Free Leonard Peltier!

From a Feb. 5 audio message.

Leonard Peltier

It is mind-boggling for us to be here, now, at this late hour, with Leonard Peltier still in chains.

Books have been written; documentaries have been produced; congresspeople have joined his freedom campaign—all for naught. For Leonard Peltier, a former leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM), is still not free!

That, to anyone with a soul, is a damn shame.

Many Peltier supporters put their trust in a politician named Bill Clinton, who told them that when he got elected he “wouldn’t forget” about the popular Native American leader.

Their trust (like that of so many others) was betrayed once Clinton gained his office, and the FBI protested. In the waning days of his presidency, he issued pardons to folks like Marc Rich, and other wealthy campaign contributors. Leonard Peltier was left in his chains!

Mumia Abu-Jamal

I won’t re-state the obvious: Leonard’s innocence; the blatantly unfair trial; the crooked tricks that led to his extradition—others may do that.

What is needed is more support, not from two-faced politicians but from the people—the many, who, like you and I, know injustice when we see it!

For those folks who know little about Leonard Peltier, check the library. Or check out his recent book, “Prison Writings: My Life is My Sun Dance: U.S.P. #89637-132” (Harvey Arden, ed., New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999).

What the movement needs isn’t more books, but more movement!

Join the movement to free Leonard “Gwarth-ee-lass” (or “He Who Leads the People”)!

In his book, Peltier tells us of the U.S. government’s war against AIM, and other radical groups. His writings, which predated the events of 9/11, show us that repressive tactics didn’t begin then:

“They hid behind their usual cloak of ‘national security’ to do their dirty work. Their first tactic: forget the law, the law’s for suckers, subvert the law at will to get your man, however innocent he may be; suborn the whole legal and judicial systems; lie whenever and wherever you have to to keep the focus of inquiry on your victims, not on your own crimes.

“I have to admit, they succeeded brilliantly. In the name of Law, they violated every law on the books, and, in their deliberate strategy of putting me—and how many other innocents?—away in a cell or a grave, they turned the Constitution of the United States into pulp fiction.” [pp. 95-6]

What Leonard needs is a renewed, revitalized, powerful people’s movement fighting for his freedom.

Build the movement to free Leonard Peltier!

"Prison Writings: My Life is My Sundance" by Leonard Peltier is available at www.leftbooks.com.