Opinion: No freedom for Leonard Peltier

Wednesday, February 28, 2007  

"The media have been quick to report the motive behind Hollywood mogul David Geffen’s dissing of Hillary Clinton, namely his pique at her husband’s failure to pardon jailed Indian activist Leonard Peltier.

What they have not reported is why liberal icon Peltier remains in jail. Indeed, Clinton’s failure to pardon Peltier stands as one of the more honorable moments in his dubious career. A little background is in order.

“There is nothing in this message that can make you happy,” so wrote Paul DeMain, editor of News From Indian Country (NFIC) to his faithful readers in February 2002. He was preparing them for his and his staff’s final conclusions about the case of Peltier, still in prison after twenty-five long years.

DeMain expressed his regrets to a handful of people by name. One was Peter Matthiessen. A prolific author and winner of the National Book Award, Matthiessen had everything the literary establishment could offer including a home on Long island, lots of frequent flyer miles, and a contempt for the culture that spawned him.

In 1983, that contempt took the shape of a book called In The Spirit of Crazy Horse, which details the arrest and conviction of Peltier for the 1975 murder of two FBI agents."

Get the Story:
Jack Cashill: Don't Free Leonard Peltier (Front Page Magazine 2/28)

Relevant Links:
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee - http://www.leonardpeltier.org
Free Leonard Peltier - http://www.freepeltier.org

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