Celebrate Freedom with Me
February 8, 2010
Greetings to everyone,
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.info
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Thank you Grassroots Press for carrying this profound and heart-wrenching message on Leonard’s behalf. It’s a wonder a man can remain so sane and generous in spirit in the face of this tremendous injustice, Long live the Spirit of Crazy Horse.
Jenifer