Socialist Viewpoint

Greetings Brothers, Sisters, Friends, and Supporters,

My granddaughter, Alex just turned 18. Earlier this summer my grandson, Cyrus turned 16. I can hardly believe it. I guess as grandparents we sometimes lose track of how many years have gone by until we turn around and find that our grandchildren have become young adults—despite our refusals to recognize them as anything but our “babies.” It makes me think about how much I have missed of their lives and I anxiously wonder if they will be okay and if they will be able to live good lives after all that our family has been through.

It also makes me think about the current state of our young people in general. How are our youth handling the challenges and obstacles that their generation faces? Do they know they have the power and ability to effect change and carry on the struggle passed down to them by the generations before? Or has the repression that my generation faced kept us from encouraging our kids and grandkids to carry on efforts to secure our Human and Indigenous Rights? None of us would ever want what happened to Anna Mae or to Joe Killsright Stuntz to happen to our kids—or to any kids. But still we must ask ourselves; do we really protect our young people when we allow them to accept the status quo? Or will feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness and despair take their toll instead? And why aren’t we outraged over the fact that we must choose between political repression and a bleak existence?

That is why it is so important that the abuses my generation suffered be officially recognized and exposed. As we can see, the FBI will continue abusing its power as long as they are allowed to. The flow of new information about FBI misconduct seemingly has no end. Now we are hearing reports about the FBI “losing” guns. And of course I can’t help but to think back to the GOON squads and wonder how many guns the FBI “lost” while they were collaborating with them.

I want to encourage you to support the LPDC’s efforts to press Congress for hearings and for the declassification of FBI documents. The full truth must be exposed, if not for those who lived it, then at least for the protection of our future generations.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier

Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
www.freepeltier.org