Leonard Peltier Severely Beaten, Placed in Solitary, Denied Food.

[L. Coyote]

This just in via e-mail!

Leonard Peltier Beaten UP
Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:01 am (PST)
Subject: Leonard Peltier Beaten UP

Dear LP Supporters

I am so OUTRAGED! My brother Leonard was severely beaten upon his
arrival at the Canaan Federal Penitentiary. When he went into
population after his transfer, some inmates assaulted him. The
severity of his injuries is that he suffered numerous blows to his
head and body, receiving a large bump on his head, possibly a
concussion, and numerous bruises. Also, one of his fingers is
swollen and discolored and he has pain in his chest and ribcage.
There was blood everywhere from his injuries.
We feel that prison authorities at the prompting of the FBI
orchestrated this attack and thus, we are greatly concerned about
his safety. It may be that the attackers, whom Leonard did not even
know, were offered reduced sentences for carrying out this heinous
assault. Since Leonard is up for parole soon, this could be a
conspiracy to discredit a model prisoner.
He was placed in solitary confinement and only given one meal, this
is generally done when you won’t name your attackers; incidentally
being only given one meal seriously jeopardizes his health because
of his diabetes. Prison officials refuse to release any info to
the family, but they need to hear from his supporters to protect his
safety, as does President Obama. His attorneys are trying to get
calls into him now.
This attack on LP comes on the heels of the FBI’s recent letter,
prompting this attack by FBI supporters as an attempt to discredit
LP as a model prisoner. Anyone who has been in the prison system
knows well that if you refuse to name your attackers or file charges
against them, then you lose your status as a victim and/or given
points against your possible parole and labeled as a perpetrator.
It is not uncommon, in fact is quite common for the government to
use Indian against Indian and they still operate under the old adage
“it takes an Indian to catch an Indian”. In 1978, they made an
attempt to assassinate him through another Indian man who was also
at Marion prison with LP. But Standing Deer chose to reveal the plot
to him instead of taking his life in exchange FOR A CHANCE AT
FREEDOM. When Standing Deer was released in 2001, he joined the
former Leonard Peltier Defense Committee as a board member. He also
began to speak on Leonard’s behalf until his murder six years ago
today. Prior to his murder, Standing Deer confided with close
friends and associates that the same man who visited him in Marion
to assassinate Peltier, had came to Houston, TX and told him that he
had better stay away from Peltier and anything to do with
Him.
We are aware that currently, the FBI is actively seeking support for
his continued imprisonment of Leonard Peltier and also also seeking
support from Native People. So please be aware, and keep Leonard in
your prayers. The FBI is apparently afraid of the impact we are
having. If they will set him up to blemish his record just before a
parole hearing, what will they do when it looks like his freedom
will become a reality? We need to make sure that nothing happens to
him again!
Please write the President, send it priority or registered mail.
Email to Change.gov or email President Obama. Call your
congressional representatives and write letters, not email, to them.
Do what you can to get the word out to insure that LP is receiving
adequate medical attention for his injuries.
I am asking you, supporters of Leonard and advocates of justice at
this time to help. I don’t know what else to do. Please Help!

Thank you
Betty Peltier-Solano
Executive Coordinator
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee

Also call and request Leonard be treated with dignity and respect.
Canaan Federal Prison
570-488-8000

[Sequoia]

1. Amy had this report on Democracy Now this morning.

What is wrong with that FBI?!!

[liberalhistorian]

47. The FBI railroaded him in the first place

and got away with it and are determined to continue to get away with it. THAT is what is wrong with the FBI.

I live on a SD Indian reservation, and Peltier's situation is a big deal here, always has been. It's no mystery at all as to why the FBI is so disliked by many in Indian Country.

[defendandprotect]

56. Right -- If Peltier is released, FBI is wrong . . . and, of course, they are--!

They are really vicious people -- and this prison system has to be understood

as a threat to EVERY American -- !!!

[Raskolnik]

84. I believe they railroaded a guilty man.

I think the conflation of Peltier with Indian rights in general does an enormous disservice to the real issues facing Indians (particularly in SD).

[liberalhistorian]

99. You're entitled to your opinion, but the evidence

strongly speaks otherwise. And knowing the FBI and Indian Country, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

[Raskolnik]

100. I disagree with your assessment of the evidence, but I will concede

that it is unlikely that you or I are going to reach a resolution in this matter on DU.

[H2O Man]

106. One problem with that

is that the identity of the gunman who shot the FBI agents at close range is a fairly well-known "secret." A familiarity with Peter Matthiessen's book on the case, and with a 60 Minutes interview with him and others there, suggests that it was not Leonard.

[Raskolnik]

107. I don't consider Peter Mattheissen to be entirely objective, and I have

seen several interviews with Mr. Peltier in which he cannot keep his own story straight even within the same interview. None of that is to say that the FBI's conduct was proper in this matter, of course.

[H2O Man]

111. It is of no significance

if Mr. Mattheissen is objective or not. He wasn't there. Those who were there, included the admitted gunman who shot the FBI agents at close range, are significant.

[Raskolnik]

113. You are the one that mentioned his book and interview as primary reasons to believe

Mr. Peltier's innocence. I think his objectivity is highly significant, given that fact. And the "admitted gunman" I've seen presented have had difficulty keeping their stories straight, as well.

I understand that I'm probably not going to convince you of Mr. Peltier's guilt, and vice versa.

[H2O Man]

114. A person should be

able to view the evidence presented in a book, rather than discount it because they believe (correctly or not) that the author is not entirely objective. The issue regarding if Mr. Peltier is guilty of the crimes he was convicted of rests solely on if he was the gunman who shot the FBI agents at close range. That was what he was charged and convicted of doing. Considering that those who are informed about the case know the identity of the gunman who shot the agents at close range, and that he has admitted to doing it in at least two interviews, and that he is not Leonard Peltier, would seem to be an indication that despite being found "guilty," Peltier did not commit that crime.

Issues such as Matthiesen's objectivity or lack of such, the nature of people's support for Peltier, and/or the nature of Peltier in the years leading up to the events in question, are not significant. It's only a matter of if he shot the agents.

[Raskolnik]

117. You have cause and effect backward.

I do not discount Mr. Matthiesen's evidence or conclusions because I do think he is objective. I find Mr. Matthiesen to be unobjective because I have seen the evidence and conclusions that he seeks to present as fact.

I understand that another party has claimed responsibility for these shootings, and I have explained that, in my opinion, the other parties have not done an adequate job of keeping their own stories straight. As a result, I do not find their stories credible. The same applies to Mr. Peltier; his shifting stories (sometimes within the same interview) lead me to believe that he is not telling the truth.

[H2O Man]

118. Likewise, I think you err on cause & effect.

The person who shot the agents at close range is the person who killed them. Many people, myself included, know the identity of that person. Others prefer to think it was Peltier.

You are correct, of course, that neither of us is going to change the other's opinion. I'm confident that you, like I, have no interest in that as a goal.

[hedgehog]

2. There is no rule stating that Obama has to wait until his last day in office

to pardon Peltier or at least commute his sentence.

[EFerrari]

3. Maybe before we go off on Cuba, we should deal with our own political prisoners?

[L. Coyote]

46. You mean the Indian Reservations? We should end their concentration camps!

And give them back their lands and rights.

[Raskolnik]

83. What land you plan on giving back, and to whom are you going to give it? n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

115. How about starting with the Black HIlls?

The US govt has removed billions of dollars of gold from the Black Hills. Giving them back would be a great place to start.

[Raskolnik]

119. Do you live in the Black Hills?

And if not, why not give back the land on which *you* currently live?

[proud2BlibKansan]

120. I wouldn't mind at all

The land was stolen and the right thing to do would be to give it back. If you can't see that, I don't know what to tell you.

[Raskolnik]

121. Guess what? The entire continent was "stolen" by conquest.

It wasn't just, and there isn't a group of people alive that got a worse deal than Native Americans, but the non-indigenous population of the North and South American isn't going to pack up and go home to their ancestral lands.

[proud2BlibKansan]

132. So we do nothing to fix it?

[Raskolnik]

134. No one said we should do nothing to fix "it," but giving back a continent isn't going to happen

and focusing on things like that only distract from real problems that can be addressed.

[proud2BlibKansan]

137. So what is your solution?

[Raskolnik]

146. Solution to what? All the social and economic problems of Native Americans?

I highly doubt we're going to get that hashed out here, but I do know beyond a doubt that giving back an entire continent is no more realistic than wishing for a goose that lays golden eggs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

147. Who is proposing giving back the entire continent?

Where did you get that idea?

[Raskolnik]

149. If you propose giving back the land that was "stolen," then that's what you are proposing.

You stated that it was the right thing to do. I pointed out that it was ridiculous.

[proud2BlibKansan]

151. The entire continent was stolen?

And all those tribes are still around?

You need a history lessson.

Start by reading BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE

[Raskolnik]

153. Are being intentionally obtuse?

You proposed giving the land back that was "stolen" from Native Americans. Can you find a square foot of North America outside the reservations that was not "stolen" from Native Americans either by conquest or broken treaty?

And thanks for the suggestion, but I read Bury My Heart when I was in junior high school, and I've been to every reservation in South Dakota many times.

[jwirr]

95. Native Americans do not want the Reservations dissolved. Those

treaties that set the reservations up are the deed to their lands. They define the property lines and assets within those lines that belong to the Native Americans as a group. This includes lakes, mineral rights, etc.

[defendandprotect]

138. Why not? We've been here a few hundred years and not only destroyed

every bit of nature in that brief time ...

We've pretty much destroyed the entire planet--!!

Patriarchy's "Manifest Destiny and "Man's Dominion Over Nature" and the rest

of the BS that merely gives license to and covers up exploitation for profit and power

for the few ---

[foxfeet]

4. This is unacceptable. The DOJ should intervene NOW.

[roguevalley]

5. wtf? since he is a nixonian prisoner, he should be accorded release.

damn. this may not end well and it will be a stain.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Ummmm, Fights Happen In Prison All The Time.

I think the immediate conclusion that this was some hugely orchestrated FBI conspiracy is beyond reckless, far fetched and wildly assumptive.

[nosmokes]

8. Do you have a clue who Peltier is?

Assuming the FBI may have had a role in the beat down of political prisoner in Federal custody isn't far fetched at all. Or do you not believe they wiretapped phones and other unconstitutional/illegal acts for purely political motives?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. Wildly Assumptive And Reckless.

The amazing part is that though the odds of the OP letter's sentiment being largely in the favor of being false, Peltier's supporters I'm sure will take it, run with it, and just SWEAR on every ounce of their being that it's true!

It's prison. Fights, like, ya know, happen there often and stuff.

[nosmokes]

16. So, you're like an expert on prison and what happens behind bars?

Because I don't think you have a clue.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

17. Oh My God Some Of You Are Cracking Me The Fuck Up Today!!!!

You have to be an expert on prison now to know that fights happen in prison... Oh, oh, that's comedy gold!

[nosmokes]

21. They happen for a reason. It may be an absurd reason to you or me,

but they don't just happen. And someone like Peltier being brand new in a fed facility wouldn't have been best down w/o a good reason. So you come up a more plausible less 'reckless' motive instead of simply tossing a perfectly reasonable scenario out the window.

[vadawg]

44. okay i do have prison and jail experience

and fights do happen for what to you or me would be no reason, but the smallest thing takes on gargantuan proportions when it comes to the unmate population. So fights do happen all the time over the smallest thing, things that you wouldnt even notice. You also say hes brand new in the facility so he wouldnt get a beat down without good reason, this shows you have no idea about the dynamics in the general population of a jail.

[nosmokes]

53. I've done my time too, and no way in hell is anybody laying a hand on a high

profile inmate like Pelter when he gets to a new block, especially long enough to put this this kind of hurt on him w/o the guards direct intervention and/or involvement. They are, after all, the best armed gang behind the lock. I still say it is well within the probability of things that someone w/ some weight, quite possibly the FBI,had a big hand in this. Someone official did, because this weren't no 'typical' jail house brawl as OMC would like to believe.

[vadawg]

55. wow you figured out the extent of his injuries

and the time taken to give them from just the text. Ive seen one dude put another in intensive care and then still make it back into his cell for lock down, This text dosent tell us what kind of supervision the inmates were in, if its linear or podular you have a lot more time to do damage before the guards can react than if it was say direct supervision. I think you are all seeing conspiracies when in all probuability he just got a beat down for some perceived slight or gobbing off at someone.

[defendandprotect]

140. And authorities never arrange for someone to be beaten...or raped for that matter ....???

[Generic Other]

139. Don't forget we got previous letters appealing for help to prevent the move

from Peltier himself who warned that such a thing might happen if they moved him to the new facility. The man has done everything possible to keep his nose clean so as not to jeopardize his chances of getting paroled.

Seems odd that the very thing he feared and warned might happen has while some DUers stick their fingers in their ears and make bleating noises to drown out the legitimately concerned voices.

The way the FBI acts about Peltier borders on persecution. They go way beyond their legal authority. The man has served his time and is eligible for parole. It is not the FBI's business to prevent that from happening. It makes them look guilty of framing him. Thugs.

[liberalhistorian]

49. You obviously either have no clue who Peltier is, what the situation

is and has been with the FBI as far as he and many other native americans are concerned, or you just don't give a shit. I wouldn't be surprised if it were the latter, frankly.

[Cronus Protagonist]

102. How would you know THAT????

Are you an expert in COMEDY now????

[Joe Chi Minh]

125. Well, you know, to say that fights happen in prisons is infantile. You really must

do better than that. If you did not have a tiny mind, it would be insulting. Your username says it all, as I've said before.

[Evoman]

37. No, you are incorrect.

Although I don't think it's a FBI conspiracy, I think it's likely that at least the guards are in on it. Most of the prison guards I knew were right wing assholes on power trips, and I wouldn't doubt they would turn a blind eye or even offer some sort of reward for this behaviour. Contrary to popular belief, fights don't just happen very often for no reason...especially not group on individual violence.

And yeah, I have some experience in this...I've known prison guards, and I even did a stint as a security guard in a prison. Fights are usually not allowed to happen or are broken up pretty quick unless the guards want them to happen.

On edit: the fact they put him in solitary and are feeding him only sparingly reinforces my opinion that the guards are responsible for this. Again, I don't think it has to be an FBI conspiracy, as much as it is right wing assholes with racist tendencies.

[varkam]

43. Seconded. eom

[Dorian Gray]

145. That sounds reasonable

[liberalhistorian]

50. Yeah. 'Cause the angelic FBI and

federal officials and prison guards never, ever lie or would ever consider such a thing. No siree Bob.

[tkmorris]

9. Yeah. They don't do stuff like this

[G_j]

12. whatever

I guess you don't understand the situation;

and sometimes, simply an (intentional?) lack of protection is enough to almost guarantee someone's injury or death.

[Duende azul]

13. May I kindly suggest you apply for name change amnesty ?

If you could get away from the CapsLock, at least the appearance of this post would be less annoying.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

14. .

[mike_c]

19. well if he does, I hope his Ignored status follows his name change....

[proud2BlibKansan]

116. Yeah really. Need to check that out

[Ani Yun Wiya]

23. What exactly is your reason for being here ?

Or do you just find yourself on the wrong side of EVERY issue ?
Or is it that you enjoy offending others for sport ?

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

25. Have you ever been in prison ?

Have you done enough time to understand how and why fights occur ?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

26. ROFLMAO!!!!!

[Ani Yun Wiya]

32. All laughs and no answers, right ?

Why do you lack decency and a sense of what is right and wrong ?

I ask this after seeing hundreds of your responses in many threads and because not once have I seen you "say" anything of ANY worth.

[LanternWaste]

69. You may be kind new here, so word of advice-- Get used to it...

You may be kind new here, so a word of advice--Get used to responses like that from particular members-- they are self-defined as ever-so-clever, members of the trendy contrarian set, and have set aside dignity and civility to better serve up some good old-fashioned self-validation.

It may save you from a lot of petty annoyances to simply ignore (either technically or in spirit) posters who have a tough time setting aside childish things...

Just a word of advice is all...

[Duende azul]

34. Another great way to be less annoying:

Only posting about issues one has an understanding of or a deep interest in.

So if one really doesn´t care perhaps that person would be better of staying away from these threads?

And constantly pretending to be rolling on the floor doesn´t help much. Really.
For amusement there always is the Lounge.

Glad if I could be helpful.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

38. You Kidding? You Guys Provide More Humor In GD Than The Lounge Ever Could!!!!

[Jeffersons Ghost]

62. here's an inside joke from the past...

anyone up for a little sedition with their morning coffee?

[liberalhistorian]

81. I don't find Peltier's situation, or that of many other

falsely imprisoned native americans, or some actions of the FBI, to be very funny. Not at all. And neither do a lot of other people who know a helluva lot more than you do about it. If you think it is so funny, then go the hell back to the Lounge where your brand of "enlightenment" of the poor, dumb masses will be more welcome.

[Name removed]

109. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tsiyu]

36. I see empathy hasn't dawned on you yet

The more things change, the more some posters remain the same.

Just to help with any clue impairment there, Leonard is considered a political prisoner by Amnesty International. He is not considered such due to happy funny reasons.

Why so giddy here? It really is creepy...

[al bupp]

39. Read Peter Matthiessen's "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"

Then tell me how you interpret this news, sir. It is, sadly, not all that outrageous to be making these claims of FBI conspiracy when it comes to the treatment of Mr Peltier.

[liberalhistorian]

51. In Peltier's case, it really is far more likely

that something deliberate has been pulled. As I said above, you're either ignorant of Peltier's case and the FBI's disgraceful, disgusting actions throughout the past three decades regarding him and many other native americans or you just don't give a shit. Probably both.

[Name removed]

76. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberalhistorian]

48. Bullshit. The FBI largely railroaded him into a conviction

in the first place and that is more than well-documented. I live in Indian Country and it's no mystery at all as to why the FBI is so disliked around here. They are responsible for a lot of shit against native americans, then as well as now. It is more than obvious that you simply don't know what the fuck you're talking about in this particular case.

[Zomby Woof]

89. That never stopped him from posting his bilge

He doesn't know what the fuck he is talking about on EVERY issue on DU.

[liberalhistorian]

93. No fucking kidding.

I'm beginning to wonder why the hell he even bothers to be here anymore.

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Goblinmonger]

73. The fact that Peltier is still IN prison

for the bullshit charges and trial manipulation that put him there should outrage you. I don't know or care who decided this should happen. Leonard should not be in prison to receive ANY beating regardless the reason. That Clinton didn't pardon him still pisses me off.

If I were you, I wouldn't chime in on this with your usual good charms, it will make you look like an ass......oh, wait....

[Freddie Stubbs]

82. Are you also angry at Jimmy Carter?

Peltier was presecuted by the Carter Justice Department and was not among the over 500 pardons and commutations which Carter issued.

[Goblinmonger]

104. Yep, I am.

Carter should have done the right thing and pardon him, too.

[Freddie Stubbs]

105. Carter could have stopped the prosecution

But he allowed it proceed. If the charges had been dropped, there would be no need to issue a pardon.

[Zomby Woof]

88. Without fail

You fall on the conservative/RW side of EVERY issue.

Your ignorance of Leonard Peltier case is deep and wide. Just keep your head up your ass, it's easier that way.

[Greyhound]

164. In this case, you can just delete the words "of Leonard Peltier case". n/t

[GentryDixon]

97. Google Kenneth Trentadue.

He was murdered in a Federal prison. His brother, attorney Jesse Trentadue, has been fighting the Feds since 1995 trying to get the real facts out in the open.

[Duppers]

7. background

for folks like me who had forgotten:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Peltier

[Shardik]

10. Thanks for the link.

I was not familiar with the story.

[mike_c]

18. self delete-- replied to the wrong post....

Sorry.

[bhikkhu]

15. Its a crime that he still hasn't been pardoned

Since Carter I've been waiting for a president to stand up and right things, but so far only disappointment...I hope all this stays up front in the news, and I hope Peltier is ok. Imagine spending your life in prison, since Nixon was president...

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. Why would the FBI orchestrate an attack on him if they know that he is innocent?

[SpiralHawk]

22. Revenge

Leonard has been their scapegoat for many a year, and false pride makes it so they will never admit they are wrong. It just an ugly hateful vendetta.

[Freddie Stubbs]

64. But if they framed him, they must know that he is innocent

Not having him beat up would not be an admission of guilt.

[Blue State Bandit]

87. Prisoners who refuse to finger their attackers are...

routinely considered perpetrators. Such charges reflect poorly on inmates up for parole. If someone wants to complicate the parole hearing of a model inmate, this is how it's done. When an inmate is attacked in general pop, and refuses to ID their attackers, the incident is considered "gang related" and included in their record submitted to the parole board.

Most violence in prisons occur for one of 3 reasons. Social structuring (gangs, social status), sex, or swag (contraband i.e. food, drugs, smokes, money etc. or access to such).

New inmates are regularly assaulted for various reasons, but swag, unless in the immediate possession of the new inmate, is usually received as payment for the act by a third party.

And, most prescient to this case, is the social order in prison populations. Inmates accused in the death or injury of law enforcement officers are held in high regard among the general population. It is uncommon for a transferee with such high status, and no gang ties, to be rolled in general population without swag being involved emanating from the outside. Assaults on respected inmates are usually an attempt by a single newbie working his way up the social ladder (fuck up the biggest guy in the cafeteria to show your prowess).

Though I reserve judgment on this issue, since I wasn't on the block at the time, I find it highly unlikely that this was anything other than a paid hit.

I'm stunned by how quickly people in this community forget how corrupt the U.S. prison system is, and dismiss out of hand such a possibility of official misconduct. You ask what reasons would officials have to interfere in the release of a high profile inmate? Here's a few off the top of my head...

1) Prisons are a for profit industry. High profile prisoners cost more to detain.

2) Lawsuits cost money. If Peltier is released, he will most certainly attempt to clear his name.

3) If Peltier is successful in clearing his name, it would jeopardize any convictions obtained involving FBI investigators involved in his case, that's thousands of cases, and 10's of millions of dollars.

4) Oh yeah, did I mention money?

[tkmorris]

28. I don't really think you need that explained to you

[Freddie Stubbs]

65. I guess that is a pretty good response when you don't know what you are talking about

[EFerrari]

29. Are you kidding?

[Freddie Stubbs]

66. Nope

[EFerrari]

110. Hi, Freddie. The FBI has always been on the corrupt side when dealing with

perceived political crimes and, after all these years of BushCo, they're pretty much a toilet. I can't wait (and probably a lot of good people who work there can't wait) until their house gets cleaned up. Mueller will be there for another two years, iirc.

[Yavapai]

126. FBI = "Famous But Incompetent"

That is what the saying was in a large Southern California Sheriff's Department.

They always seemed to show up at high profile crimes (after the crime was solved),
claiming responsibility the work done.

[dixiegrrrrl]

31. In the 70's there were several hi profile FBI attacks on "militant" groups

including the SLA, the shooting up and burning down the house the Black Panthers were in, later there was Ruby Ridge and Waco.

Nixon's government was determined to muzzle protest leaders.

Maybe ya woulda had to have been there........

[Freddie Stubbs]

67. Nixon is dead

What would the current FBI have to gain by having this guy beat up?

[Joe Chi Minh]

127. Tell me. What did the mob who made sport of Christ on the cross have to gain?

You seem to think along very narrow tram-lines. Believe it or not, the the CIA, the FBI and other such agencies, have been involved in many, many utterly, utterly evil affairs. And you know what? A lot of the pain inflicted would have been tangential, freelance. For fun.

Do you really think that, after Nixon, the FBI got rid of its "wrong'uns"? Or that crypo-fascist politicians ceased to use the FBI's lowest form of life for their own more nefarious ends? Wake up, Christmas!

[Generic Other]

143. when it looked like clinton would pardon him in 2000

didn't agents march in protest? I seem to recall they made a big issue of it. They are out to get Peltier.

[glitch]

74. Judi Bari. nt

[acmavm]

80. And check out the case I posted the other night. It's happened before:

http://n2pp.info/NFJ.htm

We, the undersigned, appeal to the human rights community internationally and request that awareness and attention be drawn to the case of David Rice and Ed Poindexter.

In April of 1971, Omahans David Rice (Mondo we Langa) and Ed Poindexter were each convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for the death of Omaha Police officer Larry Minard. Minard was killed on August 17, 1970 when a dynamite-filled briefcase exploded as he and two other officers investigated a tip from a 911 call that a crime was taking place at 2867 Ohio Street in Omaha.

Initially, state authorities sought only the conviction of Duane Christopher Peak, a fifteen-year-old who was peripherally involved in the activities of the National Committee to Combat Fascism (NCCF), an Omaha group that spun-off from a local chapter of the nationally prominent Black Panthers organization. Rice and Poindexter were executive officers in the NCCF. For years, both men were engaged in legal, political activities protesting police conduct in the Black community of North Omaha.

Peak implicated Rice and Poindexter in the bombing and served no time for his involvement. At a preliminary hearing on Sept. 28, 1970, Peak shocked prosecutors by exonerating Rice and Poindexter. After a break for the noon hour, by eyewitness accounts, Peak returned to the hearing visibly shaken, wearing sunglasses, and changed his entire story from the morning, implicating Rice and Poindexter.

Peak was the only eyewitness against the convicted men.

Peak's account at trial was supported by physical evidence, dynamite purportedly seized from Rice's house. A federal court ruled in 1974 that the search by which the dynamite was allegedly found was illegal, lending credibility to we Langa's (Rice's) contention that it was planted. In 1974, the Federal district court ordered a new trial, but this was prevented by a jurisdictional technicality applied by the Supreme Court , which established that a remedy for a Fourth Amendment claim must first be sought in State court. While awaiting an outcome in the federal process, the statutory time limit for filing in the Nebraska courts had expired.

Rice and Poindexter were convicted with the assistance of agents from the FBI COINTEL-PRO (counter intelligence program). FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover instituted the program in 1956 with the goal of disrupting extremist political groups, with particular focus on Black Nationalist organizations. Among the program's stated purposes was "to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black Nationalist, hate-type organizations . . . their leadership . . . and supporters."

COINTEL-PRO was officially abandoned in 1972 after Hoover's death. A freedom of information suit against the FBI exposed the unconstitutional practices of COINTEL-PRO. For their involvement in COINTELPRO, former FBI Director L. Patrick Grey and Edward S. Miller, one-time head of the domestic counterintelligence unit in the FBI's New York Field Office, were convicted in 1980 of having "conspired to injure and oppress the citizens of the United States." Having served no time, they were pardoned in 1981 by President Reagan.

One of the most alarming aspects of the Rice-Poindexter case is the suppression of what would have been a key (effectively exculpatory) piece of evidence, the audiotape of the actual 911 call that led the police officers to the house where the bomb exploded. A FBI memo recommending suppression of the 911 tape as evidence surfaced nearly eight years after the trial, showing police cooperation with the FBI. The following text is excerpted directly from the FBI memo released through the FOI (boldface added).

"Assistant COP GLENN GATES, Omaha PD, advised that he feels that any use of tapes of this call might be prejudicial to the police murder trial against two accomplices of PEAK and, therefore, has advised that he wishes no use of this tape until after the murder trials of PEAK and the two accomplices has been completed."

An actual copy of the 911 tape surfaced several years later, revealing that the voice on the tape was not that of Duane Peak, contrary to what was established during the trial. Those who knew Peak are certain that the tape recording of the 911 call is not of his voice. If his voice is not the voice on the tape, it means he was lying at the trial and his testimony had no credibility. In fact, the transcript of the 911 call reveals gross inconsistencies and contradictions with Peak's sworn testimony and depositions about the specific details of the call. Had the 911 tape been used during the trial, it is a virtual certainty that Rice and Poindexter would not have been convicted.
The Rice-Poindexter case has gained generally limited attention internationally. The case was the subject of a BBC documentary in 1990. The film examined the Rice-Poindexter case as well as that of Geronimo Pratt, a Black Panther activist who was targeted by COINTEL-PRO and imprisoned for a murder he did not commit. Pratt's conviction was overturned in 1997.

The BBC documentary hinted at the possible underlying motivation for the prosecution of Rice and Poindexter. Jack Swanson, an Omaha police detective involved in the investigation told the BBC, "We feel we got the two main players in Rice and Poindexter. And I think we did the right thing at the time, because the Black Panther Party, or whatever name it was going by at the time of the murder, completely disappeared from the city of Omaha."

It becomes clear that the Rice and Poindexter were convicted for their rhetoric and radical politics, not for any crime they committed. The case potentially represents one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Nebraska history, and it deserves the attention of the human rights community and concerned individuals in Nebraska, the United States, and internationally.


Sincerely,


Carter Van Pelt
Lincoln, Nebraska

Senator Ernie Chambers
District 11, Nebraska Unicameral Legislature
Omaha, Nebraska

Former Governor Frank Morrison
Lincoln, Nebraska

Tariq Al-Amin
Nebraskans For Justice
Omaha, Nebraska

Mary Dickinson
Nebraskans For Justice
Lincoln, Nebraska

______________________________________________________________
Rice/Poindexter Case

Omahans David Rice (now known as Mondo we Langa) and Edward Poindexter were charged and convicted of the murder of Omaha Police Officer Larry Minard. Minard died when a suitcase containing dynamite exploded in a North Omaha home on August 17, 1970. Officer John Tess was also injured in the explosion.

Poindexter and Rice were members of the Black Panther Party, and their case was, and continues to be, controversial. The Omaha Police withheld exculpatory evidence at trial. The two men had been targeted by the FBI's COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program), which operated against and infiltrated anti-war and Civil Rights groups, including the Omaha Black Panthers<1>. The US section of Amnesty International recognizes Rice and Poindexter as political prisoners <2>. The state's parole board have recommended the men for release, but political leaders have not acted on these recommendations.<3>.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice/Poindexter_Case

[TexasObserver]

27. Obama needs to have Justice investigate and fire all involved in this.

This is very transparent. Some FBI agents who are in a position to manipulate this did so, and they did so to make it an issue for Obama. They want to try to force Obama to address things like this. It's insubordination and it's an attempt to undermine.

Fire the perps quickly, and get them out of the FBI, and out of the federal government.

[EFerrari]

30. Obama today doesn't have a functioning Justice Department that he can work with.

It's a sewer and I'm sure he knows that. Difficult situation.

[Tsiyu]

33. K&R

[alarimer]

35. Denied food? That has to be some kind of violation.

Goddamn those inhumane assholes. The ones that beat him and whoever denied him food. I think the solitary confinement is maybe for his own protection from other inmates but still it seems cruel.

[scarletwoman]

40. OMG. I just saw this now. Thanks for posting this. How much more shit is this man

going to have to endure? Why was he moved to a different prison?

It's just sickening...

[4 t 4]

41. Please help

I know Nothing about this man. What is the true story. I will help if I can

[marchellojones]

42. I first heard about

Peltier throu Rage Against The Machine´s song Freedom!
Thanks for update!

[0xDEADBEEF]

79. Here's the Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqcM5lVoteQ >Rage Against The Machine - Freedom

I remember the events (as a child).

[scarletwoman]

45. Read the book "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" by Peter Matthiessen for a start.

and go to http://www.leonardpeltier.net /

I don't know what else to tell you, if you're just starting out. I've been following this since it happened, I spent all of the Clinton years fighting for a Presidential commutation of Peltier's sentence, only to see Clinton pardon Mark-fucking-Rich and totally ignore all of us -- including Archbishop Desmond Tutu -- who were begging for justice for Peltier.

The roots of this case go back decades, go back to the FBI COINTEL programs of the 70s that killed off the BLack Panther movement and the American Indian Movement because they presented too big a threat to the American Myth that the Powers-That-Be use to keep the rest of us stupid and compliant. If you didn't live through those times or weren't paying attention, there's SO much you don't know about.

Do some digging, understand that our Rulers lie to us as a matter of course.

sw

[EFerrari]

54. Yes. The US government so much wanted this story NOT to get out

that the book was banned here for a time. My copy was from a friend and handed on to a friend. A very good place to start.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

52. it's just another chapter in Native culture...

That's what you get for sharing food with Pilgrims

THE PILGRIM

Kris Kristofferson
See him wasted on the sidewalk in his jacket and his jeans,
Wearin' yesterday's misfortunes like a smile
Once he had a future full of money, love, and dreams,
Which he spent like they was goin' outa style
And he keeps right on a'changin' for the better or the worse,
Searchin' for a shrine he's never found
Never knowin' if believin' is a blessin' or a curse,
Or if the goin' up was worth the comin' down

CHORUS:
He's a poet, he's a picker
He's a prophet, he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.

He has tasted good and evil in your bedrooms and your bars,
And he's traded in tomorrow for today
Runnin' from his devils, Lord, and reachin' for the stars,
And losin' all he's loved along the way
But if this world keeps right on turnin' for the better or the worse,
And all he ever gets is older and around
From the rockin' of the cradle to the rollin' of the hearse,
The goin' up was worth the comin' down

CHORUS:
He's a poet, he's a picker
He's a prophet, he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.
There's a lotta wrong directions on that lonely way back home.



http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/kristofferson-kris/p...

BTW, K&R

[defendandprotect]

58. The right wing can't defeat anyone honestly . . .

all they have is election steals, propaganda, lies -- and framing people ---

Decades of political violence we have yet to acknowledge in America--!!!

Don't forget Don Siegelmann and the GA's -- we perhaps don't have the full

story there yet. Drug War and all the lies surrounding that.

When they think they are losing control, they become even more vicious.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

61. how could i forget Seiglelman, i live in Alabama

[Raskolnik]

85. As much as Peltier would like you to believe otherwise, he is not the embodiment

of Indian culture or the struggle for Indian rights.

[scarletwoman]

131. Strawman. Peltier's case is an example of the abuses of the Police State against dissenters, and

of the injustice and corruption rampant in our "Justice" system.

sw

[defendandprotect]

57. Keep this kicked for tomorrow so we can help . . .

Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee

This needs a lot of attention --

some help with funds ---

and telephone calls -- !!!

****************************************

[Raine]

59. Clinton should've pardoned him 8 years ago

I was so disappointed that he didn't cause of course there was no doubt that chimp sure the hell never would.

[Freddie Stubbs]

68. Jimmy Carter had a chance to do it over 30 years ago

[defendandprotect]

136. I think both Clinton and Carter recognize the FBI as Gestapo ....

and reluctant to cross them.

Who's heading up the FBI for Obama?

[defendandprotect]

60. kick ---

[Jeffersons Ghost]

63. kick w/ pic...

[leftchick]

70. Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Leonard Peltier attacked: Appeal to Attorney General

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/01/leonard-peltier-a...

January 21, 2009

Eric H. Holder, Attorney General Designate
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
[e-mail]

Re: Leonard Peltier #89637-132

Dear Attorney General Holder:

I am writing today to provide you with a number of serious concerns stemming from the case of Mr. Leonard Peltier and explain how this case impacts all US citizens.

• Mr. Leonard Peltier, is an American Indian that has been imprisoned since 1976, convicted based on fabricated testimony, circumstantial evidence, extraordinary FBI influence and falsified test results. (Appellate Court findings)

• He was sentenced to two life sentences for “aiding and abetting” when two other persons tried for the same exact crimes were found not guilty because the jury said they were acting in self defense based on the climate of fear pervading the Pine Ridge Reservation at the time. Whom was he aiding and abetting?

• No federal employee was ever investigated or found responsible for the killing of Joe Stuntz, who was killed at the same Jumping Bull property in 1975. Further there are a number of American Indians that were killed under questionable circumstances on Indian reservations or at Wounded Knee in 1973, while no federal official have ever been charged with their deaths.

• Since 1976 repeated requests for files concerning Leonard Peltier, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the Freedom of Information Act have been unsuccessful. The typical response has been that the files were misplaced or lost, and sometimes after years of waiting the FBI responds with a vague “no”.

• Title 18 Section 4206 (d) states that “Any prisoner serving a sentence of five years or longer shall be released on parole after serving 2/3 of each consecutive term or after serving thirty years of each consecutive term including any life term”. Congress has stated and the Courts have ruled in other cases that Title 18 of the United States Code 4205(a) means that time served is equal to ten years in the case of a life sentence. The law says that a prisoner serving a life term shall be released on parole after serving thirty years if they were not released on parole after 20 years.
The most a prisoner would serve is 30 years. This has held true except in the case of Leonard Peltier who has been in prison for 33 years.

• In late 2008 the Turtle Mountain Reservation passed a resolution calling for Leonard Peltier’s release into their custody. Leonard Peltier is an enrolled member of Turtle Mountain. Tribal officials at Turtle Mountain were willing and able to meet almost any given conditions set forth by the Parole Board or the Bureau of Prisons, however they were not given the opportunity to even discuss this alternative, their status as a sovereign nation was totally ignored and Leonard Peltier transferred to Canaan, PA on January 12th, 2009.

• Beginning in October 2008, friends, family and supporters have repeatedly e-mailed, called, and written to the Bureau of Prisons asking for consideration in Leonard Peltier’s imminent transfer. While one recognizes that there are many factors for the BOP to consider, we only asked that he either be transferred to Turtle Mountain facility or closer to home. Instead Mr. Peltier was placed in a facility even further from his home and family making it unreasonably burdensome for them to visit him.

• Once Mr. Peltier arrived at the Canaan prison facility, he was jumped by younger inmates, severely beaten, put in solitary confinement and placed upon meal restrictions despite his having diabetes and other medical conditions. The family has requested copies of the video tapes of that incident to no avail. It is as if the whole scenario was contrived to detract from the fact that Mr. Peltier has been a model prisoner having more than enough points to qualify for parole.

• Retired, former and actively employed FBI agents have taken action against the release and parole of Leonard Peltier time and again. While it is their right to speak their opinion, it is not right to do so on federal time and at the taxpayer’s expense. Their letters, writings, articles, books, protests, outcries and interviews concerning Mr. Peltier, are a conflict of interest and tip the scales against him unfairly. In addition, it is certainly questionable as to the timing of a letter written by a former FBI Agent to Representative John Conyers and the beating Mr. Peltier received at Canaan.

It is apparent to me and many others that there are numerous violations of Mr. Peltier’s civil, constitutional, and human rights in the federal government’s quest to punish someone for the deaths of two FBI agents.

Justice has not been fair or blind to Mr. Leonard Peltier who has spent more than half of his life in prison. He is at 64 years old, in failing health and his life expectancy in prison is shortened greatly. And so I ask for your swift review of his case and release him so that he can spend the rest of his natural life with friends and family. The release of Leonard Peltier will go far in repairing the faith of the American people in the justice system and restore hope to many American Indians who otherwise have given up on the federal government’s promises. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Cc:

Mr. President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Complaints
Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room 4706
Washington, D.C. 20530

[AngryAmish]

71. Now that Obama is in office, this shit will stop right away.

[Freddie Stubbs]

77. I'm sure that he will be pardoned by the end of the week

[MrCoffee]

75. I honestly thought Leonard Peltier had died a few years back.

[caraher]

78. I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know he was still in prison

It's long past time to at least partially right this wrong

[Raskolnik]

86. I think Peltier did what he was accused of doing, and I think his folk-hero status

is completely undeserved.

If he was beaten at the behest of prison officials and/or the FBI, that should be investigated and dealt with, but I do not think he is unjustly imprisoned.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Raskolnik]

92. Apparently, you do.

Thanks for your thoughtful response.

[Name removed]

130. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberalhistorian]

98. Again, you're entitled to your opinion and the evidence

strongly speaks otherwise.

[Raskolnik]

101. Again, I disagree with your assessment of the evidence, but respect

that our disagreement does not come from ignorance.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

148. "Ignorance" as defined by thou?

Global human population is reportedly some 85% non-white.
It is predicted that non-whites will very soon outnumber
whites in the United States while whitey hasn't yet learned
to play nice. Please continue to expound on your painfully
obvious vast knowledge of ignorance.

[Raskolnik]

150. Are you serious with this "whitey" nonsense?

[asteroid2003QQ47]

154. You have ever demonstrated otherwise? eom

[Raskolnik]

155. Have I "ever demonstrated otherwise" than what?

What you just wrote is non-responsive to my question, so I will repeat it: are you serious with this "whitey" nonsense?

[Name removed]

158. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

159. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[defendandprotect]

123. Rather, not to understand the Gestapo-like nature of the FBI is

something for the nation and every American to begin dealing with --- !!

The genocide against the Native American has never stopped -- !!

Stolen land is involved and no one must be left who can say that it was stolen.

[Raskolnik]

128. I do not understand what you wrote.

I am not disputing that a genocide (or a near-enough genocide to matter) was perptrated against Native Americans, or that the continent (including the land you live on) was "stolen" by conquest.

[defendandprotect]

141. What it said was . . . "you do not understand" . . .

supposedly the "Gestapo-like-nature-of-the-FBI" . . .

And it is doubtful that Peltier is responsible for this death ---

and it is even more doubtful that the FBI is not being vindictive --

Isolation is rarely used to protect anyone -- it's used to punish --

as we saw not so long ago in the Susan McDougal case/Whitewater crap.


Anyone who doesn't understand what a threat our prison system is at this point to

all Americans needs another sniff of the Homeland Security Act or the Patriot Act.

Or maybe just a more realistic view of the fake Drug War . . .

[Joe Chi Minh]

129. Never mind. There are people who think the Nazi concentration camps

are no more than fantasies in the minds of people who don't admire Hitler. It happens.

The details are hardly similar, but the principle remains the same. The fact that you say you believe the man is guilty does not have the significance you appear to attach to it. Other people may have doubts about your credibility. And this seems to be the case here.

[defendandprotect]

142. Agree -- but still astonishing!!

I'm not sure what causes this failure to see the FBI as a threat to all Americans --

because certainly much of that news does get out -- either of the past activities of

the FBI or the current. Or, to see our prison system for the threat it is to freedom

of all Americans??

[Joe Chi Minh]

161. Remember a former FBI agent said he'd seen material on file relating to

the planned murder by the agency of Karen Silkwood?

As for the prison system, it cries to Heaven for vengeance, and there'll no escaping God's wrath for those responsible, unless they leave the sytem and spend the rest of their lives in sack-cloth and ashes. I'm not talking about warders but the directors and shareholders. Of course there will be "rotten apples" among the warders too, but basically, the working man doesn't have too much choice of employment these days. They would bear far less responsibility. Filling persons with the likes of pot-smokers! Plea-bargaining in the courts! The best justice money can buy.

[Raskolnik]

152. That's cute.

Equating a disagreement about the guilt of Leonard Peltier to Holocaust denial.

[Joe Chi Minh]

160. I'm truly sorry, Raskolnik. I didn't realise that English was not your first language:

"The details are hardly similar, but the principle remains the same."

Perhaps you should attend evening classes, and come back when your language comprehension is a little better.

[Raskolnik]

162. You were too mealy-mouthed to say it directly, but don't pretend that you weren't trying

to make a cheap (and ridiculous) rhetorical point by your "principle remains the same" nonsense. At least have the courage of your convictions, silly though they may be.

Good day.

[Joe Chi Minh]

163. You idiot! I didn't realise you were too thick to understand a phrase that was

so simple.

Oh. I see. You are disappointed that I didn't call you a Nazi. Well, grown-ups understand that the effects of a principle can be expressed in quite disparate-seeming ways, and yet not necessarily be essentially different. How was I to know that you would take anything that wasn't expressed in a manner akin to "The cat sat on the mat", as an unconscionably fecklesss and cowardly ruse to obscure its true import? I must make a resolution not to always express myself timidly on DU in future.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

165. Is your pen name Dorothy Thompson?

Who goes Nazi? / Dorothy Thompson / Harper's, 1941
http://harpers.org/archive/1941/08/0020122

It is an interesting and somewhat macabre parlor game to play at a large gathering of one’s acquaintances: to speculate who in a showdown would go Nazi. By now, I think I know. I have gone through the experience many times–in Germany, in Austria, and in France. I have come to know the types: the born Nazis, the Nazis whom democracy itself has created, the certain-to-be fellow-travelers. And I also know those who never, under any conceivable circumstances, would become Nazis.
<>
Sometimes I think there are direct biological factors at work–a type of education, feeding, and physical training which has produced a new kind of human being with an imbalance in his nature. He has been fed vitamins and filled with energies that are beyond the capacity of his intellect to discipline. He has been treated to forms of education which have released him from inhibitions. His body is vigorous. His mind is childish.
<...

[cbc5g]

91. And this is what will happen if Gitmo detainees go to prison, trading one torture for another

We need prison reform desperately in this country.

[Freddie Stubbs]

96. We could send the Gitmo detainees back to their home countries

I'm sure that the Egyptian, Saudi, and Yemeni governments would give these guys a warm welcome.

[defendandprotect]

124. Absolutely and something not often enough discussed here at DU--

[Blue_In_AK]

94. Leonard Peltier should be pardoned, once and for all.

He's certainly been punished far too long.

[K Gardner]

133. Agreed. I'm very disturbed to hear about this "incident". n/t

[LovableScamp]

103. Living in South Dakota all my life for the past 50 plus years

I seriously doubt the FBI is involved in some kind of conspiracy in Peltier's assault. It seems to me years back in an interview with Leonard he made the statement that he was innocent of killing the two agents at the Jumping Bull ranch and also further claimed he personally knew who killed them. He did not want to... or would not disclose the name or names, but he was waiting for them to come forward and confess.

Who does that? I mean seriously... who is going to sit in prison for the rest of their lives especially if they know who committed the crime, and could prove their innocence?

[liberalhistorian]

157. Well, then, living in SD, as I do as well,

surely you're familiar with FBI actions against Indian Country, and, conversely, lack of action in so many crimes and murders against Indians? Or are you one of those who only care about crime when it's against non-Indians, and not when it's against Indians? SD is full of that type, believe me.

[LovableScamp]

108. If there should be any justice...

My sympathies lie with the family members of Anna Mae Pictou Aquash... Neither side at the time had "clean hands"

[liberalhistorian]

135. The Aquash case has absolutely nothing to do with

the Peltier case, they are two completely separate cases with entirely different perpetrators. I'm not sure of your purpose in bringing it up in this thread. I do agree that I hope for justice, finally, for her family, especially her daughter who had to grow up without a mother.

[LovableScamp]

144. Aquash and LP are definetly linked

Arlo Looking Cloud... John Graham, Theda Clark and John Boy Patton... ALL who were involved in Anna's death did'nt act on their own. According to Anna's account LP put a gun in her mouth and accused her of being an informant to the FBI. Leonard Peltier admits firing at the FBI agents but stops short of saying he's the one that walked up to them with his AR=15 and shot them point blank.

I have no doubt in my opinion that if LP didnt give the order to dispose of Anna... he certainly perpetuated the paranoia enviroment amongst AIM members at the time that she was an informant and did nothing to dispel it and personally knew who did give the order to kill Anna Mae... by the fact he knew she was dead before her body was found. Either way... Yes... he is involved .. and has everything to do with the Peltier case.

LP deservedly belongs exactly where he is...

[liberalhistorian]

156. I have no doubt that AIM was responsible for

Anna Mae's murder; John Graham and Arlo Looking Cloud are currently awaiting trial together in Rapid City. Peltier, again, however, had nothing to do with it. You cannot make the leap that just because he was in AIM at the time that that automatically means he is responsible in some way. Unless you're one of those "paint them all with the same brush" types, which I'm beginning to think you are.

If LP did have something to do with it, you'd better believe the FBI would have been all over him for that as well. I think Graham and Looking Cloud are responsible for her murder and hopefully will be convicted once they are on trial later this year.

You talk about AIM's paranoia, which is a good point. Can you not even begin to understand Indian Country's paranoia regarding the FBI, especially on Pine Ridge and especially at that time, given many of the FBI's actions regarding Indian Country in general?

[Piewhacket]

112. isn't the prison in Joe Biden country?

[Better Believe It]

122. K & R