Super-Michael

[Guest guest]

Michael Moore is great, as usual. Best regards from France, Bernard

Blanc.

 

A Christmas Appeal to President Clinton

 

Dear President Clinton:

 

Today, you begin your last month in office.

There are many things my friends and I wish you could

have accomplished in these last eight

years. I'm sure you feel the same way.

 

There are a few things, though, you could

do in the next 30 days that would bring freedom to just

three people. I am asking you to be a hero

to three individuals who continue to experience a profound

injustice. You, as President, can correct

the suffering they have had to endure. In the Spirit of the

season, I am hoping you will consider my

appeal...

 

1. Pardon Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier, a

leader of the American Indian Movement, has been in

prison for over two decades. Amnesty

International and every other human rights organization in the

world considers him to be a political

prisoner. The evidence is clear he did not commit the crime he is in

prison for (the killing of a federal agent

during an uprising at the Wounded Knee reservation... see

http://www.freepeltier.org/).

 

Native Americans have barely survived the

genocide that white Americans began over 400 years ago.

That we would imprison just one innocent

Native American is not only abhorrent, it is a continuation of

that genocide. This man was punished for

his political beliefs. He has suffered enough. Sign the

pardon today.

 

2. Pardon Howard Mechanic. Howard, like

yourself, was an anti-war protester at Washington U in

St. Louis.  His crime: he threw a cherry

bomb. No one was harmed, no property was damaged, but

Howard was given a five-year sentence. 

After losing the appeal, he ran.

 

For the past 30 years, he lived a quiet

life in Arizona, raised a family, did charity work, and fought for the

underdog. Until he was caught. Now he is in

prison. He never committed a crime. The New York Times

magazine ran an incredible story on him

earlier this year. Not only is this man no threat, he is an asset to

our society, actively involved in his

community. 

 

(See http://www.howardmechanic.org/.)

 

The Vietnam War is over. Why are we still

fighting it by persecuting people like Howard Mechanic? This

could have been you, Mr. President when you

were at an anti-war rally. Release him from prison

immediately.

 

3. Tell Peru to Return Lori Berenson. Lori

has been in a Peruvian prison for over 5 years.

They accused her of conspiring to help a

rebel group there. She was in Peru working as a freelance

journalist. She never got a real trial (see

http://www.freelori.org/). 

 

This could be your daughter, Mr. President

-- a young, idealistic girl, traveling to a foreign country to

shed light on the way people are treated,

and because she was seen talking to or hanging out with the

wrong people, she is imprisoned for life! 

 

In fact, this could have been YOU, Mr.

Clinton. What if during your college travels to the U.K. or the

Soviet Union you were seen chumming with

IRA people or Soviet dissidents? What if the secret police

just whisked you away without a trial?

 

This is an outrage. I know you have asked

the Peruvian officials about her well-being, but enough is

enough. They now claim they will give her a

new " trial. " No way. NO more Peruvian " justice " for one of

our young citizens. 

 

Demand that Peru return her now or face

harsh sanctions from the United States. All you really need to

do is just pick up the phone and make a

call. You don't even have to tell us what you say to them. Just

do it.

 

Now, that's not a lot to ask of you, is it?

Three of our fellow humans languishing unjustly in prison.

There are many, many more. I suppose if you

really wanted to go down in the history books, you could

reduce everyone's federal sentence on death

row to life imprisonment. 

 

Better yet, you could issue orders to stop

arresting our black and Hispanic citizens at such a

disproportional rate in your " War on

Drugs. " THAT would be an act of courage.

 

I ask all who read this to join me in this

appeal. Write to President Clinton at:  

 

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20500

 

E-mail:  president

Phone:  202-456-1414

Fax:    202-456-2461

 

And just for fun, just to make a final

point about the sacredness of everyone's vote, you could make Al

Gore -- not George W. Bush -- the 43rd

president of the United States! 

 

That's right, you can make the will of the

people a reality. And it's legal. Just resign a couple days early.

Al, according to the Constitution,

automatically becomes president. As I have said for years, it matters

little which one of you Republicrats is in

the Oval Office, so what the heck! 

 

Actually, the one thing we will miss about

you is your sense of humor. Give us all a good laugh and

force Baby Bush into having to succeed Al

Gore. Make him have to physically take the legitimate

reigns of power from the actual winner of

the election into his illegitimate hands!

 

And -- think of how much the Republicans

and the Inauguration Committee will have to spend

changing all the pre-printed banners and

napkins that say " George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the

United States of America. " It'll drive them

crazy.

 

Yours,

 

Michael Moore

 

http://www.theawfultruth.com/

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

mmflint