[discuss-dan] FWD: Statement by Leonard Peltier

[Doc Rosen <drdrdoc@dr.com>]

------Original Message------
From: "LPDC" <lpdc@idir.net>
To: drdrdoc@dr.com
Sent: January 29, 2001 6:42:39 PM GMT
Subject: Statement by Leonard Peltier


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




Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
www.freepeltier.org
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