DAY OF SHAME

WE MUST STAY TOGETHER AND KEEP ON FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE FOR LEONARD


January 20, 2001

Dear Friends,


 Today is a grim and shameful day. We must confirm that President Clinton, despite all his good words this week about racial  unity, "One America", and healing historical injustices, has denied clemency to Leonard Peltier. We do not know why. Yet disturbing questions are obviously raised by the last minute "deal" on the Monica Lewinsky perjury issue.

 Leonard himself has asked that we thank each and every one of you for your phenomenal efforts on his behalf during the last year.  Towards the end the world support had turned into a literal human rights tidal wave, with every high level  leader and organization calling or writing to President Clinton on Leonard's behalf. Yet somehow  it was not enough to outweigh the outright terror the FBI was able to instill in our government leadership.

 We  are all hurting badly just now, and we ask that you turn your prayers and  thoughts towards Leonard himself  today.  Send him letters of support and stay with us. We must remain tightly organized.

 We will be in a huddle with lawyers and  organizers for the next several days  working on new plans and proposals. We will have to work out a very new strategy, as President Bush's government will be quite different from Clinton's.(or perhaps not so different after all).  Bear with us while we reorganize and do some new thinking.and of course send us your ideas and thoughts as well.

 We know you want to keep up the fight and we know that this must be done. The future of  our society depends on  our point blank insistence on justice for all.

 Please watch our web site and  keep checking in. We will have some new strategies and battle plans  ready to go very soon. We must never leave Leonard behind, but  we can only bring him home if we keep working together.

 This network has grown to amazing new levels of strength and commitment this year.  We must take a breather now but we must not fall apart or  give up. Leonard is depending on us. If he can keep up his sacrificing then so must we.


In Solidarity,
LPDC



(Here is a statement for the press which you can forward to local media if
you'd like.)


LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE COMMITTEE

PUBLIC STATEMENT REGARDING DENIAL OF CLEMENCY  : "DAY OF SHAME"


We were both shocked and saddened by President Clinton's decision to deny executive clemency to Leonard Peltier.  During the last few days world support for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Peltier had reached remarkable levels, with calls and letters arriving from  such renowned human rights and religious leaders as  Coretta Scott King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Amnesty International, Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, amongst many others. Grassroots support from people across the country had swamped the White House phone and fax lines for months. Native nations and organizations made their support known again and again in powerful messages. Thousands of concerned citizens walked and prayed in the streets of New York on International Human Rights Day. Yet somehow none of this was enough.

Why? The question remains for  William Clinton to answer.  The fact that so light a penalty attached to the perjury charge in the Monica Lewinsky case raises disturbing issues. We would like an explanation.

For many weeks now President Clinton had called for national reconciliation and racial unity in this country. He has called for "One America" and emphasized the great racial disparity and discrimination so evident in our criminal justice system. He has called again and again for respect and equality for all races. He has stressed the need for righting historical injustices and healing  long festering wounds inflicted upon people of color. He has insisted that the United States take its place as a world leader of human rights affairs. He has personally visited Pine Ridge Reservation, the site of the tragic shoot out at Oglala  a long and bitter quarter of a century ago, and called for greater respect and justice for our first citizens.

Yet in this last and most critical test , President Clinton has betrayed his own goals and ideals. Again we must ask why?

Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 25 years without ever receiving the benefit of a fair trial. The FBI  forced Myrtle Poor Bear to sign a false affidavit, then committed fraud upon the Canadian government by presenting her statement to their courts of law. Three teenaged boys were terrorized and coerced into giving false testimonies to the grand jury and at his trial. A ballistics test reflecting his innocence was concealed from the defense and the FBI expert  gave distorted testimony to the jury. No consequences for these illegal acts have ever attached. Today even the United States Attorneys admit that no one knows who fired the fatal shots.
Yet Leonard Peltier was denied a new trial on a technicality, with the judge admitting that a strong doubt was cast on the prosecution's case. Even that judge now supports clemency . Meanwhile Mr. Peltier himself is long overdue for parole and  receives human rights awards for the remarkable  human rights work he  carries out from behind bars. He is now in failing health.

Most disturbing still is the fact that Leonard's  highly controversial conviction is deeply rooted in one of the most grim chapters of recent American civil rights history, specifically the Pine Ridge Reign of Terror.
Between 1973 and 1976 , FBI backed vigilantes terrorized, battered and assaulted scores of  Lakota traditionalists and AIM supporters  throughout the reservation. Houses burned  and  entire families were wounded in drive by shootings. While the FBI stood by, some 64 AIM members and supporters were murdered, their deaths never properly investigated or vindicated. Civil rights organizations excoriated FBI abuses again and again.

It can hardly be gainsaid that the history of  our government's dealings with the first citizens of this country have been tragic at best, and oftentimes shameful. It is difficult to imagine a case more crucial to national reconciliation and healing that the case of Leonard Peltier. Yet a door, instead of opening , has been slammed and locked.  Our society will pay the price.

 Today will be remembered as but another day of U.S. government shame and betrayal of Native people.

Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
http://www.freeleonardpeltier.org

I kept telling people not to trust Clinton, he screws the American people just like he does his employees! On the bottom line he is just another Damn politician. {Gore supporters take note.}

...SkyWarrior

STATEMENT BY LEONARD PELTIER


Greetings Friends and Supporters:

January 20, 2001, was a sad day for all of us. I know that this denial of clemency has affected many of you as much as it has affected both my family and myself.  It is a terrible feeling and disappointment knowing that this nightmare has not ended and will continue for many months to come.

When I received the news, I felt my stomach curl and a feeling of nausea rolled over me.  It took a while for me to refocus. For some reason I had thought I might be having dinner with my family that night. It was an especially disappointing day for all of us.

What Bill Clinton did to us was cruel.  For eight years he ignored my clemency petition despite the major campaign that was waged.  Then, just months before leaving office he publicly promised to make a decision on my case, one way or the other.  He said he was aware of its importance.  The White House gave my attorneys indications that there was a good chance for my clemency to be granted.  I had to prepare myself for being released because there was no sign that my petition would be denied.

The LPDC bought me clothes, my grandson prepared his bedroom for me to sleep in and other preparations were made for my homecoming.  My friends on Pine Ridge began plans to build me a house.  We were literally forced to get our hopes up because we did not want to be unprepared if I was suddenly set free.

January 19, came and still, they kept us in nervous anticipation saying the more difficult clemencies are still being worked on and would be announced the next morning.  Then January 20 came and went!  The White House never even told us what the decision was.  We had to find out through the press that my name was not on the list of clemencies.  To leave a person's life and so many peoples' hopes hanging in the balance like that is truly hardhearted.

Since that dark Saturday, I have managed to get up and dust myself off, and begin to lift my spirits once more.  I am just as determined now to fight for my freedom as I was on February 6, 1976 when I was first arrested.  I will not give up.  This is the second time in the span of my incarceration that I made it to the top of the hill and saw that freedom was in view, only to be kicked right back down to the bottom again.

The first time was in 1985, when the evidence used to convict me was impeached and I was denied a new trial, despite Judge Heaney's finding that I might have been acquitted had the jury been presented this evidence.  To be denied a new trial after such a finding shocked our network and me just as much as this denial of clemency has.  However, we never lose a battle without making some major gains in the overall struggle.

I want to compliment and thank my staff at the LPDC and all of you grassroots supporters who stood beside me and fought so tirelessly for my freedom.  You put on one of the strongest and most memorable campaigns I have experienced.  Years from now people will read about the accomplishments you made.  People from every walk of life worked on this campaign.  People from every denomination and belief prayed from every corner of the Earth. Although it feels like our sentiments were shooed away like an irritating fly by a president who did not want to face the consequences of his own mistakes, I believe we put up a serious challenge.  We can see who was granted clemency and why.  The big donors to the President's campaign were able to buy justice, something we just couldn't afford.  Meanwhile, many political prisoners continue to languish unjustly, proof that this nation's talk about reconciliation is nothing but empty rhetoric.

We now have a number of strategies to continue this struggle for my freedom. These ideas are in the early planning stages.  I ask you to remain with us while we regroup and develop a thorough plan.  We must carefully consider every option and make sure the strategies compliment each other in order to have the best effect. The LPDC will release strategies as they are developed.  Some will be released this week.

I also have my own personal plans. I will continue doing artwork and will be looking at ways to make it more available to the public.  I will also be working with my friends, Fedelia and Bob Cross, to build a grade school in Oglala.  Before my clemency was decided, I began to dream of the different projects I would like to work on in Pine Ridge if I were free.  Now that I have been denied, Fedelia and Bob have said they will take the initiative to begin the projects themselves, with my input.  Soon, we will be establishing a board and non-profit status.

Bob and Fedelia are schoolteachers and lifetime Oglala residents, and they have the land on which to build the school.  They have told me of the desperate need for an improved school in Oglala. The existing school is severely under funded and inadequate and does not provide the kids with the quality education they need and deserve .  We have the highest drop out rate of all ethnic groups in the country and part of the reason is the lack of stimulating and challenging programs for the youth.

Another idea I would like to develop is building a small recreation center for Oglala.  As most of you know Native health conditions are also probably the worst in the country.  We want to change that, beginning with this center.  We want the center to have modern exercise equipment, a kitchenette, and card tables.  As everyone gathers here to socialize, have coffee, gossip, and play cards, we can encourage them to try the equipment and to begin getting in the habit of exercising and eating healthy foods.  I believe it would be a nice place for people to spend time and a good incentive for them to get into better physical condition and stop the trend of diabetes on the reservation.  The reservation currently has no facility like this.

If we are successful in establishing these two services, I believe that the community of Oglala will truly benefit.  We will then be able to move on to other projects that will bring people together and raise the quality of life.  For example, one day I would like to rebuild Jumping Bull Hall so that there will be a drug and alcohol free place where people, especially youth, can gather. We could set it up for a movie theatre and bring in video games. People can watch movies, hold meetings, have birthday celebrations, community meals and dances here.  Right now, our youth have no place to go to socialize and I believe this facility could help prevent the hopelessness and despair too many of our young people feel.  I would hope that word of these projects would spread to other reservations and others like Fedelia and Bob Cross will be inspired to take on similar ideas which we could help support.

Your ideas, input, and support are welcomed.  If you know people who would donate supplies (books, wood, cement, hardware, etc), make financial contributions, or donate their skills and labor, please get in touch with the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee.

In closing, I want to thank you again for your support and ask that you stand with us in this struggle.  I believe that one day in the near future we will succeed. But it can't be done without your support.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,

Leonard Peltier