of Connecticut, Thanksgiving Day was first proclaimed by the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 to commemorate the massacre of 700 people who were celebrating their annual green coredance-Thanksgiving Day to them-in their own house. They were attacked by mercenaries, Dutch and English who ordered them from the building and, as they emerged, shot them down. The rest were burned alive inside.
Those, who 31 years after the Mr. James' stated the tradition, still make the journey to Cole's
Hill in Plymouth, come not only to remember the past, but to focus on the future; just as Mr. James' would like them to. "We are determined, and our presence here this evening is living testimony that this is only the beginning of the American Indian, particularly the Wampanoag, to regain the position in this country that is rightfully ours."
The organizers of the NDOM welcome non-Native supporters to stand with them, but make it clear that this is a day when only Native people speak about their history, what is going on with them now and the struggles that are taking place throughout the Americas. This year the NDOM is once again dedicated to Leonard Peltier. However, this year a clemency request for Mr. Peltier sits before president Clinton and 18 days after the NDOM, on Dec. 10, New York City will host the "Peltier Walk for Freedom."
UAINE /"National Day of Mourning" idt.net/~uaine19/
The International Office of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
www.freepeltier.org
Peltier Clemency Alert
idt.net/~uaine19/peltier_...alert.html
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Campaign Demands White House Executive Clemency for Native American Activist
Leonard Peltier
Interview by Melinda Tuhus
Native American activist Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 24 years, convicted in the killing of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota in 1975. Since his conviction witnesses have come forward to reveal that during the trial, U.S. government prosecutors withheld critical information from defense attorneys which many believe would have exonerated Peltier. Despite two decades of appeals, all efforts for a new trial have been rejected. Leonard Peltier's only hope now is a grant of executive clemency from President Clinton serving his final weeks as head of state. Peltier's defense committee is asking supporters to call the White House comment line to demand clemency. The group is also organizing a free Peltier demonstration at United Nations headquarters in New York City Dec. 10.
In a recent interview, President Clinton told Pacifica Radio's Amy Goodman that he would review
Peltier's case and reach a decision on whether or not to grant him executive clemency before leaving office in January. Between The Lines Melinda Tuhus spoke with Gina Kiala of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, who summarizes the goals of her groups' current campaign.
Contact the Committee by calling (785) 842-5774 or visit their website at
www.freepeltier.org
Listen to ::: Between the Lines on the internet :::
www.wpkn.org/wpkn/news/btl120100.html
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Leonard Peltier continues to be harshly treated and harassed by the prison system as the executive clemency campaign presses forward toward a Presidential decision.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), with each day that passes, continues to be
ridiculously late with the case work findings and its recommendation due President Clinton (the clemency petition was filed in late November of 1993). Normally in a difficult case, the process would take about one year. People around the world need to express their outrage with the delay tactics of the DOJ. To let this case linger after over twenty three years of incarceration, is nothing short of inhumane.
Leonard continues to work in the furniture factory at Leavenworth penitentiary. He is currently
wrongly assigned to this work detail. There has been a subjective judgment as to a change in his
medical status to allow this job assignment. It is in error and Leonard continues to suffer physical pain and places himself and those around him on the job at risk due to his limited eyesight as the result of the retinal hemorrhage suffered years ago. He has seen his rights to the use of the telephone suspended numerous times. These sanctions resulted from what were once routine practices, but now without warning, selective penalties applied.
Through all of this, Leonard remains strong and his spirit is not broken. His hope is that all of us will not tire at this most critical time in his bid for freedom. Leonard is suffering physically, but is strong otherwise and he continues to be an inspiration to us all.
The recent news exposing the FBI crime lab problems certainly applies to Leonards case. We have documented FBI misconduct throughout the false extradition, prosecution and subsequent legal proceedings in the Peltier case. Still at issue, remains manipulated, manufactured, suppressed and withheld evidence in the case. As well, there were coerced witnesses resulting in falsified testimony, all directly at the hand of the FBI. With each request to President Clinton we ask that these inexcusable acts by the DOJ, U.S. prosecutors and the FBI be included to add weight to the efforts to persuade the President to make the right decision, a decision in favor of freedom for Leonard.
This summary is not good, but we can all dedicate our continued or renewed efforts to make this the year of release for Leonard Peltier. Now is the time to add volume to our collective voice, the voice of the people. We must now bring Leonard home to his family and to the land.
FREE LEONARD PELTIER...FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS...FREE THE PEOPLE
Peace In Struggle, The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
OVER 30 MILLION PEOPLE, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, ARE ASKING FOR JUSTICE BY DEMANDING PRESIDENT CLINTON GRANT EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY TO LEONARD PELTIER
WE MUST DEMAND JUSTICE AND FREEDOM!
After the freedom of information act exposed evidence against his conviction......After the
Justice Department admitted in Leonard's second appeal that it had no idea who killed the two FBI agents--a crime for which Leonard is now wrongly serving two life sentences.........Leonard still remains a political prisoner in a country that champions political prisoners of other countries....
Leonard Peltier Support Group
www.lpsg-co.org/index.html
You can also write to the following:
Honorable Eric Holder
Deputy Attorney General
10th & Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Honorable Janet Reno
Attorney General
10th & Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Roger C. Adams
Acting U.S. Pardon Attorney
500 First Street N.W. Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20530
ph (202) 616-6072
fax (202) 616-6069
White House fax number is: 202-456-2461
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"It is not the Kings and Generals who make History. It is the masses of the People."
Nelson Mandela
"The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."
Lily Tomlin
"I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention."
Diane Sawyer
"Unfortunately, sometimes people don't hear you until you scream."
Stefanie Powers
"Western civilization is a loaded gun pointed at the head of this planet."
Terence McKenna
"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."
H.G. Wells
"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."
-- Alfred Austin (1835-1913)
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MUTANEX BeamShip * Gaia Core
Animation: Great Turkey Revolution Day
