Insight, or oversimplification?

The other day a friend asked me why I seemed more attuned to Native American spirituality than to Christianity. It seemed a false dichotomy, and I was tempted to launch into a labored clarification. Instead, without thinking, I blurted out, “Because I feel more responsible to my past than I do to my future.”

Food for thought.

3 thoughts on “Insight, or oversimplification?”

  1. Editor

    I am writing in regard to the case of Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier is a Native American activist who is being held behind bars for the shooting deaths of two FBI agents who died after a shoot out at the Pine Ridge Reservation on June 26, 1975. Mr. Peltier has been incarcerated for nearly 27 years in spite of the fact the government has admitted that it does not know who shot the agents.

    At the time of Mr. Peltier’s trial, the government turned over to defense attorneys 3,500 pages of FBI documents. At that time, the government claimed that this was the extent of FBI records about the case.

    As a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in the early 1980’s it was discovered that the FBI actually maintained 18,000 pages relating to Mr. Peltier. 12,000 pages were released in full or in part and another 6,000 pages were withheld in their entirety.

    Over the past year and a half, Mr. Peltier, through his attorneys, submitted a new round of FOIA requests to FBI Headquarters and all FBI field offices. Through these new FOIA requests Mr. Peltier has learned a number of startling things. It turns out the FBI actually has 60,000 to 100,000 pages of documents relating to Mr. Peltier. The Minneapolis FBI field office alone maintains over 42,000 pages of material relative to the case. FBI field offices in Pittsburgh, Portland, New Haven, San Francisco have destroyed records dealing with Mr. Peltier.

    The question that needs to be asked is why the FBI failed to turn these documents over to Mr. Peltier’s defense attorneys at the time of trial? Why, after all these years, is the FBI still resisting efforts to secure the full release of all records concerning the Peltier case? Why and under what authority has the FBI destroyed records?

    The FBI ought to release all records relative to the Peltier case without further delay. Congress should demand and enact legislation, if necessary, directing the FBI to fully disclose all records dealing with Mr. Peltier. The time has come to tear down the veil of secrecy surrounding the FBI files on Leonard Peltier’s case.

    I am writing in regard to the case of Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier is a Native American activist who is being held behind bars for the shooting deaths of two FBI agents who died after a shoot out at the Pine Ridge Reservation on June 26, 1975. Mr. Peltier has been incarcerated for nearly 27 years in spite of the fact the government has admitted that it does not know who shot the agents.

    At the time of Mr. Peltier’s trial, the government turned over to defense attorneys 3,500 pages of FBI documents. At that time, the government claimed that this was the extent of FBI records about the case.

    As a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in the early 1980’s it was discovered that the FBI actually maintained 18,000 pages relating to Mr. Peltier. 12,000 pages were released in full or in part and another 6,000 pages were withheld in their entirety.

    Over the past year and a half, Mr. Peltier, through his attorneys, submitted a new round of FOIA requests to FBI Headquarters and all FBI field offices. Through these new FOIA requests Mr. Peltier has learned a number of startling things. It turns out the FBI actually has 60,000 to 100,000 pages of documents relating to Mr. Peltier. The Minneapolis FBI field office alone maintains over 42,000 pages of material relative to the case. FBI field offices in Pittsburgh, Portland, New Haven, San Francisco have destroyed records dealing with Mr. Peltier.

    The question that needs to be asked is why the FBI failed to turn these documents over to Mr. Peltier’s defense attorneys at the time of trial? Why, after all these years, is the FBI still resisting efforts to secure the full release of all records concerning the Peltier case? Why and under what authority has the FBI destroyed records?

    The FBI ought to release all records relative to the Peltier case without further delay. Congress should demand and enact legislation, if necessary, directing the FBI to fully disclose all records dealing with Mr. Peltier. The time has come to tear down the veil of secrecy surrounding the FBI files on Leonard Peltier’s case.

    Sincerely,
    Concerned citizen

  2. Leonard Peltier’s situation is a very disturbing one. Despite many blantently obvious admittances to his wrongful imprisonment, no effort has been made to free the man. It seems to me that many people consider Mr. Peltier to be a threat to whatever fake balance they believe they have. Mr. Peltier is a born Native American leader and his place is with his people, out of prison. I have never seen such a bogus case in all my life. Someone needs to take resposibility for stealing away 27 years of this man’s life. I believe the only way people in higher places will even glance at this situation is if we all put our best effort into letting the world know how unjust his imprisonment really is. I recommend the book, “Prison Writings” by Leonard Peltier. Thank you for your time.

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