Peltier’s latest, August 28th “Indian Summer” missive from Coleman is more of the same with some carefully crafted omissions (Footnote #1).
He gives thanks for donations to “my legal fees.” Legal
fees? Fees he claims to have but will never disclose. Peltier supporters,
Peltierites, are a clueless bunch, blindly following and accepting this little
piece of unending deceit. There have been capable attorneys who have devoted
many hours, some, even years to exploring every facet of Peltier’s conviction,
through numerous appeals, and well beyond. They have donated their valuable time,
pro bono (that’s without charge), to find something, anything, that could have
opened the door to further hearings, a retrial or overturning his conviction. The
Peltier case has withstood the test of time and scrutiny. Peltier is guilty and
his claims of a wrongful conviction and “constitutional violations” are as weak
as his claims of innocence (Fn. 2). So, if as he claims that “none of them
(committee workers) take a salary or pay,” and “All the funds that have been
donated will be used exclusively for (his) legal fees,” then the solution is
very simple. Prove it! He won’t and that’s the dirty little secret Peltier has
pandered for decades. Besides, if he ever did, even the Pelterite diehards
would be aghast at the con they’ve been duped into and even more will walk away
leaving no money and no support.
As for the alleged Constitutional violations, had there
been one (and there was one issue that did lead to the ballistics hearing), we
would not be having any conversations about, Peltier the inmate, today. The definitive
word(s) have been written many times (in the final analysis; “…the direct and
circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt is strong…” 8th Circuit
Court of Appeals, September 14, 1978). Besides, Peltier’s own statements and
admissions have convicted him well beyond the legal system establishing not
just his factual, but actual guilt. “And really, if necessary, I’d do it all
over again, because it was the right thing to do,” he’s told the world. And he
would. There’s a word for that kind of personality. Recidivist.
Rambling on, lamenting that he may die in prison “…if
Obama does not free me…” he’s pointing to his last and only hope. As he is well
aware, parole is off the table and the President has many more pressing matters
to consider than the unrepentant, cold-blooded murderer who has lied his way
through the last four decades (Fn. 3). Peltier has contradicted his own feigned
innocence with public statements that he was at once a warrior that day
protecting his people (by instigating a vicious attack on two agents attempting
to serve an arrest warrant), then brutally killing those agents as he and the
other cowards of Jumping Bull fled. Then he plays the race card, the poor
persecuted Indian, The Last of the Mohegan’s (no pun intended) who had to be
punished for these crimes. Peltier has consistently pushed to have it both
ways. But you can’t be a warrior (hero) and a victim (persecuted minority) at
the same time, especially, when his own versions of the events have changed as
often as the seasons. The President is aware that it wasn’t the phantom Mr. X,
as Peltier claimed for many years, as the actual killer, and that with two dead
and mutilated federal agents at his feet he acknowledged the smile from Joe
Stuntz as he stole and put on the dead agent’s FBI jacket. No, the record is
clear; even if the claims are true that no one knows who fired the fatal
killing shots (which isn’t true because at least Dino Butler and Bob Robideau—and
perhaps others—were there at that moment), he was also convicted of “Aiding and
Abetting” in those murders. So, there in Coleman he shall sit until his
sentence is complete (two life sentences plus seven consecutive years for the
armed Lompoc escape) until he can walk out, or be carried out.
A ponytail does not an Indian make. This past week
the disgraced Ward Churchill made his first television appearance in many years
and submitted to questioning regarding his warped philosophy of America. Any reasonably
informed person, no matter the education, or even high schoolers, have to walk
away from Churchill’s comments recognizing that the man is a babbling fool. As
difficult as it was to force oneself to watch this pathetic exhibit there was
one positive note. Churchill is (or was) a Peltier supporter. And if that’s the
quality of Peltier support, then bring them on. Putting Peltier in the same
boat with the likes of Ward Churchill can only widen Peltier’s credibility gap
with the rest of mankind. (Fn. 4)
Like a jackass lost in a canyon Peltier is bawling a new
slogan, pilfered and adulterated from a true Native American warrior, Chief
Joseph. “I will fight some more…forever,” is a hackneyed attempt to try to legitimize
his own cowardly and marginalized past. It would have been more accurate for
Peltier to have said, “I will lie forever…even to myself.”
Peltier signs off this message like all the others with
selling the myth, how to make donations (to a rent-by-the-week office in Lake
Mary, Florida), those questionable quality artwork prints, T-Shirts and the
like. Notice though they no longer claim that donations are “tax-deductible.”
Wonder why? Peltierites are afraid to ask.
The missing pieces of the broken record are easily found
at (Fn.5).
Then comes Peltier’s 9/12/14 “I’m 70, send more money”
message (Fn. 6). This is just more of the same providing pained excuses
that his actions were for others; his lame cry that his sacrifice was for everyone else in the world. Peltier
explains that he has hired the “best legal team we could get,” which
essentially throws all those prior pro bono attorneys under the proverbial bus.
But at least he was “very grateful they were trying to help me.” Really, is
that all they did, “try” to help? Collectively all those earlier attorneys must
be shaking their heads.
The new dream team must have an easier job ahead since
Peltier tells us that; “I am singled out” and “often people cannot believe the
sheer amount of constitutional violations and injustice,” while he “…paid a
dear price attempting to uphold justice, fairness, and truth,” and fought “…the
good fight…” Again, if there was but one constitutional violation he would have been
out a long time ago, but he can’t help himself with the I’m in this for you scam and singing the same rendition of the warrior-victim
song.
Although, he does come close to the core of the “hell” he
finds himself in suggesting that he “…wants (his) time to stand as an example
to you all.” Finally, a moment of unsuspecting clarity. Yes, there is a Peltier
message for others, especially the young and impressionable, if you don’t
attack and murder law enforcement personnel, then you won’t spend the rest of
your life rotting in prison. That’s a good take-away from the Coleman inmate.
Over the years there have been many times Peltier’s
attorney’s wished that he would just keep his mouth shut. But that’s one of the
central reasons why his attorneys and “committee” has changed so often, because
he is incapable of suppressing that sociopathic bullying and his self-delusional
belief in the myth that’s been festering around him. A myth that’s flawed and defies
the reality of Jumping Bull. In other words, he simply cannot control himself
or follow simple, valid advice.
Peltier has not identified his attorneys. Why is that?
There isn’t a privilege to be concerned about, either someone represents a
client or doesn’t. It’s quite simple. But maybe that’s part of the gambit…the
ploy to keep the unsuspecting, unsuspecting. Keep them waiting in anxious
excitement for the next revelation. Where’s the harm in saying, “these are my
best attorneys,” and name them? Unless, of course, they don’t exist. But keep
sending the checks because that money has been going somewhere over all these years.
(By the way, unlike in the past, Peltier better make sure the income is claimed
and taxes paid.)
Peltier has done it once again. Yet another
admission of guilt. The February 6, 2010 public statement (mentioned above; he’d
do it all over again because it was the right thing to do), is only prelude as
he comes to us with this, “I don’t regret any of it for one minute.”
The key here, of course, is “any.” Without qualification,
reservation, clarification or exclusion, this statement, by default must
include the events of June 26, 1975 and the brutal attack and murder of Special
Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams. This is yet another public admission of
unrepentant guilt that will surely be mentioned at his next parole-review
hearing.
At this juncture a question that can be asked is whether
or not a free Leonard Peltier would still present a danger (aside from whether
he has yet to fully pay his debt to society). The answer is an unqualified,
yes. He played the role of a tough-guy, a self-proclaimed warrior, but the
facts and his own words have proven that he was one among the “yellow robes” that day at Jumping Bull (Fn.
7). Those details support the premise that he was, in fact, a coward, and cowards
always remain unpredictable and dangerous.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Footnotes:
This is a significant essay from 2001. The factual basis
remains unchanged, however, given Churchill’s history over the past thirteen
years, the generous comments regarding his status are withdrawn.
7) See Peltier’s FBI wanted flyer, I.O. 4681, dated
12/3/75 for Murder; Interstate Flight-attempted murder; National Firearms Act.
Peltier also, ironically used the alias of Leonard Williams, as well as Leonard
Littleshell, Luis Martinez and John Yellow Robe.
