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<font size=3>A Message from Leonard Peltier <br>
To: Leonard Peltier Supporters <br><br>
From: Leonard Peltier and Leonard Peltier Defense Committee <br><br>
The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee kindly requests that you
please<br>
forward this announcement in its entirety, please do not modify, edit,
remove<br>
or add to this announcement. Please refer to Note Section, after
Leonard<br>
Peltiers' message for Leonard's address and additional information.
<br><br>
Respectfully, <br><br>
Toni Zeidan-Co-director LPDC<br><br>
A Message from Leonard Peltier: <br><br>
Greetings My Relatives,<br><br>
You know I was just thinking there should be a degree one could receive
for<br>
having expertise on doing prison time. I think I would be called
Professor<br>
Peltier, PhD. with 30 years tenure. A friend of mine said once, PhD where
he<br>
is from stands for post hole digger. I think I would at this time,
embrace<br>
being a post hole digger, although I don't relish the thought of
fencing<br>
anything in after being fenced in myself for 30 + years.<br><br>
On being imprisoned, I want to touch on that subject a bit. There are
some<br>
who have voiced their opinion in one way or another, that I should give
up<br>
after all these years of trying to win my freedom. Aside from the
oppressors<br>
who put me here, some of them are people who were at times, part of
the<br>
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee; others, on the fringes. My answer, to
put<br>
it in a simple, colloquial phrase, that anyone can understand, .it
ain't<br>
gonna happen! There are many reasons, both physical and mental,
spiritual<br>
and social. The number one reason is that there aren't any women in
here.<br>
That should cover the social. Eh!<br><br>
Another reason, is that the struggle is not just about me. It's about
life<br>
on earth, the struggle to survive, the onslaught of destructive
technology,<br>
wealth mongering, by those who see the common man as nothing more
than<br>
expendable beings to further their personal quest for power and
affluence. I<br>
am here because, as a common man, along with other common men, I chose
to<br>
try to stop the exploitation of my people. I know the Creator sent
other<br>
common men at other times and other places and to other races to do
the<br>
same. I am honored to be among common men. I know they tried to cause us
to<br>
separate from alliances by color, religion, and geographic locale but
our<br>
struggle is the same. It's against people taking more than they need. In
my<br>
culture it is taught that you should not take more than you need. In<br>
Christianity, Buddhism, and Zen, as well as most other spiritual
teachings,<br>
it is taught that gluttony is a sin. Violation of this teaching is
the<br>
reason for global warming, and the reason for world wars, including the
war<br>
in Iraq at this time.<br><br>
Because of people who always seek to take more than they need, my
people<br>
have suffered greatly. They are the poorest of the poor yet most still
cling<br>
to the original teachings. They have fought for several generations for
the<br>
exploitation of our land, illegal occupation of our land, unjust
treatment<br>
in the U.S. judicial system, and most of all, government lies and liars
that<br>
have led the American people to believe all this exploitation and
violation<br>
of treaties is in their best interest. I watch TV from time to time, and
I<br>
notice there are those who try to make the wars like a war between<br>
religions. I tell you my relatives, it is only a ruse to get young men
to<br>
die for those who crave wealth and power over the common man.<br><br>
If the many denominations of religions would stand together as one
against<br>
the violation that jeopardizes life itself, it would make a major
difference<br>
throughout the world. Today, more than any other time in history, you
are<br>
either part of the problem or part of the solution. I may, by now,
have<br>
written more than you care to read. But, from where I sit myself, it's
the<br>
best I can do. The Defense Committee that bears my name struggles to
help<br>
enlighten people of events and needs of people in jeopardy. I don't use
the<br>
word struggle lightly. Aside from trying to raise money for attorneys
and<br>
office expenses, etc., we raise money for food and clothing for needy
people<br>
on reservations in urban areas. In my world, the poor are common. I
am<br>
honored to be one of them, to represent them from time to time, though it
be<br>
from afar. We as Native People look to the Creator's greatest
manifestation<br>
for teachings, Mother Earth and her system of nature, along with
personal<br>
visions, from time to time. In that, we see grass though encased in<br>
concrete, pushing its way through the cracks. We see the trees and
water<br>
break down the structures of man that imprison them. We see everywhere,
all<br>
life trying to follow the original instruction given by the Creator. If
I<br>
were a blade of grass, I would grow out of here. If I were water, I
would<br>
flow away from here. If I were a ray of light, I would bounce off
these<br>
walls and be gone. However, I am not and unless I, at some future
time,<br>
receive my freedom that was unjustly taken in the same manner as was
the<br>
freedom of so many Native People before me. I can only leave here through
my<br>
paintings, written words, and some other forms of communication that
are<br>
sometimes available. I am in my 60's now. If I end up spending all my
days<br>
here, and my last breath rides on the wind, and the moisture of my
body<br>
flows to the sea, and the elements of my being make the grass grow and
the<br>
trees flourish, make no mistake they can kill my body but they can't
kill<br>
me. I am a common man.<br><br>
The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee will continue working on my behalf
and<br>
towards my freedom unless you the supporters tell me to close down
the<br>
Defense Committee. Having said all this, I wish to ask you, if you can
in<br>
any way help us, meaning the Defense Committee, send any donation to :
<br><br>
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee <br>
3800 N. Mesa <br>
A2<br>
El Paso, Texas 79902 <br><br>
Pease do so, it is a common cause. If my case stands as it is, no
common<br>
person has real freedom. Only the illusion until you have something
the<br>
oppressors want. Back to being a post hole digger.. I'd rather be a
free<br>
post hole digger than Professor Leonard Peltier, PhD.<br><br>
May the Creator bless you with all you need.<br>
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, who never gave up<br>
All my relations,<br><br>
Leonard Peltier<br><br>
Note: Sept 12, is Leonard Peltier's birthday. Supporters wishing to
send<br>
Leonard a Birthday Card, we suggest that you send the birthday cards
and<br>
letters NOW, thus allowing sufficient time for mail delivery.
Leonard<br>
Peltier's address:<br><br>
Leonard Peltier #89637-132<br><br>
USP Lewisburg PA <br>
PO Box 1000 <br>
Lewisburg PA 17837<br><br>
Leonard Peltier Defense Committe <br>
Email:
<<a href="mailto:info@leonardpeltier.net" eudora="autourl">
mailto:info@leonardpeltier.net</a>> info@leonardpeltier.net <br>
Website:
<<a href="http://www.leonardpeltier.net/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/</a>>
<a href="http://www.leonardpeltier.net/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/</a> <br>
Phone- 570-524-0749 <br><br>
International Peltier Forum email: <br><br>
IPF WEBSITE:
<<a href="http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm</a>><br>
<a href="http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm</a> <br><br>
ONLINE PETITION FOR EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY<br><br>
<<a href="http://users.skynet.be/kola/lppet.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://users.skynet.be/kola/lppet.htm</a>><br>
<a href="http://users.skynet.be/kola/lppet.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://users.skynet.be/kola/lppet.htm<br><br>
<br>
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