Friends Digest Vol. 2, No. 15

Friends Digest Vol. 2, No. 15
'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*
"Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a
response. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. And,
therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it
benefits the aggressor--never his victim, whose pain is magnified
when he or she feels forgotten. The political prisoner in his
cell--not to respond to [his] plight, not to relieve... solitude by
offering a spark of hope is to exile [him] from human memory. And
in denying [his] humanity, we betray our own. Indifference, then,
is not only a sin, it is a punishment."-- Elie Wiesel, 1999.
*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*

* January 20: Inauguration Day *

Eight years ago, on January 20, then President Bill Clinton left
office without taking action to free Leonard Peltier. On this
Inauguration Day, folks around the country will celebrate change. We
encourage you not only to celebrate what we hope will be a new
beginning for all, but to actively work for Leonard's freedom.

A shout out to supporters in the Mid-Atlantic region: Plan to
attend festivities in Washington, DC, during the 4-day celebration
there. Create a presence for Leonard... Along the parade route,
on the Mall, adjacent to the National Museum of the American
Indian. Carry signs, wear shirts.

Take a clipboard or two along. Why? Carry
a sheaf of spare clemency letters with you. See
.
Educate people face-to-face and get one signature per letter. Because
personal letters often are more effective, also carry spare paper
and pens. Encourage folks to write their own brief letters. They
can use your sample letter as a guide.

Leave notes, flowers, and tobacco ties inside the National Museum of
the American Indian. An inscription for Leonard Peltier is located
at Panel 2.04 (line 28) on the Honor Wall inside the museum.

What can the rest of us do? Host an Inaugural party of your own
to celebrate new hope for Leonard Peltier. Gather with friends,
family members, and people in your community to educate others
about Peltier's case. Show "Incident at Oglala," or read from
"Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance". Motivate everyone to
get and stay involved.

The incoming Administration has announced that one day of the
four-day Inauguration celebration will be a Day of Service. So,
take ACTion. Some ideas:

+Chalk It Up--Assemble your group of supporters, hand out chalk, and
spread out around your town. Write slogans in support of Leonard's
freedom on sidewalks, e.g., "Free Peltier NOW. You can add a web
address, too: whoisleonardpeltier.info, for example. (CAUTION:
We recommend that you consult graffiti ordinances in your area
and use only chalk because such markings are not permanent.) Also
leaflet nearby to generate more awareness. Select handouts at
.

+Personal Touch--Instead of signing a petition or writing letters
of support, try a more personal approach in communicating your
message. Make a big sign that says "I Stand with Obama on Freeing
Peltier." Take a photograph of each person in your group--with
the sign being held by the supporter or hung as a background for
the photo. Make certain that the supporter's face and the sign's
message are clearly visible, and make certain to record the name
and address of the person photographed. (That information can and
should be written on the back of the photo once it is developed.)
If we all do this, tens of thousands of photographs can be assembled
and delivered to the White House in the months ahead. But, for
now, let's stockpile the photos for delivery to the White House en
masse. And don't stop there. Keep collecting photos!

You can find other ideas at
.
Don't hesitate. Start planning your Inauguration activities now.

Also remember that the 33rd anniversary of Leonard's arrest is
February 6. It's never too soon to begin planning events/actions
for that date. Recommit yourself to the Struggle and to bringing
attention to Leonard's case.

But don't restrict yourself only to commemorative occasions. Make
Leonard's freedom a 24/7/365 endeavor. Friends, our time is now.
Stand up. Move your lips and agitate your tongues. Make a noise.
Whatever it takes. Do it and keep doing it until Leonard is free!

* Op-Ed *

Read "12,000 Days" at
.

* Raffle for Freedom *

First Place, Painting by Leonard Peltier
Second Place, Poster-size Lithograph of Painting
Third Place, "Incident at Oglala" DVD, "Songs for Leonard Peltier"
CD, and
T-Shirt

Cost: $5 ea. or 5 tickets for $20. Send checks or money orders
(be sure to indicate it's for raffle tickets) to: LP-DOC, Box 7488,
Fargo, ND 58106. The drawing will be held at the end of December.

* Last Call *

Remember to ship your gift for a child at the Pine Ridge and/or
Turtle Mountain. Mail gifts to:

Tamara Patneaud
PO Box 308
Rolla, ND 58367
701-278-6121

Rosyln Jumping Bull
Box 207
Oglala, SD 57764
605-867-2231

* Remember Leonard, Too *

This season is a difficult time for all prisoners. You are all
working hard for Leonard's freedom, we know, as well as being busy
with your lives and preparing to spend the holidays with friends
and family. But with a simple gesture, you can bring comfort and
joy to someone who is very far from home and missing his family
and friends. Let's all take a minute out of this day to each send a
holiday card, newsy letter, or note of encouragement... The address:

Leonard Peltier #89637-132
USP-Lewisburg
US Penitentiary
PO Box 1000
Lewisburg, PA 17837-1000

*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*
"Never cease in the fight for peace, justice, and equality for all
people. Be persistent in all that you do and don't allow anyone to
sway you from your conscience." -- Leonard Peltier
*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*

-----
Please circulate to family and friends and otherwise widely
post our listserv announcements. Also frequently visit our
Blog at or receive our
blog postings by Web feed (download a free newsfeed reader at
):

Atom:

RSS:

Or register to receive e-mail announcements. It's easy. Go to our
homepage at . Scroll
down the page until you see "Join Us" on the left sidebar. Enter
your e-mail address in the text box. Then point to and
click on "Subscribe". Or send a blank e-mail message to
.

You also can Bookmark our home page and/or blog. Click on the
Bookmark button provided at each of these sites to use any program
you wish by which to save the sites to your list of browser
favorites. Visit us often to learn more about efforts to win
Leonard's freedom and find out what you can do to help.

We encourage other sites to link to our Web site and blog. No prior
permission is required. Feel free to use one of our banner ads at
to link to our resources.

Visit us on MySpace ();
Facebook ();
and Bebo (), too.

-----
Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
To subscribe, send a blank message to freepeltiernow-on@mail-
list.com
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to freepeltiernow-off@mail-
list.com
To change your email address, send a message to freepeltiernow-
change@mail-list.com
with your old address in the Subject: line
To contact the list owner, send your message to freepeltiernow-list-
owner@mail-list.com

mail-list.com 1302 Waugh Dr. #438 Houston, Texas 77019 USA