Kat's Sharebooks 

Wednesday, December 23, 2009 7:24 PM

Greetings and happy holidays.  I hope this letter finds you all enjoying the spirit of the season with family and friends. 

My August parole denial was appealed in short order. We are expecting a response to that appeal sometime very soon. It has occurred to me that the viciousness of this system knows no bounds, and so I believe strongly in the coming days we will hear of another loss, another denial. This one will be timed and intended specifically as a twisted Christmas present for me, such is the nature of those in charge. With no sense of balance, fairness, or decency, I await my own personal stocking stuffer.

We all know the so-called justice system of this country is more about revenge and retribution than finding true and just resolution.  It doesn’t take into account the plight of the wrongfully convicted, nor does it allow flexibility as human endeavors always require.  This system has always been about making money at the top, furthering careers in the middle, and forgetting those at the bottom.

Their reason for denying my parole is that I refuse to admit guilt and show remorse for the deaths of two FBI agents.  I know the righteousness of my situation.  I know what I did and didn’t do.  I will never yield.

I also know what this country did and continues to do to me and many others.  While they demand I make a false confession for the sake of my freedom, they show no remorse for the loss of much of my life, or the lives of Joe Stuntz and countless others they have murdered over the generations simply for being who they were. Those lives are meaningless when compared to their precious FBI, I guess. And now, some of the very ones responsible for the deaths and suffering of so many of my people, are peddling books and claiming to be a friend of the Indian. We’ve seen this before, and I’ll speak more about this soon.

I remain proud of what I have stood for and mindful of what real justice is. In this season of love and forgiveness, please say a prayer for all of those who never knew justice and others who have such difficulty in finding it still today.
My love and my prayers go out to all of you.
Happy Holidays,

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,

Leonard Peltier

Medical Alert  on Behalf of the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense
Committee:

"I received a disturbing call from Leonard today.  As we know,
Leonard has had a scare with prostate cancer.  He is now having
blood in his urine and he desperately needs to have an oncologist
examine him. A general practitioner operating in the prison system
is not sufficient; he needs to be seen by a specialist.

Your support with letters and phone calls to the proper officials is
greatly needed at this time.  The urgency is due to his previous
scare of cancer. Only a specialist can determine the state of
his health.  According to his medical he is supposed to receive
an exam every three months, but according to Leonard he has only
been seen once a year.  How can this be? As everyone knows one
examination can give you warning, anyone who has had a prognosis
or scare with prostate cancer, you need to see an oncologist and
be examined regularly.

He has never received proper medical attentions for his medical
problems, unless this problem is addressed by his supporters he
will not get this matter taken care of.  As we found when he did not
have his diabetic supplies last year, until the outcry was so great.
Then they could not deny him.

Please ask the warden at Lewisburg Prison to give Leonard Peltier
the proper medical attention he has the right to.

Warden Bledsoe ~ Warden for Lewisburg Prison The prison number is:
(570) 523-1251
Fax:  570-522-7745
E-mail address: LEW/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV

Lets get him the treatment he deserves.


Kari Ann
Assistant Coordinator
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info


Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org"

Kari Ann Cowan, Peltier's niece, reported tonight (Friday) from the
prison at Lewisburg, that Leonard may have suffered a heart attack.

"He had hard time breathing.  He was in his cell and had an ache
in his chest. He was kinda scared he was having a heart attack. He
raised his hands, breathed slowly and finally felt better."

We need to call the prison and ask them to get Leonard to the
hospital in Rochester (MN) as soon as possible for a check up.

Be polite and courteous and express your concern for his health
and welfare.
We gotta step up.

Make reference to Leonard Peltier #89637-132.

Call Warden Scott Dodrill at (570) 523-1251.

Fax numbers: (570) 522-7745 and (570) 522-7519

E-mail address: LEW/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,


Wanbli
Co-Support Group Coordinator and LP-DOC Spokesperson
Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org

Leonard Peltier's first full parole hearing was held in 1993, at
which time his case was continued for a 15-year reconsideration. On
Wednesday, it was announced (in Portland, OR) that Mr. Peltier has
recently applied for and been granted a parole hearing. The hearing
is scheduled for July 27, 2009. All supporters are encouraged to
step up their efforts in support of parole for Leonard Peltier.

Letters in Support of Parole

It is really important that everyone write letters in support of
Leonard's petition for parole. These letters can be quite simple
and should cover the basic points important for parole decisions. A
sample letter follows. Feel free to use it, but know that it's even
better if you write one in your own words. Be courteous and concise.

Get as many people to sign similar letters, as well. Carry a sheaf of
spare letters with you. Get one signature per letter, that is, rather
than using a petition format. Mail them to the Parole Commission,
but also send copies to the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
(contact information below).

Guidelines for General Supporters

First, we ask that you sign the online at
http://www.msplinks.com/http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/parole2008/.

Next, draft correspondence to the U.S. Parole Commission. A sample
letter follows.

Sample Letter

United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Boulevard
Suite 420
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7286
(Insert Date)

Re: LEONARD PELTIER #89637-132

Dear Commissioners,

Convicted in connection with the deaths on June 26, 1975, of
Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Mr. Leonard Peltier remains imprisoned at the United
States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

The court record in this case clearly shows that government
prosecutors have long held that they do not know who killed Mr. Coler
and Mr. Williams nor what role Leonard Peltier "may have" played
in the tragic shoot-out.

Further, in a decision filed by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
on December 18, 2002, Mr. Peltier's sentences "were imposed in
violation of [Peltier's] due process rights because they were based
on information that was false due to government misconduct," and,
according to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in 2003: ".Much
of the government's behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its
prosecution of Leonard Peltier is to be condemned. The government
withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not
disputed."

Despite these admissions, Leonard Peltier has served over 33 years
in prison.

After careful consideration of the facts in Leonard Peltier's case,
I have concluded that Leonard Peltier does not represent a risk to
the public. First, Leonard Peltier has no prior convictions and has
advocated for non-violence throughout his prison term. Furthermore,
Leonard Peltier has been a model prisoner. He has received excellent
evaluations from his work supervisors on a regular basis. He
continues to mentor young Native prisoners, encouraging them to
lead clean and sober lives. He has used his time productively,
disciplining himself to be a talented painter and an expressive
writer. Although Leonard Peltier maintains that he did not kill
the agents, he has openly expressed remorse and sadness over
their deaths.

Most admirably, Mr. Peltier contributes regular support to those
in need. He donates his paintings to charities including battered
women's shelters, half way houses, alcohol and drug treatment
programs, and Native American scholarship funds. He also coordinates
an annual holiday gift drive for the children of the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation.

Leonard Peltier is widely recognized for his good deeds and in
turn has won several awards including 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; and 2004 Silver Arrow Award for Lifetime
Achievement. Mr. Peltier also has been nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize six times.

Leonard Peltier is now over 60 years of age-a great-grandfather-and
suffers from partial blindness, diabetes, a heart condition, and
high blood pressure.

I recognize the grave nature of the events of June 26, 1975,
and I extend my deepest sympathy to the families of those who
died that day. However, I find aspects of this case to also be of
concern and I believe Leonard Peltier deserves to be reunited with
his family and allowed to live the remaining years of his life in
peace. I also believe that, rather than presenting a threat to the
public, Mr. Peltier's release would help to heal a wound that has
long impeded better relations between the federal government and
American Indians.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Signature


(Your Name)
(Your Street Address)
(Your City, State, and Zip Code)

For Family and Friends

As with any professional correspondence, your support letter should
be on letterhead (if you have Microsoft Word or another similar
program you can easily create professional-looking letterhead from
a template). The letterhead should include all of your contact
information including your name, address, phone number(s) and e-mail
address if applicable.

Describe your relationship with Leonard -- how do you know him, for
how long, etc. Write about his character, and his accomplishments
both before and during imprisonment. Discuss improvements made
since being incarcerated such as education and his philanthropic
work. Discuss Leonard's positive attitude and, despite his innocence,
the fact that he has openly expressed remorse and sadness over the
deaths that occurred on June 26, 1975.

Finish your support letter by telling the Parole Board how you
will support Leonard once he is granted parole. Your support might
be financial, such as a place to live, use of a vehicle, or help
finding job offers. Your support can also be emotional such as
providing advice and encouragement.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL SUPPORTERS: When you write a letter in support
of Leonard's parole, mail the letter directly to the U.S. Parole
Commission, but also please send a copy of your correspondence to
the Peltier Legal Team, c/o LP-DOC, P.O. Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106.
Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org

Subject: Leonard's statement before transfer
To:
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 1:31 PM