U.S. political prisoner Leonard Peltier released the following statement from prison on his 71st birthday.
September 12, 2015
Greetings everyone,
Well, today is another b-day for me — my 71st. I had hoped I would not be here [in prison] at this age, but that’s not to be. So I have to take a deep breath and slowly let it out … and prepare myself for yet another day in here.
February 6th marks my 40th year in prison. How many of you know that when I was indicted a life sentence was seven years? I was sentenced to two life sentences, so with good time I have served six-plus life sentences. I suppose all of this time has taken its toll on my body. I have a number of different health issues that come with old age. The one I’m most concerned about is my prostate.
Otherwise, I’m still getting compliments on how good I look for my age (smile). People can be nice and say things that make me feel good once in awhile. But I’m told this so often that I’m starting to believe it (smile).
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE LAST TIME I WENT BEFORE THE PAROLE COMMISSION (2009), I WAS DENIED BECA– USE I LOOKED YOUNG AND HEALTHY. … AND A REASON GIVEN FOR DENYING ME PAROLE WAS THAT I MIGHT BE TOO MUCH OF AN INFLUENCE ON THE YOUNG NATIVES? YEAH, ONLY IN AMERICA.
And get this: In October 1984, when the Parole Commission was repealed by Congress, the commission was given six years to give me a parole date — all of us “old time” prisoners really (those convicted prior to 1984). Yes, this is all true. All you have to do is research it, and I bet you will come away shocked as hell that this can happen in your country. The Parole Commission is the only government agency that has been repealed and reinstated 35 days later without having to go through the normal congressional channels and signed into law by the president. How does this happen in a democracy?
I’ve been encouraged by things I’ve read recently though. And looking back … it’s been over 60 years, maybe a little longer. I was around seven or eight years old when I heard the old people talking about taking care of Mother Earth. But for me anyway, as with all young people, I did not really understand what they were trying to tell us. But I see today the traditionalists were correct and [American Indian Movement] People were right when we took it up as a rallying cry to the world.
Still, when we spoke out against the destruction of Mother Earth, we were called a bunch of nuts. Well, today, it is called climate change, and there are now millions of us crying out against the destruction of our Mother Earth. Amazing, huh? Thankfully I have lived this long and can see we just might win this war. I know it’s not over — far from it — but the world is waking up and talking about it now. So it can be won in our lifetime.
Well, People, I don’t know how much longer I have left on Mother Earth — or if I will even be around for the next few years — but I always hope and pray that I can be out there to spend my last few remaining years with you. If not, so be it. I have been in here too long to cry now. I just wish for more time to give to my People and to all freedom-loving People in the world.
Thanks again for all of the love you have shown me over these 40 years. You have all been worth it.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse …
Doksha,
Leonard Peltier
Dave Terry, you said: “I said: Damn…..They never thought he had a bomb.”
I think the answer is simple: They (school staff) were guilty of “felony-stupid”. Same as the examples where a kid draws a picture of a gun with the caption saying, “Bang! Bang!” and they suspend him for a week or two. Presumably they realized, soon enough, that what the kid had wasn’t a bomb. But they probably wanted to retaliate against the kid for, in effect, tricking them for a while. (Actually, more precisely, for revealing their stupidity).
Whereas, I can’t seem to find the “open string” for Sept. I’m posting this to this one.
One of Warren’s deputies can sort it out.;
Great Post Sent to Me Today
I said: it’s sad they thought that kid had a bomb.
She said: they didn’t think he had a bomb.
I said: yes, they thought he made a bomb and even called the police.
She said: They just wanted to humiliate a little Muslim boy. They didn’t think he had a bomb.
I said: Don’t be a conspiracy theorist. They might be a little prejudiced, but I’m sure they thought he had a bomb.
She said: OK.
But they didn’t evacuate the school, like you do when there’s a bomb.
They didn’t call a bomb squad – like you do when there’s a bomb.
They didn’t get as far away from him as possible, like you do when there’s a bomb.
Then they put him and the clock in an office: not like you do when there’s a bomb
Then they waited with him for the police to arrive, and then they put the clock in the same car as the police.
Then they took pictures of it.
I said: Damn…..They never thought he had a bomb.
When I was working on a petition drive in North Dakota a few years ago, I had a family member of Leonard Peltier sign some petitions for me. They were surprised that I knew who he was.
What Leonard Peltier alludes to about the US Parole commission, I taught him through his helpers over the last two+ years. While in prison in 2004, I heard from a fellow prisonerI think, a guy named Feist; note, there are two Feists, brothers, in Federal prison: I am referring to the one who had been in Atwater, California.2005 I was away from USP Atwater.
One of these Feists eventually brought a case on this, but was rejected by a district court in about 2005, I think. But I didn’t learn that until the last 2-3 years, because by
Eventually, having a week free of law library in USP Florence (about April 2007), Colorado, I did this research. It was quite true. I would be happy to email anyone a copy of my suit that explains what Peltier is referring to. The US Parole Commission went out of business on the close of business on October 31, 2002, and Congress re-upped the law on November 2, 2002. Basically, for a day it was out of business.
I informed Leonard Peltier of this 2-3 years ago, and within the last couple of months reminded his son, Chauncey, via email. (He lives in Hillsboro Oregon; very close to me in Vancouver Washington USA.)