Leonard Peltier - Obama, Congress, and the UN

Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee October 8, 2009
Obama, Congress, and the UN
Obama, Congress, and the UN

Thank you all for the overwhelming response to our raffle. We
exceeded our fundraising goals and identified supporters in key
strategic states and legislative districts. Unfortunately, there
could be only one lucky winner, Peggy Harman of New Mexico.
Congratulations, Peggy, and better luck next time for everyone else.

As most of you know, Leonard Peltier's fate is now in the hands of
President Obama. While many of us hoped that his vision of change
included the release of political prisoners and more just policies in
Indian Country, there is no evidence to suggest anything of the sort.
President Obama and Attorney General Holder have ruled out a meeting
with the LPDOC and ignored a weeklong fast by former support group
coordinator Ben Carnes, not to mention executive director Betty
Peltier-Solano's chaining herself to the White House fence. At the
United Nations recently, we had meetings scheduled with two world
leaders that somehow failed to materialize, perhaps due to pressure
from the U.S. government.

Nevertheless, we know we have support around the world, and we will
continue to reach out to nations in the Americas in particular to
stand up for human rights in the United States, which once was a
leader in the fight for international standards the U.S. now says do
not apply to it. We have proposed a UN General Assembly resolution
calling on President Obama to free Peltier, for which we will
continue to seek a national sponsor. If you are an international
supporter, please write to your leaders and ask them to publicly
support clemency for Leonard Peltier.

In the United States we are beginning a grassroots campaign to
persuade members of congress to propose a resolution calling on
Barack Obama to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier. Please write to
your congressional representatives in the next few days, and be sure
to send us a copy of the reply letters so we can figure out where
they stand and how we can respond. Of the dozens of legislators that
have supported Leonard in the past, there are 12 still in office. If
any of the following are your representatives, please send us your
name, address, phone and email information so we can coordinate a
grassroots effort in your area.

Edward Markey

William Clay

Pete Stark

Daniel Inouye

John Conyers

Neil Abercrombie

Nancy Pelosi

Alice Hastings

Carolyn Maloney

Xavier Becera

John Lewis

Barney Frank



Leonard must not die in prison.

Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee

contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info