>Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 15:05:22 -0500 >Subject: [Mike's Message] A Christmas Appeal to President Clinton -- >A Message from Michael Moore >From: "Mike's Message" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >December 21, 2000 > >Dear President Clinton: > >Today, you begin your last month in office. There are many things my >Friends and I wish you could have accomplished in these last eight >years. I'm sure you feel the same way. > >There are a few things, though, you could do in the next 30 days that >Would bring freedom to just three people. I am asking you to be a hero >to three individuals who continue to experience a profound injustice. You, >as President, can correct the suffering they have had to endure. In the >Spirit of the season, I am hoping you will consider my appeal... > >1. Pardon Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier, a leader of the American Indian >Movement, has been in prison for over two decades. Amnesty International >and every other human rights organization in the world considers him to >be a political prisoner. The evidence is clear he did not commit the crime >he is in prison for (the killing of a federal agent during an uprising at >the Wounded Knee reservation... see http://www.freepeltier.org/). > >Native Americans have barely survived the genocide that white Americans >began over 400 years ago. That we would imprison just one innocent >Native American is not only abhorrent, it is a continuation of that >genocide. This man was punished for his political beliefs. He has suffered >enough. Sign the pardon today. > >2. Pardon Howard Mechanic. Howard, like yourself, was an anti-war >protester at Washington U in St. Louis. His crime: he threw a cherry >bomb. No one was harmed, no property was damaged, but Howard was given a >five year sentence. After loosing the appeal, he ran. > >For the past 30 years, he lived a quiet life in Arizona, raised a >family, did charity work, and fought for the underdog. Until he was caught. >Now he is in prison. He never committed a crime. The New York Times magazine >ran an incredible story on him earlier this year. Not only is this man no >threat, he is an asset to our society, actively involved in his community. >(See http://www.howardmechanic.org/) > >The Vietnam War is over. Why are we still fighting it by persecuting >People like Howard Mechanic? This could have been you, Mr. President >when you were at an anti-war rally. Release him from prison immediately. > >3. Tell Peru to Return Lori Berenson. Lori has been in a Peruvian prison >for over 5 years. They accused her of conspiring to help a rebel group >there. She was in Peru working as a freelance journalist . She never got >a real trial (see http://www.freelori.org/). This could be your daughter, >Mr. President -- a young, idealistic girl, traveling to a foreign country to >shed light on the way people are treated, and because she was seen talking >to or hanging out with the wrong people, she is imprisoned for life! In >fact, this could have been YOU, Mr. Clinton. What if during your college >travels to the U.K. or the Soviet Union you were seen chumming with IRA >people or Soviet dissidents? What if the secret police just whisked you away >without a trial? > >This is an outrage. I know you have asked the Peruvian officials about >Her well-being, but enough is enough. They now claim they will give her >a new "trial." No way. NO more Peruvian "justice" for one of our young >citizens. Demand that they return her now or Peru will face harsh sanctions >from the United States. All you really need to do is just pick up the phone >and make a call. You don't even have to tell us what you say to them. Just >do it. > >Now, that's not a lot to ask of you, is it? Three of our fellow humans >languishing unjustly in prison. There are many, many more. I suppose if >you really wanted to go down in the history books, you could reduce >everyone's federal sentence on death row to life imprisonment. Better >yet, you could issue orders to stop arresting our black and Hispanic >citizens at such a disproportional rate in your "War on Drugs." THAT would >be an act of courage. > >I ask all who read this to join me in this appeal. Write to President >Clinton at: The White House > 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. > Washington, D.C. 20500 > >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Phone: 202-456-1414 > >Fax: 202-456-2461 > >And just for fun, just to make a final point about the sacredness of >everyone's vote, you could make Al Gore -- not George W. Bush -- the >43rd president of the United States! That's right, you can make the will >of the people a reality. And it's legal. Just resign a couple days early. >Al, according to the Constitution, automatically becomes president. As I >have said for years, it matters little which one of you Republicrats is >in the Oval Office, so what the heck! Actually, the one thing we will miss >about you is your sense of humor. Give us all a good laugh and force >Baby Bush into having to succeed Al Gore. Make him have to physically take >the legitimate reigns of power from the actual winner of the election into >his illegitimate hands! > >And -- think of how much the Republicans and the Inauguration Committee >will have to spend changing all the pre-printed banners and napkins that >say "George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States of America." >It'll drive them crazy. > >Yours, > >Michael Moore >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >www.michaelmoore.com
