Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Peltier: “legally privileged and confidential,” Birthday note & another “reorganization”


Dear Supporters:

First, Peltier writes himself another birthday note to his thinning supporters. As he says, he has “a lot of time to reflect,” and did offer two thoughtful sentiments; being thankful for those who have recognized the injustices that have been perpetrated against indigenous peoples (can’t argue with that), and to acknowledge your own mother on your birthday for giving you life and suggesting that if a woman has four children she should have four Mother’s Days. An inspirational thought…and certainly not an original one with Peltier. 

In his own circumstance he laments that once incarcerated “family, relatives and friends are attentive on some level but as time goes on, it’s almost as if you had died and are only remembered on certain occasions.”  Guess that says a lot.

He talks of “improprieties” in his case but omits that there were really only two; one was unrelated to his conviction (but to his denial of parole), and the other (a ‘footnote’ in the court’s decision), was finally settled by the Canadian Government. Please see Editorial Essay #45

He talks of the “adrenaline flow” of being involved in a movement and “a satisfaction in doing the right thing.” “The right thing,” evidentially, like standing over two dead agent’s mutilated bodies, stealing their weapons and does he remember when Joe “Killsright” Stuntz took Coler’s FBI jacket out of the trunk , put it on and gave him a smile? Probably so, because that’s what Peltier told Matthiessen.

The LPDOC announced yet another reorganization and admitted, “his defense committee has changed many times. People have come for a few months or even a few years and done wonderful work, but in time they are forced by life’s realities to move on.” Life’s realities? It goes a bit deeper than that, and following the “committee” for the past twelve and a half years it’s apparent the reality is that people can tolerate Peltier for just so long; his supporters, his committee and even his lawyers can endure just so much of his incessant, self-absorbed bullying. Let alone the insider comments that he may have gone stir-crazy. The infighting and power struggles were even shared with supporters who no doubt tired of the lack of leadership and focus. It’s all about “me.” Just ask Leonard, he’ll tell you straight out as he cowers behind a proud First American heritage he hijacked, diminished and adulterated. It helps though, as many envious inmates would agree, the attention Peltier gets makes ‘the passage of time’ a little less burdensome.

* * *

NOTICE: The information contained in this electronic message is legally privileged and confidential under applicable law, and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hearby notified that any dissemination, copying or disclosure of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the LP-DOC by replying to this message. Immediately thereafter, delete this communication without copying or distributing it.

That was at the end of yet another LPDOC plea for funds for another new campaign, a plea that no longer claims to be “tax-exempt.” (Gee, wonder why? Maybe the IRS’s attention was drawn to certain unlawful fundraising practices? http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#fraud), but it still uses PayPal in violation of PayPal’s own “acceptable use” policy. A plea for money that also provides Dotty Ninham’s (920-713-8114) and Gina Buenrostro’s (920-713-2205) personal cell phone numbers! Shall we call them? Nah.

(See the Addendum for a slip of the tongue by Ms. Ninham.)

But let’s give this bizarre NOTICE a little scrutiny because it raises some serious flags about what’s really happening behind the wizard’s curtain in Fargo.

So where’s the logic and what does “legally privileged and confidential under applicable law” mean anyway? Are they that paranoid in Fargo? Well, maybe; that’s why they won’t let the NPPA on their email list, yet the NPPA, on the home page since day-one, April 30, 2000 provides a link to Peltier’s website (a link that has been updated several times as the “committee” morphed or shapeshifted).

So why can’t they trust their own supporters? Could it possibly be there are Peltier supporters who are on the fence about his claims of innocence? A good bet for sure. And whoa to those who are not the intended recipient, they are “hereby” (sounds awfully legalese) threatened “that any dissemination, copying or disclosure of this communication is strictly (yes, strictly) prohibited.”

Well then, here it is—disseminated—that Peltier is once again begging for money…money he has never accounted for in spite of forceful public pleas from his own people that “transparency regarding accounting and decisions will be posted on the web.”  That was in 2003 but it never happened. The LPDC, LPDOC and Peltier have kept this dirty little secret—secret—for a very long time. Weak-kneed supporters are either too blind or intimidated to ask Peltier and the LPDOC the honest and hard questions.

Their message also demands “NOTE: Please delete text from this point down before forwarding our announcements along to friends and family.”

“To friends and family?” What message are they really sending? Which begs an essential question:

What do they have to hide?

If the LPDOC’s rhetoric of a wrongful conviction is valid and Peltier’s laments of innocence have any validity, why not spread the word further? They don’t because Peltier’s claims are not supported by the facts, nor by his own many incriminating public statements. That’s why every argument with Peltier supporters always segues into the ether of fable or strays from the real truth and evidence of his guilt.  All this then just accumulates into the ongoing Myth of Leonard Peltier as some sort of legitimate hero to his people.*

All of Peltier’s arguments and excuses (in one specific appeal and elsewhere) “fail because they are fatally flawed.”**

All that remains is but a reflection, an image of Peltier; that of an incorrigible, unremorseful and unrepentant murderer because as he said, “And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”***  And, as he already acknowledged in another instance, he’s guilty whether he “pulled the trigger or not.”****

Yes, Peltier and the LPDOC have a lot to hide, embarrassingly manifested with not so veiled threats for anyone to stray from their own version of the facts and the hidden message that no one should challenge this fabricated account lest they find the real truth of Peltier’s guilt.

No is the answer, no clemency for Peltier, he doesn’t deserve it nor has he earned it through his heinous criminal acts and nearly four decades of lies.

However, his day of reckoning will arrive as he faces the Creator, when he will finally be held accountable for his actions.

At that point the folklore will be meaningless.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods


Addendum:

Dorothy Ninham: “He’s guilty of the crimes he’s convicted of.” Yes, she actually said that. Thanks to an astute NPPA board member who picked up on this not so subtle slip of the tongue. During an interview on 7/20/11, Ms. Ninham, at 3:24 into the interview actually said that Leonard is “guilty of the crimes he’s convicted of.” Wonder what was really going on in her mind? Does she have doubts about Leonard’s claims of innocence? Probably not; more likely just a slip of the forked tongues from the LPDOC camp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPYm0c5a5X0