Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Supporters,
I would like to begin this statement by expressing my deepest condolences to the families gathered here today who have lost loved ones as a result of police violence. I know the pain of losing a loved one and having that pain worsen when the loss goes unrecognized and the injustice of that loss, without reparation. I send you my love, my strength, and my support.
Sometimes the only way to deal with this pain is to replace it with the will to change what caused it in the first place. I want to encourage you to continue your efforts to stop police violence, because your voices are critical to this struggle. Your stories have the ability to teach and to touch all kinds of people. Your stories reach far beyond barriers of class, race, and political ideologies. You have the power to unite society in an effort to end police abuse and violence.
I have been unjustly imprisoned now for over 24 years as a result of a double standard that all too often exists among law enforcement agencies. This double standard dictates that when a member of law enforcement is killed, someone must pay and often, overzealous determination to convict someone, results in an innocent person being locked up. Such was the case with myself and others like Mumia Abu Jamal. The other side of the coin is that when law enforcement kills someone, it is rare that anything more than a superficial investigation and a slap on the wrist occurrs. This double standard cannot be tolerated.
I want to thank the October 22 Coalition for their work on this important issue. I support you in your efforts and applaud your dedication to creating a society where our people do not have to live in fear and where justice is a reality for all communities. Thank you.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
[posted 10/21/00]
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