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Summary: The Spirits Cry Through His Writings
Review: "Prison Writings", by Leonard Peltier, is quite an eye-opener. This political prisoner maintains his innocence and demonstrates it through his heart and compassion. At times, each chapter appears to be a stream of consciousness dependent on his mood (he wrote it in prison where he still remains), but he always evaluated his mood and came back full circle and has come to terms that he may never leave but that his hope in humanity might help lift him and thousands of others wrongfully imprisoned.His words have compelled me to do further research and there are many related books, articles and even a documentary film by Robert Redford titled "Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story". I encourage everyone to read it and watch the film available through rental or purchase. Whether you believe in his innocence or not is not the point. The point is that our current system remains flawed despite the cold hearts that are too scared to take a serious look into their conscience. Leonard Peltier has definitely changed my once hardened heart. I am still a cynic and angry often, but thinking about his struggles through unfair justice keeps me focused. It is an easy read if you don't mind the harsh realities of our justice system, or lack thereof! "Mitakuye Oyasin!" Learn this meaning from his book - it will serve you well in your life.
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Summary: Whether or not you believe . . .
Review: . Whether or not you believe that Leonard Peltier really murdered two FBI agents in cold blood, you must read this book. The United States imprisons more people, *and* more people per capita, than any other nation in the world! Leonard's poignant book gives the reader a feel for *one* story of life behind bars. Not a journal or a story, per se, but a series of reflections, of meditations, of poems about life as a prisoner, life as a *political* prisoner in the Land of the Free. You, who read this, with access to a personal computer, cannot begin to wrap your life around the experience of being caged. Of having every aspect of your life regulated. You, who grew up white, privileged, cannot wrap your mind around the experience of being beaten up simply because you spoke your native language. You, who grew up on land you "owned," have insulated yourself from imagining the pain of having your people destroyed, your culture outlawed, and your identity trampled into the mud. So don't buy this book. Your will be able to continue your life comfortably. You'll be able to proceed with that warm fuzzy feeling that things are OK with the world, and that even if agent Fox Mulder has died, the FBI is really on *your* side. Don't buy this book. You don't want to begin to feel what Leonard feels, caged in Leavenworth. Don't buy this book, it's easier to pretend that *those* people deserve to be locked up, that *those* people are animals, that the *justice* system really works most of the time. Don't buy this book, you don't want to have any inkling about what it feels like when justice miscarries. Leonard Peltier wasn't (Mark) Rich enough for a Clinton pardon. He has exhausted his legal appeals. Prison Writings tells you what he will probably experience until he dies in Leavenworth. Since he's been sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus seven years, he wonders, will they keep his body in jail after he dies to get that second term? Enough polemics. The book briefly recounts Leonard's history, the story of the shooting at Pine Ridge, and his trial. It intersperses his poetry with stories. His anger comes across loud and clear. There's a chapter about the massacre at Wounded Knee. I can't read that chapter without the tears rolling down my face. 300 women and children, surrounded by U. S. Cavalry, mowed down with cannon fire & gatling guns. 20 Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded for this atrocity. Leonard doesn't pull any punches. He conveys, quite effectively, that we live in a land where systematic genocide and ethnic cleansing have nearly destroyed the indigenous people and enabled *us* to benefit greatly. While we look down our noses at the Nazi holocaust, we ignore the American holocaust. I wonder, is it any more *wrong* to lather your body with Jew soap, or to build your home on land soaked with the blood of the people who came before you? Much easier to point our fingers at the Nazis and to smugly feel that we'd never participate in anything so horrible. If you're looking for a book with more details about the Pine Ridge shootings and AIM, Peter Matthiessen's In the Spirit of Crazy Horse is a great source. The video, Incident at Oglala, provides an extremely biased presentation of Leonard's story....
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Summary: A glance at the man, Leonard Peltier, Native activist
Review: A compelling look at imprisoned Native American activist, Leonard Peltier. So many people have come to understand a bit of his case involving the deaths of two FBI agents in a shootout on the Pine Ridge reservation in 1975, which resulted in now over 23 years of incarceration. Now, take a look at Leonard the man, a view from a place many consider to be the darkness of a political prisoners cell. This book provides a basic understanding of some of the circumstances leading to the tragic shootout in South Dakota. More importantly, Leonard's own words demonstrate dramaticly, his compassion for all people and the need for healing with Native American peoples.
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Summary: Moving
Review: A moving account of being in prison. Leonard Peltier, despite being in prison, is still a force to be reckoned with. His words are painful and truthful. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the truth.
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Summary: FREE LEONARD PELTIER
Review: After reading PRISON WRITINGS, I must say that Leonard Peltier should have been freed along time ago. You can sense from reading his writings that he hasnt lost hope and still believes that he will be free and able to be with his family and loved ones. His writings also give us the bleak life that he is living as he remains in prison for crimes that he was falsly convicted of. The only thing that Leonard is guilty of is doing what he thought was right in trying to make a better life for his people and nothing else. If this is a crime, than we are living in a backward country that is to concerned with fighting wars all over the world than will freeing an innocent man from a life in prison. This is a true injustice and it is one that needs to be reversed
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Summary: We anglos should be ASHAMED !!!!
Review: Ashamed I am. Not only did we steal from those who had, but we continue to persecute the weak. Why does our gov't. continue to war with other countrys who have a different belief in control? We can not even take care of our own selfish regulations. Those who are in control, are money hungry and egotistical, and not caring for others. We should all in good conscience contact all of our federal peoples and demand Leonard Peltier's freedom. And we should continue to put presure on them until the job is finished.
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Summary: We anglos should be ASHAMED !!!!
Review: Ashamed I am. Not only did we steal from those who had, but we continue to persecute the weak. Why does our gov't. continue to war with other countrys who have a different belief in control? We can not even take care of our own selfish regulations. Those who are in control, are money hungry and egotistical, and not caring for others. We should all in good conscience contact all of our federal peoples and demand Leonard Peltier's freedom. And we should continue to put presure on them until the job is finished.
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Summary: one-of-a-kind
Review: Captivating if only for the point-of-view. Misses the mark though of "major political memoir" because is too random in approach and lacks "confirm or deny" from opposition.
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Summary: READ IT!
Review: Great book. Inform yourself about Leonard Peltier, then join the fight to help free him!
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Summary: Anguished, yet Optimistic; Angry, yet Forgiving; PROFOUND
Review: Having myself been at one time a skeptic of Peltier's fantastic claims, I became convinced of his innocence after poring over the considerable & incontrovertible evidence that clearly proves this man is a victim of political repression. But this book is only secondarily about how Peltier was purposely made a scapegoat by an out-of-control, Gestapo-esque FBI, and by a few unscrupulous scoundrels within Department of Justice [sic]. (That astonshing, disturbing history has been recounted elsewhere, e.g., "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" or "Agents of Repression".) Instead, in "Prison Writings" Peltier focuses more on the continuing historical struggle of his people to be treated with dignity and equality; offers insights into the realities of contemporary Indian existence beyond the sham portrayals in popular culture; and shows how his perceptions and opinions have been molded by his own experiences, from childhood to the starkness of prison life. To be honest, I had not expected Peltier's book to be so well written, profound, and powerful; after all, Peltier's involvement with the American Indian Movement was not that of a fiery public speaker, decision-maker, or clever stager of outrageous stunts for the media (like some of AIM's leaders). Instead, Peltier's work with AIM was characterized by his preference to quietly perform the unglamorous yet neccessary tasks to serve his people (e.g., hauling water to homes with no plumbing, making home repairs, babysitting, fixing cars, chastising teenagers to be abstinent from alcohol and drugs, chopping firewood, etc). Yet despite his humble background and his avoid-the-limelight personality, Peltier's eloquence, wit/humor, irony, and heart-wrenching passion displayed in this book, betrays a depth of clear-thinking, maturity, and courage that is seldom seen in our world. After reading his book, it is no wonder that among all the infighting and divisions within AIM, it was Peltier who was universally trusted and respected by all those in the movement, and admired by the common people for whom he has now sacrificed most of his life to serve and protect. From one of justice's greatest tragedies comes this powerful offering of wisdom, and an indictment of the fallacy of "The Great American Dream".
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