>From: "LPDC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Dear Friends, > >We still need more letters in support of Leonard's release through parole! >We are resending the sample letters for your convenience with this short >reminder. We know for a fact that the FBI and their organizations are >"lobbying" constantly to stop Leonard from being released, so please help us >collect an overwhelming amount of letters and ask your friends and >especially local organizations (we have received very few) to do the same. >We have already received hundreds, but we know there are thousands of you >out there! During this critical time before the parole review hearing, we >also encourage you to keep up the phone banking campaign. > >Also, we just received a 60 day eviction notice from our office building who >will be replacing us with more profitable businesses. Not only is this bad >timing, but it will cause our expenses to rise (deposit, phone installation, >etc.). If you are able to donate to the LPDC at this time it would be of >great assistance to us. > >Lastly we thank you for your help, work, support, and sacrifice. Keep up >the good work! > > Thank you. > >---LPDC > > >LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF PAROLE >It is really important that everyone write letters supporting Leonard's >petition for parole. In the past there have always been a number of letters >written for him: so we need to get far more such letters this year. These >can be quite simple, and should just cover the basic points important for >parole decisions. A sample letter is set forth here. Feel free to use it, >but its even better if you can write one in your own words. The lawyers urge >that the tone be courteous and concise (after all, the number one goal is to >get the man OUT NOW). Then get as many friends to sign similar letters as >you can. Carry a sheaf of spare letters with you. The best is to get one >signature per letter, not petition form, our insider friends tell us. > >Most important, PLEASE SEND THE LETTERS BACK TO US HERE!! We will compile >them all together and get them bound for Carl Nadler, the parole attorney >for Leonard. That way he can present stacks of letters all at the same time. >This will be more impressive than having them trickle in. We will keep >copies for use with Congress, the press, White House contacts etc, as well. > >SAMPLE LETTER: >To: The United States Parole Commission > >Dear Commissioners, >As a concerned citizen of this country, I am writing to express my full >support for parole for Mr. Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier is a Native American >leader who has now been incarcerated for some 24 years. He has served far >longer than most prisoners convicted of similar crimes, and his conduct in >prison has been excellent. I would be honored to receive him in my own home >when he is released. > >I am particularly impressed with the many good deeds Mr. Peltier has carried >out during his many years behind bars. He has worked with medical experts to >improve health care delivery on the reservations, and has helped to >establish an entrepreneur program for talented Native youth. He was >instrumental in setting up a Native American scholarship program at New York >University, and helped start up a Native American newspaper in Washington >State. He has sponsored two children in rural El Salvador and Guatemala, and >runs annual clothing and toy drives for the people of Pine Ridge >Reservation, half way houses, and women's centers. He has also played a key >role in assisting other prisoners to display their art work across country, >in order to promote prisoner art programs and increase prisoner >self-confidence and esteem. This man has proven himself to be a >compassionate human being and a true leader. > >I am especially concerned with Mr. Peltier's deteriorating health. He is now >55 years old, and suffers from a heart condition as well as diabetes. He has >lost most of the vision in one eye due to poor medical care. He also has a >jaw condition, which causes him constant pain and prevents him from moving >his jaw or chewing his food. Mayo Clinic specialist, Dr. Keller has offered >free treatment in prison facilities, but has been denied authorization to >assist Mr. Peltier. All of these humanitarian issues weigh in favor of >parole. > >Sincerely, > >V. General Support Letters from Community Organizations: >We also need to start stockpiling general letters of support from every >community organization we can reach. This has a double benefit. First, it >educated these organizations about Leonard's case, and pulls them into our >support network; and second, during an election year it is very important to >have piles of CURRENT letters on letterheads that represent large numbers of >angry voters. >This letter should just be addressed to "all concerned US officials". That >way we can use them for our work with Congress, meetings with Janet Reno, >and our efforts to work with the White House and Presidential Wannabees. >AGAIN, PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF THE LETTER AND SEND US THE ORIGINALS SO WE CAN >COMPILE A BOUND COPY OF THEM AND SEND COPIES ALL OUT TOGETHER TO OFFICIALS >WE ARE TRYING TO REACH. > >A sample letter is set forth here but feel free to change it or have the >community group change it or start from scratch as they wish. > >The challenge here is to go to every labor union, civic group, student >group, religious organization or congregation, lawyers or doctors’ >organizations, women's association, civil rights group etc., in your >community that you can reach. Have them put the letter on their letterhead >paper and send it back to us. If you know a person of status, such as a >well-known local religious leader, or professor etc., an individual letter >is also good. (While you are at it, have them all join you're delegation to >visit your congressperson and senators. Make sure you have our fact sheet >with you and other support letters as well. Again, these are on our web >site, but if you need us to mail them to you, just give us a call. > >To: All Concerned United States Officials > >We wish to express our grave concern about the case of Mr. Leonard Peltier, >a Native American leader who has now been incarcerated for some 24 years >here in the United States. He has long been recognized as a political >prisoner, by such human rights luminaries as, Amnesty International, the >Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, the >Rev. Jesse Jackson and, the Dalai Lama, the Archbishop of Canterbury and >many others. He has the massive support of the Native American people of >this country. More than any other person, he has come to symbolize the >tragic and disturbing relationship between the United States government and >its own Native citizenry. > >We are particularly disquieted by the clear indications of FBI misconduct in >the prosecution of this case. Specifically, Mr. Peltier was extradited from >Canada on the basis of an affidavit signed by a Ms. Myrtle Poor Bear, who >claimed to be an eyewitness to the murders in question. She later admitted >that she had never met Mr. Peltier, and had signed only after being >terrorized by FBI officials. However, she was not permitted to testify about >this matter at his trial. The other young trial witnesses were intimidated >and coerced as well by FBI officers. Moreover, at the trial a key FBI >witness changed his long-standing description of the vehicle involved in the >shoot out, so as to unjustly link Mr. Peltier to the scene. Perhaps most >chillingly, the FBI concealed from the defense a ballistic test report >reflecting Mr. Peltier's innocence. It would seem clear enough that a gifted >Native American leader has just served twenty-four years in prison for a >crime he did not commit. > >Despite the above, Mr. Peltier has been denied a new trial and is now >overdue for parole. He has served more time than most prisoners convicted of >the same crimes. His conduct in prison has been exemplary and he has >participated in numerous humanitarian and civic activities from behind bars. >By way of illustration, he has helped to establish Native American >scholarships, and special programs for Native American youth. He has served >on the advisory board of the Rosenberg Fund for Children, and has sponsored >children in Central America, organized the annual Christmas drive for the >people of Pine Ridge Reservation, and promoted prisoner art programs. He is >clearly a man of great compassion, and should have been set free long ago >through the mechanisms of parole or clemency. > >Lastly, we note that Mr. Peltier is now 55 years of age and in deteriorating >health. He suffers from a heart condition as well as diabetes. He has lost >most of the vision in one eye due to poor medical care. He also has a jaw >condition, which causes him constant pain and makes it impossible to chew >his food properly or move his jaw. The prison medical staff has been unable >to treat Mr. Peltier. Although a Mayo Clinic specialist has offered to >assist, free of charge, within prison facilities, authorization has been >denied. > >Soon it will be too late for justice in this tragic case. Should Mr. Peltier >become disabled or die in prison, the damage to our relations with our >Native American citizens will be irreversible. We ask that urgent action be >taken to set Mr. Peltier free at long last so that he may share his gifts >with his beloved people. We also ask that a thorough investigation of FBI >misconduct in this case, and indeed with respect to the residents of Pine >Ridge Reservation, be carried out at once. Until there is justice for all, >our most dearly held concepts of democracy remain at risk. > >Respectfully, > >Call the White House Comments Line Today >Demand Justice for Leonard Peltier! 202-456-1111 > >Leonard Peltier Defense Committee >PO Box 583 >Lawrence, KS 66044 >785-842-5774 >www.freepeltier.org >To subscribe, send a blank message to < [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To unsubscribe, send a blank message to < [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To change your email address, send a message to < [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> with your old address in the Subject line > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >To subscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To change your email address, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with your old address in the Subject: line > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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