Dear Supporters:
The Peltier website, www.whoisleonardpeltier.info* hasn’t been updated since President Obama denied Peltier’s
clemency petition on January 18th.
It appears to be frozen in time
with the latest posts as meaningless as Peltier’s claims of innocence, not to
mention the perversity of his view that his conviction represented his people.
--On the home page there’s a link
to 8th Circuit Court, Judge Gerald
Heaney’s letter.
A letter long debated but clearly
not an endorsement of Peltier’s innocence, actually quite the contrary. [i]
--Statement by former FBI Agent and Congressman Don Edwards: This clearly demonstrates the
desperation of the Peltier network. Edwards’ letter is dated December 21, 2000
and was the subject of a critical NPPA rebuttal. [ii]
--Letter by former U.S. Attorney James Reynolds: Reynolds called for
clemency and erroneously claimed he had management and supervision over the
Peltier conviction. (Mr. Reynolds should be publicly challenged about his
assertions, but at this point, it doesn’t matter.) [iii]
--Letter by former FBI agent John Ryan. Disgraced and dismissed,
Ryan’s opinion on Peltier is of no consequence.
Further on in the Peltier website there
are links to:
--Russ Redner, Thanks for nothing, Obama: Which is rich because
Redner, at times, was more of a hindrance than a help to Peltier and was
responsible for one of the most ignorant and reprehensible public statements
regarding the deaths of Special Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams. Peltier publically also brought to light
Redner’s “severe emotional and mental problems.” [iv]
--Celebs react to Obama denying clemency to Leonard Peltier: Really?
Who cares or gives a rats-whatever what the Hollyweird crowd thinks. Overpaid
egotists should stick to what they do best (sometimes anyway), pretending to be
someone else.
This is followed by a longer list
of the same old plaintive cries of a wrongful conviction completely unmoored
from the facts of June 26, 1975 and Peltier’s conviction and many subsequent
appeals. Appeals that only reinforced the validity of his rightful conviction
and unquestioned guilt. Guilt only toughened by Peltier’s many public
admissions. [v]
But not a word from Peltier.
The last time Peltier believed
commutation was imminent, but wasn’t, he fired off his famous “politicians are
such sleazebags” comment during a public interview about President Clinton.[vi] We’re likewise patiently waiting for a
similar attack on former President Obama. [vii]
But now inmate #89637-132 must be
in a state of bewildered disbelief, sucking his thumb and curled up in a fetal
position in the corner of his USP Coleman cell, knowing full well that he’s not
going anywhere during this law and order administration.
Peltier does still have the
statutory opportunity for parole review hearings, this year and in 2019. Years’
past he has waived the hearings but the sense now is that he’ll at least take a
crack at this one. What else does he have? These hearings are administrative in
nature to address any mitigating circumstances concerning his sentence and
incarceration. Since Peltier remains totally unrepentant, that part is a
nonstarter. He does, however, try to make as much noise as possible about his
health. Too bad for that, since he robbed Jack Coler and Ron Williams of their
opportunity to have a full life and face the predicable aging process.
But we will be watching whether or
not Peltier does have a review hearing, now or at any time in the future. [viii]
Nevertheless, there is one bright
spot for Peltier. The U.S. Bureau of prisons has hospital facilities.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
*The NPPA never hesitated to publicize Peltier’s website. It
has been on the NPPA homepage since April 2000.
Postscript:
Now that the Peltier saga has all but come to an end it was
time to consolidate the many documents and reference materials and reorganize
my study for a long-planned project. In the basement are several storage boxes
of Peltier material and four file cabinet drawers in my study that accumulated
over the past few years. These were reviewed, duplicates or unnecessary
material was discarded, and what remained was placed in another plastic storage
bin to join the rest—never to be destroyed, but available, if needed, for
historical reference, along with the NPPA website. The next personal project
will not be about Leonard Peltier, but another equally important FBI case. Nearly
seventeen years of Peltier is about enough. Yet some things will remain. Found
among the many documents, blogs, Editorial essay research material, etc., was a
simple black and white flyer that brought back an incredibly strong and fond
memory—a handout that was given to all who attended the dignified procession to
the White House on December 15, 2000 as a show of solidarity against any
consideration by then President Clinton not to grant Peltier commutation. Also,
not in storage, but on the top shelf of my study in front of the folded flag
for the past sixteen years, is a photo in front of the White House of four very proud FBI agents on that
cool, crisp winter day. One, who came up with the idea and led the organizing
effort; her future husband assisting her; an agent who was very close to Ron
Williams and worked the RESMURS case to the end; and a pushy New Yorker who
recognized that a torch needed to be lit to honor the sacrifice of two young
agents killed in the line of duty and to counter the lies and fabrications from
their murderer. It was an incredibly meaningful experience for all who attended
and we still owe a debt of gratitude to all those who made that day so
significant.
“They (FBI and BIA) did not arrive in time to prevent
the Oglala Akicitas and their allies from counting coup on them.” (Russ Redner,
2005)
In an October 14, 2005 statement Peltier excoriates the government
and nearly everyone else as he also mentions the efforts of Russ Redner, his
new LPDC director, who had (only) recently returned to the Peltier camp. But
this is how Peltier rewards loyalty when apparently Russ Redner runs
into personal difficulties:
"Due to severe emotional and mental
problems Russ has submitted his resignation as Director of the LPDC. I have
accepted his resignation and ask everyone to pray to Wankan Taka or his Allah
to restore his mental health, so that he won't have to be hospitalized."
--Another thoroughly disgusting statement came
from low-life, AIM co-defendant, now deceased, Bob Robideau, who penned an
email stating “they died like worms.”
