From a letter from the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee:

"...Mr. Peltier's only remaining chance for a near future release lies in the hands of President Clinton through a grant of Executive Clemency. Mr. Peltier is now 56 years old and his health has begun to deteriorate. According to physicians, his medical conditions put him at risk for heart disease, blindness, stroke, and kidney failure. As Mr. Peltier ages, it becomes more and more difficult for him to endure the conditions of prison life and we truly fear that if he is not released before the President leaves office, he may never see freedom. This would be a tragedy that would forever weigh heavily in the hearts and minds of Indigenous Peoples and concerned citizens everywhere, and an error that the U.S. government could never live down.

"Now is the time to send a loud and positive message to President Clinton compelling him to do the right thing before leaving office. For this reason, we are planning a peaceful march on December 10, 2000 in New York City."

The march will conclude at the United Nations, where International Human Rights Day will be celebrated, but details about starting point and route are still not final. For more information, contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044, (785)842-5774; www.freepeltier.org

Letters of support may be sent to Peltier at the address listed in Inside and Out. Supporters are also encouraged to call the White House comment line weekly to voice support for clemency at (202)456-1111. FBI and police lobbies are in high gear to oppose clemency and need to be countered. Factual summaries and sample letters to the editor to counter articles and punditry that may appear in local papers in the coming months are available from the Defense Committee.