Warriors Press On. Free Leonard Peltier.

Found this notice of the parole decision on a blog site run by Friends of Peltier: they aren't giving up until that man comes home. Nor should the rest of us. Any non-law enforcement agents bothering to read this blog this weekend should have the time and the wherewithall to click on a few of these links below and argue for a DOJ investigation and a Presidential pardon. An extra 20 minutes and you could write a real letter - those things go at least twice as far as emails can ever get, especially the hand-written ones.

Every political prisoner in the country is waiting to see what we do next, because if we fail Leonard Peltier, then surely there is no hope left for them. I, for one, intend to see them all free by the end of this administration. They've already begun to die; they can't wait for another president. Nor can Leonard. His friends know what to do, so read on, and write...

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"When you begin a great work you can't expect to finish it all at once; therefore, you and your brothers [and sisters] press on and let nothing discourage you until you have entirely finished what you have begun."--Teedyuschung, Delaware

News from North Dakota, today, is that Leonard Peltier's parole has been denied. He won't receive another full parole hearing until 2024, at the age of 79 years.

As sad as we all are, we are steadfast, undefeated. We will not go away. We will not be quiet.

Take a moment to reflect. Just a moment. But then put your disappointment behind you. Gather your strength. There's much work to be done.

* Action Item 1: Contact the Attorney General *

On June 23, 1995, Amnesty International submitted a letter of concern about the Peltier case to the then U.S. Attorney General. There was no response. Write to Eric Holder, Attorney General. Ask him to conduct an executive review of the case and to finally right the wrongs of the past. Tell him it's never too late to find the truth. Justice delayed is justice denied.

Eric A. Holder, Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Or call the Office of the Attorney General at 202-353-1555.

And while you're at it, ask Mr. Holder why more than 140,000 documents from a 30+-year-old case are still being withheld by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Tell him America has a right to know what occurred over 30 years ago and demand the release of all documents related to the Peltier case.

* Action Item 2: Contact Members of Congress *

Use all the resources at your disposal to contact your Members of Congress and continue urging them to support freedom for Leonard Peltier. That support should be formally expressed in correspondence to President Obama.

Also demand a full congressional investigation into the Reign of Terror on the Pine Ridge Reservation during the '70s. It's long past time for the truth to be told. See:

http://www.FreePeltierNow.org/call.htm

http://www.FreePeltierNow.org/write.htm

Do you use Twitter? Try using this service to quickly and easily reach your Members of Congress: http://tcxs.net/.

You also can sign the petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Pine_Ridge/.

Congress will not be in session for most of August. This is a good time to meet with your Members of Congress in their home offices. Make the appointment now. You can find locations, telephone numbers, etc., via our congressional directory:

http://www.FreePeltierNow.org/congressmaster.htm.

* Action Item 3: Call the White House *(Do this!!! Really!!! Call Obama out! He Promised Change.)

Call the White House comment line to express your outrage at the outcome of the parole hearing. Demand that President Obama free Peltier now. Call:

(202) 456-1111 or (202) 456-1112.

You also can send an e-mail to the White House. Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

If you prefer, mail or fax a letter:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Fax - (202) 456-2461

Better yet... Do all three.

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

Friends of Peltier
www.FreePeltierNow.org

Warriors Weep. Peltier Will Not Go Free.

Parole denied for activist Leonard Peltier
August 21, 2009

Bismarck, N.D. (AP) — U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley says imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier has once again been denied parole.

Wrigley says the next scheduled hearing for Peltier is 2024, when Peltier would be 79 years old.

Peltier is serving two life sentences for the execution-style deaths of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a June 26, 1975, standoff on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

He was convicted in Fargo, N.D., in 1977. He has claimed the FBI framed him, which the agency denies, and has unsuccessfully appealed his conviction numerous times.

Peltier had a full parole hearing for the first time in 15 years last month at the Lewisburg, Pa., federal prison where he is being held...
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Statement from Leonard Peltier’s attorney on the denial of parole today (communicated via the Jericho Movement):

“The Bush Administration holdovers on the U.S. Parole Commission today adopted the position of the FBI that anyone who may be implicated in the killings of its agents should never be paroled and should be left to die in prison.

Despite judicial determinations that the unrepentant FBI fabricated evidence and presented perjured testimony in Leonard Peltier's prosecution; despite a jury's acquittal on grounds of self-defense of two co-defendants who were found to have engaged in the same conduct of which Mr. Peltier was convicted; despite Mr. Peltier's exemplary record during his incarceration for more than 33 years and his clearly demonstrated eligibility for parole; despite letters and petitions calling for his release submitted by millions of people in this country and around the world including one of the judges who ruled on his earlier appeals; and despite his advanced age and deteriorating health, the Parole Commission today informed Mr. Peltier that his "release on parole would depreciate the seriousness of your offenses and would promote disrespect for the law," and set a reconsideration hearing in July 2024.

This is the extreme action of the same law enforcement community that brought us the indefinite imprisonment of suspected teenage terrorists, tortures, and killings in CIA prisons around the world and promoted widespread disrespect for the democratic concepts of justice upon which this country supposedly was founded. These are the same institutions that have never treated indigenous peoples with dignity or respect or accepted any responsibility for centuries of intolerance and abuse.

At his parole hearing on July 28th Leonard Peltier expressed regret and accepted responsibility for his role in the incident in which the two FBI agents and one Native American activist died as the result of a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Mr. Peltier emphasized that the shootout occurred in circumstances where there literally was a war going on between corrupt tribal leaders, supported by the government, on the one hand, and Native American traditionalists and young activists on the other.

He again denied -- as he as always denied -- that he intended the deaths of anyone or that he fired the fatal shots that killed the two agents, and he reminded the hearing officer that one of his former co-defendants recently admitted to having fired the fatal shots, himself.

Accordingly, it is not true that Leonard Peltier participated in "the execution style murders of two FBI agents," as the Parole Commission asserts, and there never has been credible evidence of Mr. Peltier's responsibility for the fatal shots as the FBI continues to allege.

Moreover, given the corrupt practices of the FBI, itself, it is entirely untrue that Leonard Peltier's parole at this juncture will in any way "depreciate the seriousness" of his conduct and/or "promote disrespect for the law."

We will continue to seek parole and clemency for Mr. Peltier and to eventually bring this prolonged injustice to a prompt and fair resolution.”

Eric Seitz - Leonard Peltier Attorney

LPDOC
www.whoisleonardpeltier.info