Freedom for Peltier: It’s a matter of life & death!
We have reached a critical point in the Peltier campaign that we
must act with a sense of urgency; the election of Obama has
elevated many people’s hope that he may be a fair and just
president. His campaign included promises to Native people that
treaty rights will be fulfilled with the First Nations on a
nation-to-nation basis. Never in the past 100 years has there been
a president who offered so much, but this isn’t a time to become
complacent and feel we don’t have to work so hard, far from it.
In order to begin to conceive that Obama will free Peltier, we
must demonstrate nation-wide support for his freedom by
manifesting a solid public opinion. Obama is going to need the
American public to support an action for clemency. It is going to
take more than letters, but please keep writing them and we will
continue to ask you to write letters to address other areas of
concern. We will ask you to help fundraise, make important
connections or help to host an awareness event., and arrange
speaking engagements for representatives of the Committee.
The current issue with a high priority is to support a transfer to
Turtle Mountain, N.D. or Sandstone, MN., or to Oxford, WI. We need
the letters to keep coming on his transfer The parole letters are
important and we wanted to remind you that under the parole
guidelines when Leonard was sentenced, the law at 28 U.S.C.
§4206(d) stated: Any prisoner, …shall be released on parole… after
serving thirty years of each consecutive term or terms of more
than forty-five years including any life term, whichever is
earlier: Provided, however, That the Commission shall not release
such prisoner if it determines that he has seriously or frequently
violated institution rules and regulations or that there is a
reasonable probability that he will commit any Federal, State, or
local crime.
Leonard has been a model prisoner and because of his humanitarian
work and age, he is not likely to commit any crimes that would
prevent his release. He is serving two consecutive life sentences,
and to be paroled from one life to another can symbolize that we
have half of the work done.
When I say critical, it is the same as saying terminal. Leonard is
64 years old and has served nearly 33 years in prison for what we
all know the government has admitted they cannot prove. And the
FBI has made it clear that Peltier will not be allowed to walk
free. Those unjust life sentences are in reality a sentence of
“Death” and we must look at this as being Leonard’s last chance at
obtaining freedom.
We were stabbed in our hearts when Clinton walked out of the White
House and left Peltier’s application lying on the desk to be filed
until the next president takes an interest. Some of us felt burned
out and betrayed by the Clintons. But stop for a moment and think
what Leonard felt when Clinton refused to sign? I’m sure some of
you can locate that statement on the Internet and it is probably
Leonard encouraging the supporters to not give up hope, because he
hasn’t. He doesn’t have the luxury to give up.
Now that hope is on the horizon with the coming parole hearing
with a campaign to gather signatures & letters for parole and to
support clemency, there is also a possibility of a “different”
president coming into office where Leonard’s clemency still awaits
a decision. And we have an entire generation of people who may not
know who Peltier is and that generation has an abundance of energy
and resources to make a difference.
If we are going to make it happen, we need to get on it now
because we have just a few months before Leonard’s parole hearing.
We need those letters to the Parole Board, to the newspapers, and
to all elected officials: tribal, state, and federal.
We need:
• New and former supporters to start or help to start the Branch
Support Groups.
• Former Peltier contacts to reconnect with us.
• Entertainers to contact us about helping with a benefit.
• Volunteers to research and compile contact lists, state by
state, of news media and Native American Studies Departments, etc
• Creative ideas to put Peltier’s name and case in the public mind
And as those needs arise, we’ll put out the call for action.
In acting in the capacity of Interim National Support Group
Coordinator for the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
(LPDOC), I want to thank everyone for their dedication and
continued support for Leonard. It is in this capacity that I hope
to build the foundations and guidelines for creating a functioning
and effective network of communication and action.
It is the support groups and their activities that will keep the
movement alive, and it is essentially Leonard’s lifeline. To help
give you an idea here is a breakdown of the organizational
structure for the Branch Support Groups.
The structure is necessary to maintain the activities necessary to
secure Leonard’s freedom. It will also assist in keeping everyone
working on the same page and prevent well-meaning supporters from
possibly undermining the work we are doing or preparing to do at
an appropriate time, however unintentional.
STRUCTURE
One of the first things to know in how the support group structure
works is that each group is a chapter within the state they are
located in. At this time we are still in the infancy stages, but
once some states have several chapters located within their
geographical area, the support groups should elect a BSG to be the
state coordinator.
The state coordinator role is to help streamline the flow of
communications sent to and from the LPDOC. Their role is not to
censor, but help to consolidate the information and request for
information to the Committee. They can also help to coordinate
activities with the groups in their state.
The state coordinator is to be kept up to date with activities by
each of the BSG and then to prepare and present a report to the
National Support Group Coordinator.
We will establish and have regional coordinators to aid in the
streamlining of communications and effectiveness of the network.
In the U.S., we will divide into four region based upon the time
zones. The Eastern zone will have 23 states in its region, while
the Central Region will have 16 states and the two remaining
regions; Mountain and Pacific will each have less, but cover a
significant part of the Country.
Branch Support Groups
It is essential that to be considered a part of the Leonard
Peltier Branch Support Group network, you must have submitted an
application found at this link
http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/branches.htm
The name of your group must reflect something to the effect of
“Peltier Central Texas Support Group” or “Leonard Peltier Branch
Support Group – Ky.” If you live in a state with an existing LPBSG,
then connect with them about wanting to start a group within that
state. I know they would appreciate your help in their state,
because it helps us to cover more territory and people.
A key reason to create a LPBSG - (state) is because they will
serve as a communication/networking tool of the LPDOC, we need the
functions of the group to be to solely direct to Peltier’s cause.
These groups have the responsibility of keeping personal agenda’s
or other issues separate from Peltier’s cause.
We are calling upon all people to make a stand in support Leonard
Peltier and the color of a person skin, if they were born a man or
a woman, or if you wear funny looking shoes and you have a
different spiritual belief system than I do, it doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that anyone who believes that Leonard was
denied a basic human right of a fair trial and wants to express
their outrage to their conscience. We want their support. We don’t
have to agree with each other’s politics, we just need to
understand and agree with the strategies the LPDOC will be putting
forth and putting them into action.
Call to all entertainers & artists to support Leonard Peltier
The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee is seeking
entertainers to help with hosting a fundraising event in your
area. We would like everyone to do the best they can to host this
event during the week of December 10th. Leonard is a recipient of
the International Human Rights Award from the Country of Spain and
has received other humanitarian awards, including being nominated
for the Nobel Peace Prize five times.
The case of Leonard Peltier has been well documented in numerous
book, films and hundreds of articles & interviews. His case has
attracted the attention of world & religious leaders, celebrities,
members of Congress, and Amnesty International declared Peltier to
be a political prisoner.
Next year, Peltier will have spent 33 years in prison for a crime
the U. S. prosecutor admitted that they could no longer prove. The
government’s case was confronted with evidence they had with held
a ballistics report that would have confirmed Peltier’s innocence.
It is worth noting that a different jury found Peltier’s two
co-defendants not guilty. For more information on this justice
denied, go to www.whoisleonardpeltier.info and read about his
case, his work since being falsely and wrongly imprisoned and
learn more about what we are doing to bring him the freedom he
deserves.
Our work is going to require a substantial amount of time and
money. We have time and renewed hope with the result of the
presidential election, but we don’t have the money to do what it
is going to take. As it is, we barely have enough to cover this
month’s bill.
The state of the LPDOC came about when the former Leonard Peltier
Defense Committee ceased functioning as an organization and became
unresponsive to calls from Leonard and his relatives to find out
what was happening. When no calls were being returned, I,
Leonard’s sister, Betty Ann Solano, living on a fixed income began
establishing the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee with
the help of my niece Kari Ann.
We are not looking to criticize the person who maintained the
previous committee. We know how difficult the work to free Leonard
has been, and many volunteers have been burned out or have felt
let down. However, there is no time to lay blame, we are on the
last bid for Peltier’s freedom and we need to make it happen. If
he doesn’t receive his freedom, an innocent man is doomed to die
in prison. So this is an issue of life or death and we hope that
everyone we reach can find a way to support Leonard.
As a band or musician, we would like to ask you if your band or
yourself would do a benefit show for Peltier and the LPDOC next
month. If so, contact Kari Ann through the website or at
701-235-2206.
We are discussing having a 3-5 min video made to explain who
Peltier is that you could possibly have show at the venue you are
performing at if they have the capabilities. We appreciate it
whenever you can speak about Leonard to an audience. As our
official Branch Support Groups grow, we’d also like it if you
could help to make arrangements for the BSG’s to set up a table or
booth to distribute info about Leonard Peltier and sell t-shirts
and bumper stickers or buttons. These are priceless opportunities
for us to get the word out about Leonard’s plight and to get more
people to join in.
If you want to know about possible BSG’s or some support in your
area, contact our National Branch Support Group Coordinator at
bcarnes@whoisleonardpeltier.info or call 719-746-0119.
We are looking forward to hearing from you and getting as many
benefit shows during that week to help us get the word out. If you
have any questions, please contact us. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Betty Ann Peltier-Solano
Coordinator
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
ACTION ALERT – Official Bulletin from the LPDOC
Here is an opportunity to get Peltier’s name into the media and
maybe to Obama’s ear. The Rachel Maddow on MSNBC is making a to-do
list for President-elect Obama, which will be read over the air.
This will help to remind people about Peltier and spark a new
interest in others. It could become an unusual topic of discussion
that could have the snowball effect of creating media interest.
This is only going to happen if we get everyone around the world
to come and leave a comment to add to the “List”. Click on the
link and then follow it to the comment page.
Let’s see if we can make Peltier rise to the top of the list. This
is an action everyone should take part in by having your friends
come over and watch Incident at Oglala, reads Leonard’s last
letter, and get them to support Leonard. Don’t anyone think this
is beyond your abilities so don’t hesitate. Time is important so
make as many one-on-one contacts you can to get people to comment.
We have left a form for you to list in order as it relates to this
opportunity.
The LPDOC greatly appreciates our friend Woz from Myspace for
bringing this to our attention. Pila Maya!
The LPDOC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908
Write:
Subject: Free Leonard Peltier
1. Award clemency, or;
2. Parole based upon the 30 year law found at 28 U.S.C. section
4206(d), of which he has served nearly 33 years, or a;
3. Transfer to Turtle Mountain facility, and;
4. a congressional investigation into the FBI's misconduct in
Indian Country, against the American Indian Movement and in the
case of Leonard Peltier; and
5. the release of the tens of thousands of related case documents.
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Send a letter to Obama
http://change.gov/page/s/contact
FREE PELTIER!
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
http://change.gov/page/s/contact
Re: LEONARD PELTIER #89637-132
Dear President-Elect Obama:
Once you take office as President, you will have the power to
grant clemency and/or move for the parole of Mr. Leonard Peltier.
Leonard Peltier has been in prison for more than half his life,
convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence at best. Mr.
Peltier has endured being locked in a cell for at least 20 hours
of each day since 1975. It has been 33 years since Leonard Peltier was
able to walk freely in the sunshine, enjoy the breeze upon his
skin, take in the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, breath the
essence of freedom, or hug his children. Leonard Peltier has grand
children and great grandchildren that he has not been able to hold
upon his lap or hug within his arms. It is unjust and unfair to
hold a person in prison that is not a threat to anyone as some
sort of symbol while ignoring his human rights.
Clemency has been advocated by such esteemed individuals such as
Coretta Scott King, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and many others
calling for Peltier’s freedom. Leonard Peltier is widely
recognized in the human rights community garnering support from
international human rights agencies and the United Nations Human
Rights Watch. He has been awarded the North Star Frederick Douglas
Award; Federation of Labour (Ontario, Canada) Humanist of the Year
Award; Human Rights Commission of Spain International Human Rights
Prize; the 2004 Silver Arrow Award for Lifetime Achievement. Mr.
Peltier has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times.
I hope you will do the right thing to correct this serious wrong
and set Mr. Leonard Peltier free as one of your first acts as
President of this great country. Thank you for your time and
consideration.
Sincerely,
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