Sometimes, Leonard Peltier makes it just too easy.
Based on a February 13, 2010 “press release” from Peltier’s prison cell at Lewisburg, he beats the drum, yet again, about being a “political prisoner.”
That there is confusion, anger and misinformation surrounding the myth of Leonard Peltier, makes it even more important to examine the facts and listen very carefully to those involved, particularly Leonard Peltier himself.
In a confusing twist, however, Peltier, who has denounced America continuously for decades, now (as he aligns himself yet again with another murderous soul, Wesley Cook*) claims “We are not terrorists! I love my country,” which is hardly consistent with his anti-America and AIM rants in the past.
He describes himself as a political liability and a “political prisoner in this ‘land of the free.’”
If, and it’s a tremendous “if,” his actions at Jumping Bull were “politically” motivated, then it does indeed sit on the mantle of terrorism.
First, let’s not forget that Peltier himself said this was a random event that began over a pair of old cowboy boots and that he was innocently in the AIM camp and “could smell the wonderful smell of those pancakes,” when the shooting started. Hasn’t he repeatedly said that they acted in “self-defense” (yet another theory he has strangely distanced himself from**). And then, for more years than he wants to remember, Peltier blamed it all on their friend, Mr. X, who murdered the agents and escaped in the infamous red pickup truck. (A theory, of course, that died when Dino Butler publicly called both him and Robideau liars.) But then there’s the pre-planed government raid with “dozens, maybe hundreds of FBI, local lawmen, GOONS and white vigilantes out there” waiting for Peltier and the other AIM members to surface. But there has never been a shred of evidence or proof to support that outrageous claim.
What Peltier is offering by painting himself as a political prisoner, is that his own actions that day were then politically motivated. And lest there be no confusion on that point, Part IV, Chapters 19-26 of his autobiography are entitled “Becoming Political.”
If that was, according to Peltier, the situation at Jumping Bull, then Agents’ Coler and Williams were not searching for Jimmy Eagle at all, but must have been lured into an ambush to be assaulted and wounded and caught in a crossfire between Peltier, Norman Charles and Joe Stuntz from one direction, and Robideau, Butler and more AIM members from another.
Then, since the critically wounded Coler and Williams were shot in the face at point-blank range as an act of political defiance, Peltier is now clarifying another explanation and motivation for their murders. Speculation varies about those final moments (but a few fundamental facts do remain), but if we should accept Peltier’s latest public revelation at face value then there is no other explanation for the agent’s deaths other than, they were assassinated.
These are two words Peltier, his supporters and attorneys have cautiously avoided for many years. These are the two most powerful words that help clearly explain Peltier’s motivations that day at Jumping Bull.
I believe, though, it was the ultimate act of a coward; Matthiessen offered a simpleminded laundry list of possibilities; the government believed it was a spontaneous event, but maybe now we do have the truth from Peltier himself.
And, Peltier is ignorant of the facts surrounding the cold-blooded murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner (it certainly had nothing to do with race or political extremism) but he has happily jumped in bed with Mumia anyway, as well as with the sociopathic, domestic terrorist, McVeigh.
Finally, we can thank Peltier for the clarification and allowing America to see that he’s happy with his conclusions and with the company he keeps.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
*aka Mumia Abu Jamal. Please see the following links to Editorial Essays and Peltier’s solidarity with Jamal and terrorist and murderer, Timothy McVeigh:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#10
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#standing
**In Peltier’s 2/6/2010 “Press Release” lamenting his 34th year of incarceration and inadvertently offering a confession to the “Incident of Oglala,” he never mentions that is actions were in “self-defense.” http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#confession
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sgt. Charles Windolph
Dear NPPA Supporters:
There are bright spots in the Peltier saga.
I recently received an email from a cousin of Sgt. Charles Windolph who came across a reference to him on the NPPA website.
In September 2004, and nearing the end of the trip to Jumping Bull and Pine Ridge, I happened across the Black Hills National Cemetery and Sgt. Windolph’s gleaming white headstone with gold lettering.
Sgt. Windolph’s cousin said she did not know where he was buried and I pointed out to her that I also had a photograph of his headstone on the website.
(Please see the Pilgrimage to Pine Ridge Editorial Essay for several references to Sgt. Windolph and the Medal of Honor http://www.noparolepeltier.com/pine.html)
I mentioned the cousin’s contact to a close NPPA advisor who told me that there was a book based on Sgt. Windolph’s experiences entitled “I fought with Custer; The story of Sergeant Windolph, Last Survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.” I ordered it from Amazon, it arrived in a couple of days later, was a very interesting story, and it is now part of my growing library on American history.
What was all that about “six degrees of separation?”
Anyway, within the Peltier saga there are some bright spots and I was certainly happy that Sgt. Windolph’s cousin would one day be able to visit his gravesite, and his wife who was buried next to him.
Now back to Leonard Peltier…the next Blog post will deal with “political prisoners,” ambush and assassination.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
There are bright spots in the Peltier saga.
I recently received an email from a cousin of Sgt. Charles Windolph who came across a reference to him on the NPPA website.
In September 2004, and nearing the end of the trip to Jumping Bull and Pine Ridge, I happened across the Black Hills National Cemetery and Sgt. Windolph’s gleaming white headstone with gold lettering.
Sgt. Windolph’s cousin said she did not know where he was buried and I pointed out to her that I also had a photograph of his headstone on the website.
(Please see the Pilgrimage to Pine Ridge Editorial Essay for several references to Sgt. Windolph and the Medal of Honor http://www.noparolepeltier.com/pine.html)
I mentioned the cousin’s contact to a close NPPA advisor who told me that there was a book based on Sgt. Windolph’s experiences entitled “I fought with Custer; The story of Sergeant Windolph, Last Survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.” I ordered it from Amazon, it arrived in a couple of days later, was a very interesting story, and it is now part of my growing library on American history.
What was all that about “six degrees of separation?”
Anyway, within the Peltier saga there are some bright spots and I was certainly happy that Sgt. Windolph’s cousin would one day be able to visit his gravesite, and his wife who was buried next to him.
Now back to Leonard Peltier…the next Blog post will deal with “political prisoners,” ambush and assassination.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
Friday, February 12, 2010
LPDOC...Issues & Rants
---What follows is a point-by-point response to the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee’s (LPDOC) blog entry concerning the No Parole Peltier Association (NPPA) blog on the subject of Leonard Peltier’s confession to the “Incident at Oglala.” Web logs, or blogs, are expressions of opinions, ideas and thoughts; they’re like conversations and an Internet chat mechanism. However, definitive statements concerning Leonard Peltier’s guilt are found in the Editorial Essays on the No Parole Peltier Association’s website, www.noparolepeltier.com.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods NPPA-Founder
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Former FBI agent falsely claims Peltier Confesses to "Incident at Oglala"
PELTIER CONFESSES TO “INCIDENT AT OGLALA”
The above headline was the sensationalistic title of a posting made by a former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ed Woods. Director of the No Parole Peltier Association (with an apparent membership of one), Woods used the title on that organization’s blog on February 6.
---This blog, as all other communiqués from the LPDOC (and the former LPDC) is unsigned. Apparently those who speak on Peltier’s behalf aren’t willing to stand up for their own rhetoric.
“An apparent membership of one?” For the LPDOC’s information, I was honored when asked by the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (a fraternal organization of former and retired FBI agents; numbering in excess of 8,000), and the FBI Agents Association (a non-governmental association numbering in excess of 12,000) to represent their interests at Peltier’s parole hearing at Lewisburg on July 28th, 2009. Add to that a thousand or more NPPA supporters and you may be able to understand why the LPDOC is a little off on this point. And, if there’s any doubt, please take a look at the previous NPPA blog entitled, Operation PayPal…A success.
What is clear to even the most casual of observers is that Woods used this title with Google indexing in mind, as well as Internet users’ short attention spans. His hope was that the posting would be widely circulated and that all folks would do is read (and believe) the title.
---That’s partially correct, but I give those Internet users more credit than just a headline and believe they would read the entry, ask more questions and go to the NPPA website for answers.
This likely was also a veiled attack on actor Robert Redford who was recently interviewed on Democracy Now! about the Peltier case and the documentary film, "Incident at Oglala," (produced and narrated by Redford). You can view the interview here.
---Likely…veiled? Sorry, did not know Redford was on Democracy Now. The term “Incident at Oglala” has been euphemistically used since the film came out as a generic description of the events of June 26, 1975 at Jumping Bull. Peltier and the LPDC had been using it for years and do not have an exclusive right to that phrase. But, the film was not a documentary, quite the contrary; it was literally a screenplay of Matthiessen’s, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. ITSOCH was a thorough but flawed work. Even the noted Alan Dershowitz said “…(and) not only fails to convince; he (Matthiessen) inadvertently made a strong case for Mr. Peltier’s guilt.” http://www.noparolepeltier.com/response.html#4
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/movie.html
Scandalous. Shame on you, Mr. Woods.
---Scandalous? Let’s see.
It was scandalous to post Editorial Essay #8 “Compliments to Leonard Peltier” which said in part “It is hopeful that many will follow Leonard's advice, and that those who do research his case will at least take the time to explore both sides of the Incident at Oglala. Understanding all the facts concerning his conviction could be the basis of greater understanding and a mechanism for change and progress.” (Incident at Oglala; there’s that pesky phrase again, and this was posted on April 30, 2001; coincidentally the NPPA’s first anniversary.) Had Peltier done anything else noteworthy of praise it would have been brought to light on the NPPA website. Sadly though, that was it.
How about Editorial Essay #10 “Reign of Terror-Many More Victims: By Paul Berg.” Yes that Paul Berg, LPDC spokesperson; a consummate gentleman, a man of character, integrity and intelligence who understood first-hand what life on Pine Ridge was all about and probably one of the best things that ever happened to Leonard Peltier. But as with so many who have joined his cause, Peltier’s hubris eventually pushes them all away.
And then there’s the link. From day one, April 30, 2000, on the NPPA home page is a link to the LPDOC (a link that has been updated a number of times over the years to keep it current with the many changes in the Peltier network): With an invitation for concerned people to go to Peltier’s website, see what he has to say, to compare, then judge for themselves and come to an informed conclusion. Why the link one should ask? Because the truth is on this side of the issue and we’re not afraid to show it. It would be a cold-day-in-hell indeed before the LPDOC or Peltier would ever consider linking to the NPPA. And why is that? Because that way Peltier can continue to hide behind the folklore…
“Scandalous. Shame on you Mr. Woods.” No, but shame on me then for being so open-minded.
First? It’s generally accepted that if people write in all caps on the Internet, it means they’re shouting. How rude!
---But maybe that’s just how Blogger.com sets up the headings. I’m pretty sure the LPDC used to use the same system. Besides, take a look at the LPDOC caption for this blog; big and nasty and offensive in bold and bright blue, and underlined too! Really, don’t get so excited, it’s just a title.
We could ignore Woods’ lack of manners, but we won’t ignore the lies in his critique of Leonard Peltier’s February 6 statement.
We challenge you to read Leonard’s statement (here) and find any instance where Leonard confessed to killing the agents.
---Leonard, as always, will receive a hard copy of everything posted to the NPPA website because it was apparent in the past that his network was not keeping him up to date. Posted soon will be Editorial Essay #52 entitled (yes…) Peltier Confesses to “Incident at Oglala.” In that essay there will be no doubt how and why this is Peltier’s (probably unintentional) confession.
Native American activist Leonard Peltier was wrongfully convicted in 1977 on the basis of fabricated and suppressed evidence, as well as coerced testimony. The United States Courts of Appeal have repeatedly acknowledged investigatory and prosecutorial misconduct in his case. The ballistics evidence withheld by prosecutors and the FBI alone should have mandated Peltier’s release from prison—at minimum, a new trial.
---Not even close to the facts…isolated statements without understanding the entire record has been the bedrock of Peltier folklore.
“Repeatedly?” No, actually there were two, and both followed with rebukes against Peltier;
1) "The use of the affidavits of Myrtle Poor Bear in the extradition proceedings was, to say the least, a clear abuse of the investigative process by the F.B.I." (Which was a footnote by the way); “This was conceded by counsel on the hearing in this court. It does not, however, follow that the testimony of this obviously confused and ‘unbelievable witness’ should have been permitted under any theory advanced by Peltier as hereinbefore set forth.” And, no less ironic and tucked away in the court record was Peltier’s own attorney’s opinion of Myrtle Poor Bear when they believed the Government would call Poor Bear as a witness. They characterized her as a “…witness whose mental imbalance is so gross as to render her testimony unbelievable.”
(The Canadian government, however, had the final say on the extradition issue: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/court.html)
2) This 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision was not on the merits of the case against Peltier, but Peltier challenging his record before the U.S. Parole Commission. “Much of the government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and in its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed.” This same court went on to say "Previous federal court decisions provided the (Parole) Commission with ample facts to support its conviction that Peltier personally shot Agent Coler and Williams." And further, "While Mr. Peltier, asserts 'the Commission identified no plausible evidence that [he] shot the agents after they were incapacitated,' this statement is simply not true.”
Ballistics evidence withheld? Then shouldn’t we remember the three-day evidentiary hearing? (A curious fact always conveniently omitted by Peltier, his supporters, and the LPDOC.) And what did the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals say about that ballistic evidence? “When all is said and done, however, a few simple but very important facts remain: the casing introduced into evidence had in fact been extracted from the Wichita AR-15. This point was not disputed; although the defense had its own ballistics expert, it offered no contrary evidence.”
And in yet another round of appeals the 8th Circuit said, “Peltier’s arguments fail because their underlying premises are fatally flawed.” The court of appeals also said, “…the direct and circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt was strong.”
And there’s a whole lot more, but then it requires the LPDOC to get into the details and they really don’t want to go there. http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise
Currently imprisoned at the U.S. penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Leonard maintains his innocence, as he has for 34 years, but Mr. Woods uses this quote from Leonard’s February 6th statement as his alleged proof of a confession:
“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
Let’s be clear. Leonard merely affirmed that he would—then and now—stand up for the survival of his People and fight for Indigenous Rights regardless of the consequences (known or unknown).
---Please see Editorial Essay #52 when it’s posted to the NPPA website. Everyone will receive an email at that time.
That is warrior way. Mr. Woods clearly knows little of Indigenous culture, despite his claim to the contrary.
---Perhaps not, but certainly more than some Peltier supporters I’ve dealt with over the past decade: The wannabe’s. I’m not a wannabe, never was or will be, even though my great-grandfather was a full-blood; what that provides me with is a greater sensitivity to Native American history and issues. But, please take a look at the NPPA home page, from the very first day, April 30, 2000, there has been a most important and prominent statement about “Correcting Wrongs of the Past” and Editorial Essays have restated this many times.
It’s also American way. Our liberties are always worth defending, we’re told.
“It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.” (Samuel Adams)
Mr. Woods has always made outrageous claims, but his current approach is downright insidious.
---Fine then, if that’s the LPDOC’s opinion, then please, be specific: Exactly where are the outrageous claims? Every Editorial Essay is sourced and footnoted appropriately and provides specific quotes. Conclusions are clearly identified as such. That’s one area where the little battles with Peltier supporters end; when pushed to get down to the details…the argument is over and they leave.
Former agents’ new stratagem is to save Leonard’s soul—bring him to God, so to speak. Woods and others literally evangelized at Leonard’s July 2009 parole hearing. Woods did the same in this latest blog posting. These are men, remember, who were once sworn to defend the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps they never read the First Amendment. They clearly have no respect for the spiritual beliefs of others—well, at least Indians.
---What was suggested is that one day Peltier will face The Creator (the entity, and The Pipe, he often invokes for sympathy), and it will be on that day he will answer for his lies and actions at Jumping Bull. And as for the specifics of July 28th, please see “Mission to Lewisburg.”
We notice that Mr. Woods refers to us as “our Indians” [emphasis added] in those newsletters of his, too, usually while bragging about “taking care of” our People on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Such comments remind us of those of former agent Norman Zigrossi who, in documentaries that have been made about Leonard’s case, has stated outright that the Indigenous Peoples of North America are “conquered people”.
---“our Indians?” Please find the source for that quote. It’s not correct. On the other hand, Mr. Zigrossi is entitled to his opinion but I do not share his views or the manner in which he expresses them.
Here are a few excerpts from what has been written on this subject. It would do the LPDOC well to analyze their own rhetoric and discover what someone really feels and stands for before they start pointing a finger in the wrong direction.
From just one Editorial Essay, Pilgrimage to Pine Ridge: “Backtracking I found a sign and then realized that on top of the hill I'd overlooked was the cemetery and marker for Wounded Knee. The massacre at Wounded Knee in the winter of 1890 was the defining event in the First American's long and painful history with the white man. It's significance no less crucial to later America than Pearl Harbor and 9/11. It sprang from a growing hysteria that the reservation-confined Indians were engaging in ceremonial activities that would lead to more bloodshed. The hatred on both sides from the Indian Wars was still simmering…On the same spot where I now stood a battery of army Hotchkiss cannons and Gatling guns were poised to force the surrender of the old and ill, Chief Big Foot, and his Miniconjou band of men, some elderly, and women and children. The prevailing belief is that the conflict started by accident, a misunderstood gesture or accidental discharge of a weapon, but it was all that was needed for the surrounding army to lay waste to everyone: When the killing ended, by later official government reports, 290 lay dead, including 200 women and children. A number of these were buried in a mass snowy grave…For those, especially in the mass grave, their frozen silence marked the end of most efforts to escape Reservation life. The government's efforts to contain the Indian once and for all seemed to be accomplished…The mass grave and its marker are surrounded by a fence and an archway of stone, brick, and wrought iron. The stone is decayed, chipped and defaced with graffiti, the wrought iron rusted, and the road leading to the top of the hill, rutted, and with the rain, now muddy. It was indeed a sad testament to such sacrifice…Driving back towards Pine Ridge the melancholy of the day and what I had just seen added to an already deep sense of compassion for those who struggled to survive at Pine Ridge. I also knew the statistics; the poorest county in the nation, the highest average unemployment rate at 80% plus, rampant poverty, endemic alcoholism and everything that disease fosters, and a general malaise and hopelessness of many of its residents… Ingrid's comment about Calvin still stuck with me. She seemed quite proud that Calvin taught college. It was abundantly clear to me that there should be every opportunity for education on the Reservation, that's the very least the taxpayers owed these residents. But here was Calvin, a college professor, living in what could not have been more than a two or three room home, a home that was much smaller than a detached garage in suburban neighborhoods back east. It just seemed unfair that he couldn't be rewarded more for his labor. But maybe he's happy and pleased with what he has; and who am I to judge him on material things anyway?...The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 established an enormous tract of land as the Great Sioux Reservation which included the most sacred place in Indian folklore and religion, the Black Hills. The Paha Sapa was where the Indians believed their ancestors came from, the birthplace of the Lakota Nation. Now it would be theirs, for all time, in perpetuity; their sacred, most holy place, was preserved as the Great Father in Washington had promised. Forever anyway, that is, until white men found gold; "the yellow metal that they worship and that makes them crazy" called off all bets; the U.S. Government and the Calvary would see to it. But at least Uncle Sam was consistent, of the 371 treaties with the American Indians; all were either broken or annulled. The Fort Laramie Treaty had a provision that excluded whites entering without permission and any land sold needed the consent of three-fourths of all adult Indian males. Unsuccessful in persuading the Indians to sell, the government did the next best thing and declared all those who refused to cooperate as "hostiles," and ordered them to surrender. The U.S. Army had their mission; Custer and the Little Bighorn just made it personal. The whole process essentially ended at Wounded Knee…As I was leaving I spent a little time perusing the granite carved list of the four hundred men who worked on the fourteen-year project. I didn't notice any Indian names. But then I wasn't surprised either…We level off at a few thousand feet and turn west. Below I see the now familiar Highway 79 leading south, Interstate 90 and the valley running north to Deadwood. I see all of Rapid City and the surrounding open plains…The RJ pitched-up again and slipped gently into the thickening overcast. South Dakota gradually faded from view, but not from my thoughts.”
Make no mistake about it. These sentiments are at the very root of everything that occurred on the Pine Ridge reservation in the 70s. Clearly not a great deal has changed since then. It’s the white man’s way or no way?
Whether merely thought or spoken, these are oppressor’s words. Mr. Woods would have us accept them.
---No, I would not; these are not my words but the spin the LPDOC and Peltier would like people to mindlessly believe. There has never been one instance where anything but a genuine and sincere concern for the history and welfare of Native Americans has been presented on the NPPA website or blog, and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.
Our freedom is a blessing from Creator, not of men... We must therefore respectfully decline.
We’ll do things Indian way, thank you very much.
We will never give in. We will never yield to force. We will never yield to apparently overwhelming might.
We will never be “conquered people”.
And we will survive.
---And that’s indeed fine; but don’t miss the point again. This isn’t about Native history, that’s part of the myth of Leonard Peltier he would like everyone to swallow: it’s about cold-blooded murder and Peltier’s uncompromising guilt. "In the Spirit of Coler and Williams" EW
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods NPPA-Founder
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Former FBI agent falsely claims Peltier Confesses to "Incident at Oglala"
PELTIER CONFESSES TO “INCIDENT AT OGLALA”
The above headline was the sensationalistic title of a posting made by a former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ed Woods. Director of the No Parole Peltier Association (with an apparent membership of one), Woods used the title on that organization’s blog on February 6.
---This blog, as all other communiqués from the LPDOC (and the former LPDC) is unsigned. Apparently those who speak on Peltier’s behalf aren’t willing to stand up for their own rhetoric.
“An apparent membership of one?” For the LPDOC’s information, I was honored when asked by the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (a fraternal organization of former and retired FBI agents; numbering in excess of 8,000), and the FBI Agents Association (a non-governmental association numbering in excess of 12,000) to represent their interests at Peltier’s parole hearing at Lewisburg on July 28th, 2009. Add to that a thousand or more NPPA supporters and you may be able to understand why the LPDOC is a little off on this point. And, if there’s any doubt, please take a look at the previous NPPA blog entitled, Operation PayPal…A success.
What is clear to even the most casual of observers is that Woods used this title with Google indexing in mind, as well as Internet users’ short attention spans. His hope was that the posting would be widely circulated and that all folks would do is read (and believe) the title.
---That’s partially correct, but I give those Internet users more credit than just a headline and believe they would read the entry, ask more questions and go to the NPPA website for answers.
This likely was also a veiled attack on actor Robert Redford who was recently interviewed on Democracy Now! about the Peltier case and the documentary film, "Incident at Oglala," (produced and narrated by Redford). You can view the interview here.
---Likely…veiled? Sorry, did not know Redford was on Democracy Now. The term “Incident at Oglala” has been euphemistically used since the film came out as a generic description of the events of June 26, 1975 at Jumping Bull. Peltier and the LPDC had been using it for years and do not have an exclusive right to that phrase. But, the film was not a documentary, quite the contrary; it was literally a screenplay of Matthiessen’s, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. ITSOCH was a thorough but flawed work. Even the noted Alan Dershowitz said “…(and) not only fails to convince; he (Matthiessen) inadvertently made a strong case for Mr. Peltier’s guilt.” http://www.noparolepeltier.com/response.html#4
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/movie.html
Scandalous. Shame on you, Mr. Woods.
---Scandalous? Let’s see.
It was scandalous to post Editorial Essay #8 “Compliments to Leonard Peltier” which said in part “It is hopeful that many will follow Leonard's advice, and that those who do research his case will at least take the time to explore both sides of the Incident at Oglala. Understanding all the facts concerning his conviction could be the basis of greater understanding and a mechanism for change and progress.” (Incident at Oglala; there’s that pesky phrase again, and this was posted on April 30, 2001; coincidentally the NPPA’s first anniversary.) Had Peltier done anything else noteworthy of praise it would have been brought to light on the NPPA website. Sadly though, that was it.
How about Editorial Essay #10 “Reign of Terror-Many More Victims: By Paul Berg.” Yes that Paul Berg, LPDC spokesperson; a consummate gentleman, a man of character, integrity and intelligence who understood first-hand what life on Pine Ridge was all about and probably one of the best things that ever happened to Leonard Peltier. But as with so many who have joined his cause, Peltier’s hubris eventually pushes them all away.
And then there’s the link. From day one, April 30, 2000, on the NPPA home page is a link to the LPDOC (a link that has been updated a number of times over the years to keep it current with the many changes in the Peltier network): With an invitation for concerned people to go to Peltier’s website, see what he has to say, to compare, then judge for themselves and come to an informed conclusion. Why the link one should ask? Because the truth is on this side of the issue and we’re not afraid to show it. It would be a cold-day-in-hell indeed before the LPDOC or Peltier would ever consider linking to the NPPA. And why is that? Because that way Peltier can continue to hide behind the folklore…
“Scandalous. Shame on you Mr. Woods.” No, but shame on me then for being so open-minded.
First? It’s generally accepted that if people write in all caps on the Internet, it means they’re shouting. How rude!
---But maybe that’s just how Blogger.com sets up the headings. I’m pretty sure the LPDC used to use the same system. Besides, take a look at the LPDOC caption for this blog; big and nasty and offensive in bold and bright blue, and underlined too! Really, don’t get so excited, it’s just a title.
We could ignore Woods’ lack of manners, but we won’t ignore the lies in his critique of Leonard Peltier’s February 6 statement.
We challenge you to read Leonard’s statement (here) and find any instance where Leonard confessed to killing the agents.
---Leonard, as always, will receive a hard copy of everything posted to the NPPA website because it was apparent in the past that his network was not keeping him up to date. Posted soon will be Editorial Essay #52 entitled (yes…) Peltier Confesses to “Incident at Oglala.” In that essay there will be no doubt how and why this is Peltier’s (probably unintentional) confession.
Native American activist Leonard Peltier was wrongfully convicted in 1977 on the basis of fabricated and suppressed evidence, as well as coerced testimony. The United States Courts of Appeal have repeatedly acknowledged investigatory and prosecutorial misconduct in his case. The ballistics evidence withheld by prosecutors and the FBI alone should have mandated Peltier’s release from prison—at minimum, a new trial.
---Not even close to the facts…isolated statements without understanding the entire record has been the bedrock of Peltier folklore.
“Repeatedly?” No, actually there were two, and both followed with rebukes against Peltier;
1) "The use of the affidavits of Myrtle Poor Bear in the extradition proceedings was, to say the least, a clear abuse of the investigative process by the F.B.I." (Which was a footnote by the way); “This was conceded by counsel on the hearing in this court. It does not, however, follow that the testimony of this obviously confused and ‘unbelievable witness’ should have been permitted under any theory advanced by Peltier as hereinbefore set forth.” And, no less ironic and tucked away in the court record was Peltier’s own attorney’s opinion of Myrtle Poor Bear when they believed the Government would call Poor Bear as a witness. They characterized her as a “…witness whose mental imbalance is so gross as to render her testimony unbelievable.”
(The Canadian government, however, had the final say on the extradition issue: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/court.html)
2) This 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision was not on the merits of the case against Peltier, but Peltier challenging his record before the U.S. Parole Commission. “Much of the government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and in its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed.” This same court went on to say "Previous federal court decisions provided the (Parole) Commission with ample facts to support its conviction that Peltier personally shot Agent Coler and Williams." And further, "While Mr. Peltier, asserts 'the Commission identified no plausible evidence that [he] shot the agents after they were incapacitated,' this statement is simply not true.”
Ballistics evidence withheld? Then shouldn’t we remember the three-day evidentiary hearing? (A curious fact always conveniently omitted by Peltier, his supporters, and the LPDOC.) And what did the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals say about that ballistic evidence? “When all is said and done, however, a few simple but very important facts remain: the casing introduced into evidence had in fact been extracted from the Wichita AR-15. This point was not disputed; although the defense had its own ballistics expert, it offered no contrary evidence.”
And in yet another round of appeals the 8th Circuit said, “Peltier’s arguments fail because their underlying premises are fatally flawed.” The court of appeals also said, “…the direct and circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt was strong.”
And there’s a whole lot more, but then it requires the LPDOC to get into the details and they really don’t want to go there. http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise
Currently imprisoned at the U.S. penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Leonard maintains his innocence, as he has for 34 years, but Mr. Woods uses this quote from Leonard’s February 6th statement as his alleged proof of a confession:
“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
Let’s be clear. Leonard merely affirmed that he would—then and now—stand up for the survival of his People and fight for Indigenous Rights regardless of the consequences (known or unknown).
---Please see Editorial Essay #52 when it’s posted to the NPPA website. Everyone will receive an email at that time.
That is warrior way. Mr. Woods clearly knows little of Indigenous culture, despite his claim to the contrary.
---Perhaps not, but certainly more than some Peltier supporters I’ve dealt with over the past decade: The wannabe’s. I’m not a wannabe, never was or will be, even though my great-grandfather was a full-blood; what that provides me with is a greater sensitivity to Native American history and issues. But, please take a look at the NPPA home page, from the very first day, April 30, 2000, there has been a most important and prominent statement about “Correcting Wrongs of the Past” and Editorial Essays have restated this many times.
It’s also American way. Our liberties are always worth defending, we’re told.
“It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.” (Samuel Adams)
Mr. Woods has always made outrageous claims, but his current approach is downright insidious.
---Fine then, if that’s the LPDOC’s opinion, then please, be specific: Exactly where are the outrageous claims? Every Editorial Essay is sourced and footnoted appropriately and provides specific quotes. Conclusions are clearly identified as such. That’s one area where the little battles with Peltier supporters end; when pushed to get down to the details…the argument is over and they leave.
Former agents’ new stratagem is to save Leonard’s soul—bring him to God, so to speak. Woods and others literally evangelized at Leonard’s July 2009 parole hearing. Woods did the same in this latest blog posting. These are men, remember, who were once sworn to defend the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps they never read the First Amendment. They clearly have no respect for the spiritual beliefs of others—well, at least Indians.
---What was suggested is that one day Peltier will face The Creator (the entity, and The Pipe, he often invokes for sympathy), and it will be on that day he will answer for his lies and actions at Jumping Bull. And as for the specifics of July 28th, please see “Mission to Lewisburg.”
We notice that Mr. Woods refers to us as “our Indians” [emphasis added] in those newsletters of his, too, usually while bragging about “taking care of” our People on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Such comments remind us of those of former agent Norman Zigrossi who, in documentaries that have been made about Leonard’s case, has stated outright that the Indigenous Peoples of North America are “conquered people”.
---“our Indians?” Please find the source for that quote. It’s not correct. On the other hand, Mr. Zigrossi is entitled to his opinion but I do not share his views or the manner in which he expresses them.
Here are a few excerpts from what has been written on this subject. It would do the LPDOC well to analyze their own rhetoric and discover what someone really feels and stands for before they start pointing a finger in the wrong direction.
From just one Editorial Essay, Pilgrimage to Pine Ridge: “Backtracking I found a sign and then realized that on top of the hill I'd overlooked was the cemetery and marker for Wounded Knee. The massacre at Wounded Knee in the winter of 1890 was the defining event in the First American's long and painful history with the white man. It's significance no less crucial to later America than Pearl Harbor and 9/11. It sprang from a growing hysteria that the reservation-confined Indians were engaging in ceremonial activities that would lead to more bloodshed. The hatred on both sides from the Indian Wars was still simmering…On the same spot where I now stood a battery of army Hotchkiss cannons and Gatling guns were poised to force the surrender of the old and ill, Chief Big Foot, and his Miniconjou band of men, some elderly, and women and children. The prevailing belief is that the conflict started by accident, a misunderstood gesture or accidental discharge of a weapon, but it was all that was needed for the surrounding army to lay waste to everyone: When the killing ended, by later official government reports, 290 lay dead, including 200 women and children. A number of these were buried in a mass snowy grave…For those, especially in the mass grave, their frozen silence marked the end of most efforts to escape Reservation life. The government's efforts to contain the Indian once and for all seemed to be accomplished…The mass grave and its marker are surrounded by a fence and an archway of stone, brick, and wrought iron. The stone is decayed, chipped and defaced with graffiti, the wrought iron rusted, and the road leading to the top of the hill, rutted, and with the rain, now muddy. It was indeed a sad testament to such sacrifice…Driving back towards Pine Ridge the melancholy of the day and what I had just seen added to an already deep sense of compassion for those who struggled to survive at Pine Ridge. I also knew the statistics; the poorest county in the nation, the highest average unemployment rate at 80% plus, rampant poverty, endemic alcoholism and everything that disease fosters, and a general malaise and hopelessness of many of its residents… Ingrid's comment about Calvin still stuck with me. She seemed quite proud that Calvin taught college. It was abundantly clear to me that there should be every opportunity for education on the Reservation, that's the very least the taxpayers owed these residents. But here was Calvin, a college professor, living in what could not have been more than a two or three room home, a home that was much smaller than a detached garage in suburban neighborhoods back east. It just seemed unfair that he couldn't be rewarded more for his labor. But maybe he's happy and pleased with what he has; and who am I to judge him on material things anyway?...The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 established an enormous tract of land as the Great Sioux Reservation which included the most sacred place in Indian folklore and religion, the Black Hills. The Paha Sapa was where the Indians believed their ancestors came from, the birthplace of the Lakota Nation. Now it would be theirs, for all time, in perpetuity; their sacred, most holy place, was preserved as the Great Father in Washington had promised. Forever anyway, that is, until white men found gold; "the yellow metal that they worship and that makes them crazy" called off all bets; the U.S. Government and the Calvary would see to it. But at least Uncle Sam was consistent, of the 371 treaties with the American Indians; all were either broken or annulled. The Fort Laramie Treaty had a provision that excluded whites entering without permission and any land sold needed the consent of three-fourths of all adult Indian males. Unsuccessful in persuading the Indians to sell, the government did the next best thing and declared all those who refused to cooperate as "hostiles," and ordered them to surrender. The U.S. Army had their mission; Custer and the Little Bighorn just made it personal. The whole process essentially ended at Wounded Knee…As I was leaving I spent a little time perusing the granite carved list of the four hundred men who worked on the fourteen-year project. I didn't notice any Indian names. But then I wasn't surprised either…We level off at a few thousand feet and turn west. Below I see the now familiar Highway 79 leading south, Interstate 90 and the valley running north to Deadwood. I see all of Rapid City and the surrounding open plains…The RJ pitched-up again and slipped gently into the thickening overcast. South Dakota gradually faded from view, but not from my thoughts.”
Make no mistake about it. These sentiments are at the very root of everything that occurred on the Pine Ridge reservation in the 70s. Clearly not a great deal has changed since then. It’s the white man’s way or no way?
Whether merely thought or spoken, these are oppressor’s words. Mr. Woods would have us accept them.
---No, I would not; these are not my words but the spin the LPDOC and Peltier would like people to mindlessly believe. There has never been one instance where anything but a genuine and sincere concern for the history and welfare of Native Americans has been presented on the NPPA website or blog, and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.
Our freedom is a blessing from Creator, not of men... We must therefore respectfully decline.
We’ll do things Indian way, thank you very much.
We will never give in. We will never yield to force. We will never yield to apparently overwhelming might.
We will never be “conquered people”.
And we will survive.
---And that’s indeed fine; but don’t miss the point again. This isn’t about Native history, that’s part of the myth of Leonard Peltier he would like everyone to swallow: it’s about cold-blooded murder and Peltier’s uncompromising guilt. "In the Spirit of Coler and Williams" EW
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
Saturday, February 6, 2010
PELTIER CONFESSES TO "INCIDENT AT OGLALA"
PELTIER CONFESSES TO “INCIDENT AT OGLALA”
February 6, 2010
In a statement today celebrating the anniversary of his arrest in Canada and the beginning of his thirty-four year incarceration, Leonard Peltier confesses to his crimes at Jumping Bull.
But as always, and with self-serving drivel, he couches it in terms of himself—the perpetual victim of circumstances.
Peltier laments Joe Stuntz; as well he should, the young Indian probably thought he was doing the right thing by following the older leaders and not realizing he was being led down a dark path by Leonard himself. After agents’ Coler and Williams were executed, young Joe Stuntz (who perhaps even witnessed the murders), helped ransack their vehicles, stole and wore Jack Coler’s FBI raid jacket and then shot at agents and officers responding to Jumping Bull—until a law enforcement bullet stopped him.
Peltier, not the tough guy anymore, whines like a baby “it isn’t fair,” “I don’t deserve this,” “I have cried so many tears,” and is still not willing to accept or understand that this is the price he pays for his feigned hubris.
“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
In other words he never gave any serious consideration to what his actions really meant or what price would be paid for those decisions. If his decisions were made “nonetheless” then they were made out of ignorance of the consequences like most common criminals.
Peltier telling whomever will listen that he’d do it all over again because it was the right thing to do, clearly establishes one critical element of his crime for this moment, and his next parole hearing:
Peltier knows better than anyone that two human beings were brutally attacked, severely wounded and then summarily executed that day. That’s what happened at Jumping Bull…and now there are no other excuses from Peltier. From his own words, gone is the lie of self-defense, and what remains is an admission of complicity and guilt.
To reinforce the notion of unrepentant culpability he assures us that given the same circumstances he would “…do it all over again.” What he fails to realize is that he’s making the case that he is still a danger to society. He reaffirms there has been no rehabilitation for him over the past thirty-four years.
Every breath he takes denigrates the sacrifice of two young agents who died a violent and horrible death. He raises money on their destroyed faces trying to convince the ignorant or enamored of some historic legitimacy as he maligns an otherwise proud Native American tradition. He is an affront to every genuine warrior from that rich past and when Peltier does meet The Creator, a judgment will be made as he answers for his crimes at Jumping Bull and against the proud heritage he’s hijacked from the past.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA
February 6, 2010
In a statement today celebrating the anniversary of his arrest in Canada and the beginning of his thirty-four year incarceration, Leonard Peltier confesses to his crimes at Jumping Bull.
But as always, and with self-serving drivel, he couches it in terms of himself—the perpetual victim of circumstances.
Peltier laments Joe Stuntz; as well he should, the young Indian probably thought he was doing the right thing by following the older leaders and not realizing he was being led down a dark path by Leonard himself. After agents’ Coler and Williams were executed, young Joe Stuntz (who perhaps even witnessed the murders), helped ransack their vehicles, stole and wore Jack Coler’s FBI raid jacket and then shot at agents and officers responding to Jumping Bull—until a law enforcement bullet stopped him.
Peltier, not the tough guy anymore, whines like a baby “it isn’t fair,” “I don’t deserve this,” “I have cried so many tears,” and is still not willing to accept or understand that this is the price he pays for his feigned hubris.
“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
In other words he never gave any serious consideration to what his actions really meant or what price would be paid for those decisions. If his decisions were made “nonetheless” then they were made out of ignorance of the consequences like most common criminals.
Peltier telling whomever will listen that he’d do it all over again because it was the right thing to do, clearly establishes one critical element of his crime for this moment, and his next parole hearing:
Peltier knows better than anyone that two human beings were brutally attacked, severely wounded and then summarily executed that day. That’s what happened at Jumping Bull…and now there are no other excuses from Peltier. From his own words, gone is the lie of self-defense, and what remains is an admission of complicity and guilt.
To reinforce the notion of unrepentant culpability he assures us that given the same circumstances he would “…do it all over again.” What he fails to realize is that he’s making the case that he is still a danger to society. He reaffirms there has been no rehabilitation for him over the past thirty-four years.
Every breath he takes denigrates the sacrifice of two young agents who died a violent and horrible death. He raises money on their destroyed faces trying to convince the ignorant or enamored of some historic legitimacy as he maligns an otherwise proud Native American tradition. He is an affront to every genuine warrior from that rich past and when Peltier does meet The Creator, a judgment will be made as he answers for his crimes at Jumping Bull and against the proud heritage he’s hijacked from the past.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA
Friday, January 29, 2010
OPERATION PAYPAL...
Operation PayPal
Dear supporters:
We are engaging in a program to persuade PayPal (AGAIN) to enforce their Acceptable Use Policy and remove the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (LPDOC) from their system.
1) Please email and write PayPal, and Scott Thompson, PayPal President at:
compliance@paypal.com
sthompson@paypal.com
Mr. Scott Thompson, President, PayPal
2211 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95131
2) Please see the letter below to Mr. Thompson.
3) Please don’t cut and paste like Peltier supporters do; summarize your concerns and provide them with factual information and a request for PayPal to enforce their own Acceptable Use Policy (see the AUP on paypal.com; search for acceptable use policy).
4) If you know or discover other avenues to contact PayPal with our concern, please do so.
5) Please spread-the-word and share this request with others and any relevant organizations for assistance.
6) Additional background information concerning Peltier’s finances and questionable fundraising activities, conviction(s) and guilt, can be found at:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#fraud
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise
7) Please bcc me with any correspondence.
As always, thank you for your continued support honoring the memory and sacrifice of Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams and to prevent Leonard Peltier from continuing to capitalize on their brutal murders.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed
Mr. Scott Thompson
President, PayPal
2211 N. First Street
San Jose, CA 95131
Re: Compliance Violation
Leonard Peltier Defense
Offense Committee (LPDOC)
Dear Mr. Thompson:
I have attempted on numerous occasions to bring a serious violation of PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy to the attention of PayPal’s compliance department concerning “the financial exploitation of a crime” and illegally “collecting donations as a charity or non-profit organization.”
Leonard Peltier is serving consecutive life sentences for the 1975 murders of two FBI agents. He also received an additional seven-year consecutive sentence for an armed escape from Lompoc penitentiary in 1979. Peltier’s case has received more appeals and legal reviews than perhaps most inmates, twice reaching the U.S. Supreme Court and each time his conviction has been upheld. The legal history of his case can be seen here: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/court.html
In June, 2004 PayPal recognized Peltier’s violation of the Acceptable Use Policy and removed the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (LPDC) from the PayPal system because Peltier was “notorious for committing murderous acts.” As a result, Peltier called upon his supporters to boycott PayPal, Amazon and eBay.
The LPDC has since reorganized as the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (LPDOC) and is a PayPal subscriber, and although their name and location have changed, their purpose has not.
The LPDOC is a North Dakota non-profit corporation, however, they have repeatedly solicited unlawful donations; according to their website “As with any nonprofit, your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed,” which is contrary to state laws concerning charitable organizations. They have recently removed that language quite possibly because of IRS actions. The LPDOC also claims that their 501(c)3 exemption is “pending,” (for almost two years now), however they have already solicited allegedly tax-deductible donations and their application will most certainly not be approved because a “donation” cannot go the benefit of one individual. The fact that the LPDOC is acting as a Political Action Committee (PAC) on behalf of Peltier should also be an issue.
Peltier and the LPDOC attempt to hide their purpose behind the guise of providing educational information concerning the case of Leonard Peltier, however, they clearly state on their website whoisleonardpeltier.info that “All proceeds benefit Leonard’s defense fund.”
It would not be possible that the LPDOC has been able to comply with PayPal’s requirements to “authenticate the status of (their) account” or to prove their “tax-exempt status or registration under the applicable country specific regulatory body or laws, and to conduct due diligence,” as PayPal requires.
The fact that the LPDOC is a North Dakota, non-profit corporation is irrelevant because they have not secured charitable, tax-deducible status and are not 501(c)3 approved, and never can be; they are violating the law and using PayPal as their mechanism for collecting these funds for the benefit of a convicted murderer.
I hope you have the time to address this serious matter and abuse of PayPal’s policy.
Sincerely,
Ed Woods
Dear supporters:
We are engaging in a program to persuade PayPal (AGAIN) to enforce their Acceptable Use Policy and remove the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (LPDOC) from their system.
1) Please email and write PayPal, and Scott Thompson, PayPal President at:
compliance@paypal.com
sthompson@paypal.com
Mr. Scott Thompson, President, PayPal
2211 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95131
2) Please see the letter below to Mr. Thompson.
3) Please don’t cut and paste like Peltier supporters do; summarize your concerns and provide them with factual information and a request for PayPal to enforce their own Acceptable Use Policy (see the AUP on paypal.com; search for acceptable use policy).
4) If you know or discover other avenues to contact PayPal with our concern, please do so.
5) Please spread-the-word and share this request with others and any relevant organizations for assistance.
6) Additional background information concerning Peltier’s finances and questionable fundraising activities, conviction(s) and guilt, can be found at:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#fraud
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#concise
7) Please bcc me with any correspondence.
As always, thank you for your continued support honoring the memory and sacrifice of Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams and to prevent Leonard Peltier from continuing to capitalize on their brutal murders.
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed
Mr. Scott Thompson
President, PayPal
2211 N. First Street
San Jose, CA 95131
Re: Compliance Violation
Leonard Peltier Defense
Offense Committee (LPDOC)
Dear Mr. Thompson:
I have attempted on numerous occasions to bring a serious violation of PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy to the attention of PayPal’s compliance department concerning “the financial exploitation of a crime” and illegally “collecting donations as a charity or non-profit organization.”
Leonard Peltier is serving consecutive life sentences for the 1975 murders of two FBI agents. He also received an additional seven-year consecutive sentence for an armed escape from Lompoc penitentiary in 1979. Peltier’s case has received more appeals and legal reviews than perhaps most inmates, twice reaching the U.S. Supreme Court and each time his conviction has been upheld. The legal history of his case can be seen here: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/court.html
In June, 2004 PayPal recognized Peltier’s violation of the Acceptable Use Policy and removed the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (LPDC) from the PayPal system because Peltier was “notorious for committing murderous acts.” As a result, Peltier called upon his supporters to boycott PayPal, Amazon and eBay.
The LPDC has since reorganized as the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (LPDOC) and is a PayPal subscriber, and although their name and location have changed, their purpose has not.
The LPDOC is a North Dakota non-profit corporation, however, they have repeatedly solicited unlawful donations; according to their website “As with any nonprofit, your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed,” which is contrary to state laws concerning charitable organizations. They have recently removed that language quite possibly because of IRS actions. The LPDOC also claims that their 501(c)3 exemption is “pending,” (for almost two years now), however they have already solicited allegedly tax-deductible donations and their application will most certainly not be approved because a “donation” cannot go the benefit of one individual. The fact that the LPDOC is acting as a Political Action Committee (PAC) on behalf of Peltier should also be an issue.
Peltier and the LPDOC attempt to hide their purpose behind the guise of providing educational information concerning the case of Leonard Peltier, however, they clearly state on their website whoisleonardpeltier.info that “All proceeds benefit Leonard’s defense fund.”
It would not be possible that the LPDOC has been able to comply with PayPal’s requirements to “authenticate the status of (their) account” or to prove their “tax-exempt status or registration under the applicable country specific regulatory body or laws, and to conduct due diligence,” as PayPal requires.
The fact that the LPDOC is a North Dakota, non-profit corporation is irrelevant because they have not secured charitable, tax-deducible status and are not 501(c)3 approved, and never can be; they are violating the law and using PayPal as their mechanism for collecting these funds for the benefit of a convicted murderer.
I hope you have the time to address this serious matter and abuse of PayPal’s policy.
Sincerely,
Ed Woods
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Obama's invisible apology
Posted with permission of the author. The NPPA agrees with Rob Capriccioso’s assessment except for any consideration by the President regarding clemency for Leonard Peltier. Peltier does not deserve that consideration and will never receive it.
A sorry saga
Obama signs Native American apology resolution; fails to draw attention to it
By Rob Capriccioso
The version signed by Obama became watered down, not making a direct apology from the government, but rather apologizing “on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on Native peoples by citizens of the United States.”
Even with the more general language, the apology is historic, but the White House has made no announcements to date about it. Nor has Obama expressed an apology to any tribes or Indian citizens, despite saying on the presidential campaign trail that he thought an apology was warranted.
The resolution Obama signed specifically “urges the President to acknowledge the wrongs of the United States against Indian tribes in the history of the United States in order to bring healing to this land.”
So, by signing the document as part of the defense spending bill, did Obama fulfill the resolution? Or, does he have an obligation to say the apology out loud and to let tribes know he signed the resolution?
[White House spokesman Shin Inouye] confirmed that a press release was issued by the White House regarding the president’s signature of the defense appropriations bill, but not one on the apology resolution--nor did the defense release mention that the apology was part of that legislation.
When other countries have apologized for travesties against their own indigenous populations, their leaders have been more up front than the Obama White House to date.
Comment: This tallies with what we've seen of Obama the candidate and president. He's probably offered more symbolic gestures to Indians than any presidential politician. But as president, he's doing the bare minimum to mollify Indians while not alienating anyone else.
Examples: Talking about settling the West and dissolving tribes in his Inaugural Address. Appointing a Republican Mormon to oversee Indian gaming. Holding a tribal summit that accomplished nothing but a promise of more consultations. Settling the Cobell case for pennies on the dollar. Not signing the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights or addressing Leonard Peltier's case (yet). And burying the US apology to Indians and not mentioning it.
We're still waiting for the first case of Obama's saying or doing something that will clearly please Indians but displease non-Indians. We may have a long wait.
Friday, January 15, 2010
"The Smoking Gun"
“The Smoking Gun”
Please see the latest NPPA Editorial Essay #51, “The Smoking Gun” dispelling Peltier’s claims that the Incident at Oglala was a pre-planed government event. There is no basis in fact for this assertion and it is clearly another piece of the contrived folklore surrounding the myth of Leonard Peltier.
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#smoking
“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods
NPPA
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