34 years. It doesn't even sound like a real number to me. Not
when one really thinks about being in a jail cell for that long.
All these years and I swear, I still think sometimes I'll wake up
from this nightmare in my own bed, in my own home, with my family
in the next room. I would never have imagined such a thing. Surely
the only place people are unjustly imprisoned for 34 years is in
far away lands, books or fairy tales.
It's been that long since I woke up when I needed to, worked where
I wanted to, loved who I was supposed to love, or did what I was
compelled to do. It's been that long-long enough to see my children
have grandchildren. Long enough to have many of my friends and
loved ones die in the course of a normal life, while I was here
unable to know them in their final days.
So often in my daily life, the thought creeps in-"I don't deserve
this". It lingers like acid in my mouth. But I have to push those
types of thoughts away. I made a commitment long ago, many of
us did. Some didn't live up to their commitments, and some of us
didn't have a choice. Joe Stuntz didn't have a choice. Neither did
Buddy Lamont. 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. We didn't go to ceremony and say "I'll fight for the
people as long as it doesn't cost too much". We prayed, and we
gave. Like I say, some of us didn't have a choice. Our only other
option was to run away, and we couldn't even do that. Back then,
we had no where left to run to.
I have cried so many tears over these three plus decades. Like the
many families directly affected by this whole series of events,
my family's tears have not been in short supply. Our tears have
joined all the tears from over 500 years of oppression. Together our
tears come together and form a giant river of suffering and I hope,
cleansing. Injustice is never final, I keep telling myself. I pray
this is true for all of us.
To those who know I am innocent, thank you for your faith. And I hope
you continue working for my release. That is, to work towards truth
and justice. To those who think me guilty, I ask you to believe in
and work for the rule of law. Even the law says I should be free by
now, regardless of guilt. What has happened to me isn't justice,
it isn't the law, it isn't fair, it isn't right. This has been a
long battle in an even longer war. But we have to remain vigilant,
as we have a righteous cause. After all this time, I can only ask
this: Don't give up. Not ever. Stay in this fight with me. Suffer
with me. Grieve with me. Endure with me. Believe with me. Outlast
with me. And one day, celebrate freedom with me. Hoka hey!
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
PO Box 7488
Fargo, ND 58106
Phone: 701/235-2206
Fax: 701/235-5045
E-mail: contact@whoisleonardpeltier.
Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
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