From:
Leonard Peltier Offense/Defense Committee Northwest Regional Organizer's Office
P.O. Box 5464
THE NEW NORTHWEST LEONARD PELTIER CLEMENCY CAMPAIGN
As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a mighty fist. -- Sitting Bull
REGIONAL MARCH AND RALLY FOR CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2011, TACOMA, WA.
12:00 NOON: MARCH FOR JUSTICE Portland Ave. Park (on Portland Ave. between E. 35th & E. Fairbanks. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east)
1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE U.S. Federal Court House, 1717-Pacific Ave.
Like an onslaught of a mighty storm, crisis has beset the people from many directions. Those that have it all keep on wanting more from those who have very little at all. They who have it all believe that their greed and power is the natural order of things, the way things must be. We struggle now, as we must, against powerful forces that just take and never concede to us anything in return without a struggle. This is a hard road we travel down and there is none of us who can really escape this reality.
The forces of greed would have us believe that each struggle is an issue in itself, separate and unconnected to others. This keeps us divided and weak. For if we are to withstand the onslaught of greed, we need to come to understand that all things are connected. An injury to one is an injury to all.
Our struggles are like streams of water flowing down a mountain side. We can turn these streams aside to flow alone, or dam them with our limited understand of the way things are and thus disperse harmlessly upon the land. Or our streams can flow into a river of joint connections, adding greater power with every stream that merges with it as it washes down the mountain side to become a great power that none can ignore.
In understanding connections, we learn that what is done to some of us, both in trying to get something from us they want and repressing those of us that speak out and stand up for the people, can be done to any of us at any time. Thus, when we stand in solidarity with others, we stand also, in solidarity with ourselves.
There is no better example of how far the forces of greed and repression will go than the case of Leonard Peltier. Here is a case where there was something corporations and the government wanted, the natural resources on Native land, and they were willing to do anything to get what they wanted. Here is a case where justice did not matter, the laws of this land did not matter, and even the constitution could not stand in the way of their illegal acts. Even lives lost meant nothing to them in their pursuit of that which they wanted.
Leonard is not a history lesson of things in past times. Leonard is still in prison, locked-up since 1976 for the crime of defending his people and Mother Earth. Leonard has grown old in prison and he has severe health problems. It is time to begin a new Leonard Peltier Clemency campaign. President Obama will either win the next election, but can't run after that, or he will lose and will be going out of office. Either way, he will be more open to granting clemency than he has been so far. A campaign like this takes time to build. This campaign in order to be successful needs to be out in the public view. For these reasons we are starting our new clemency campaign with a regional march and rally in Tacoma on May 21, 2011. It is essential that this public show of support be as strong as possible.
All of you who support Leonard Peltier, we need your help. We cannot let things that might divide us or possible disagreement stand in our way. Given Leonard's health, the only question that makes any sense is which side are you on? If you stand in solidarity with Leonard, the time has come to act in unity for him.
The Leonard Peltier Offense/Defense Committee (LPODC) has been working hard to rebuild Leonard's support. Realizing that they cannot do that alone, they have asked some long time Peltier activists to taken on the job of being regional organizers for LPODC. Based upon my past work with the old Northwest Leonard Peltier Support Network, LPODC has asked me to be the regional organizer for the northwest. I agreed to that because I am committed to Leonard for as long as it takes. I wish to point out that I am only an organizer, and not the leader. It is Leonard's supporters, each and everyone one of you, who are the leaders of this movement. But reality sets in here. I am not what I use to be. I have grown old, I have health problems and I don't have my own money to put into this like I use to do. I have been out of work for 7 ½ months. But I am willing to give this all that I have, but I need your help even more than in the past.
NEEDS
1. Donations and benefits. Getting the word out costs money.
2.People who can do nice lay-out of fliers and posters.
3. People who can print fliers and posters.
4.People who can handout fliers or post them along with posters.
5. People who can get march fliers out through their newsletters or get articles printed in their publications.
6. People who can forward march statements, like this one, to friends, groups, organizations, e-mail lists, on Facebook, Twitter, to web sites or any other place...
7. People who can help organize car caravans for justice (car pools) to Tacoma.
8. We need a sound system and generator.
9. People to organize video showings.
10. People to make banners and signs.
It will be the people who free Leonard by their strong solidarity. Each and everyone of you can help in some way. Each of you have as much power over as much work as you are willing to do. Please help us show all to see that the people demand Leonard to be set FREE1
Arthur J. Miller
Leonard Peltier Offense/Defense Committee
Northwest Regional Organizer
P.O. Box 5464
Tacoma, WA 98415
If you want up-dates on the march and on Leonard Peltier please send a request to: bayou@blarg.net
For more information go to: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info
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