Rachel's Monthly Messages

Staying In Love
by Rachel Carey-Harper

• "In the coming days as the death toll rises it is human nature to react in two ways. One is to turn to God and prayer. The other is to look to retaliation and revenge. Unfortunately for many it is the second that is given the greater energy and we often aren't careful about who we target...." more

Serious Implications
by Rachel Carey-Harper

• "I'm writing to tell you about a hunger strike that is being organized to bring attention to the deplorable conditions in our prisons' segregation units which are increasingly being used for long term imprisonment. When solitary confinement was initiated by Quakers we of course had no clue that it would lead to such a horror....." more

05PM, November 1, 2002

09PM, October 8, 2002

September 28, 2001
A Long Rest

Dear Friends,
Wednesday Barbara F. wrote the following "As far as my efforts go the hunger strike is over... At Eastham the warden has agreed to change the food service to a buffet system which would offer fresher food and to provide cleaning supplies for the prisoners' cells. It is better to claim a quick victory now, as these seem to be some very slight improvements, rather than continue the struggle in this particular manner doing more harm than good." Please go to http://www.ironhousesupport.f2s.com for the complete story on what we've been able to accomplish and the sizable task we still face.

I trust you will all agree that we should end our current effort of Solidarity Fast. Ending in a victory is cause for celebration and congratulations. This is our choice although there is still much that needs to be done in regards to this issue. I have often heard it said that the end is simply a beginning. This true after a period of rest.

Everything has a season and the one great truth about life is that death is necessary, at least on this plane of existence. Plants can die from many causes besides that fact that it is their time. Drought and famine, season change, poison and disease all can bring death. This is true for us as a species as well. We have been told about the possibility of scarcity of things necessary for our survival, from clean water to fuel, we’ve been told about climate change and we know how our planet is being poisoned. Today we also are painfully aware that we face the disease of terrorism.

Although we think it can help eradicate the disease, putting our resources into war is not the answer. The problem is that this particular disease rests in us as well. I was most troubled to hear Pres. Bush use the word "crusade" and I have heard that the phrase "Infinite Justice" comes out of right-wing Christian fundamentalism. There are other diseases that infect us as well. Greed is one. When you sit down to dinner you eat your fill and push anything left aside yet capitalism tells us we need to consume, consume, consume. How many people have you heard say "We will make just so much money this year and no more or give the rest away"? Our leaders want us to believe that consuming more will keep us safe and in the short term this might be true. But over time we will see that it only speeds our destruction. The more we consume (the US has 4% of the world’s population but uses 40% of the resources) the less the rest of the world has for the future and the more we are resented. We will be forced to go to greater and greater lengths both at home and abroad to defend our system against attack. Saying we are fighting for freedom while we ourselves deny it to countless innocent people will not work, neither will killing innocent civilians who happen to be caught in the middle of a military effort to capture a terrorist. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said in 1963 "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that...The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." And from Thich Nhat Hanh "All violence is injustice. Responding to violence with violence is injustice, not only to the other person but also to oneself. Responding to violence with violence resolves nothing; it only escalates violence, anger and hatred. It is only with compassion that we can embrace and disintegrate violence. This is true in relationships between individuals as well as in relationships between nations." Nothing is ever 100 percent certain, especially the future. It seems to me that our task is to push as hard as we can to do things that promote goodness, truth and real justice.

Many plants make seeds before they die so that the spring will bring new life. Those tended by a gardener will have these precious sparks collected and puts in a safe spot until the time of rebirth. The Creator is our gardener. If humanity is about to face its end, let's consider developing WITH OURSELVES those qualities that "God" finds most beautiful and strong; love, peace, respect, honesty. This is definitely easier said then done but there is a way within our means that it can be accomplished. Devote more time to prayer in the manner of your particular path. How much time do you give to prayer during the week? Think about increasing it by 50% by the next change of season. Deuteronomy 30 says, in paraphrase, "when all these things befall you, the blessings and the curses, and you take them to heart and return to God with all your heart and soul...Then God will open your heart in order that you will live".

As plants drop seeds to a fertile soil, let us put what we develop inside ourselves out into the world through good work and compassion, modeling inner peace and infinite love. There are many small and large concrete things we can do. One tiny one is to daily click on http://www.giveaminute.org/donate1.htm to provide medical care for a patient in the Tarahumara (Indian) Children's Hospital. We can continue to write letters to our public and prison officials urging fairness and peace, continue to work for sane conditions in solitary confinement and the freedom of Leonard Peltier. We can give generously of our time and resources to those in serious need particularly those no one else is caring for and especially those who we, or our group, has wronged. It might also be useful to develop and share healthy mourning practices, be ready and willing to be there for each other when things get rough. We need to try to accept the fact that all things end. This is good. A long rest can be a great blessing. Most important we need to know that all will be well. Spring does follow winter and we are very loved.

May Your Life be Blessed
May Light Shine Upon and Within You,

In Love,
Rachel

Mon 07/09/2001
Choosing Change

We are reorganizing. To subscribe send an e-mail to: fast-for-justice-subscribe@egroups.com
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"We are all guilty of the blood of our brother. The crime is national. We are all involved in it; and how can we go forth and profess to believe the faith of the Son of God, with all these great wrongs and evils clinging to us, and we upholding them? ... Our garments are all stained with the blood of the slave. Let us then be clean handed. Seek to be so, and if we find the monstrous evil so interwoven with what we have to do politically, commercially by manufacturing interests, by our domestic relations, then so much the more need is there for our labors.”
Lucretia Mott, 1858

Dear Vigilant Friends,
We have changed our e-mail address! We are now rch@cape.com Our web address has also changed. A Spiral Path to Knowhere is now at http://www.home.cape.com/rch/ (Those who got a previous change of address announcement: that web address was wrong. Please note there is no tilde (~) before rch.)

I feel like I've been in a period of transition for a while now. It is rather unpleasant but as a close friend says "Why do I need to always be comfortable." Life is about struggle. Strong growth involves struggle (greenhouse plants are often weak and prone to disease). Real love involves struggle because it means accepting the things about the other person that we don't like or understand and being willing to look into those uncomfortable places within ourselves that our loved one finds troubling. Struggle however should not be confused with suffering. "People will give up all manner of pleasures but they will not give up their suffering" says a Hindu mystic. Oppressor and oppressed both suffer. Those of us from European descent suffer such guilt and shame at our ancestors behavior and our own benefits and use of privilege and supremacy that we often shut it away because it is too painful. We're hold onto our own suffering. We feel terrified that if we open the door we will be forced to live like 98% of the world's population; without the advantages of our race, class and gender. Our suffering is familiar and we don't want change. The resistance is extreme. Discomfort is used as the testing rod to decide not to act.

In my heart, I am as committed as ever to Leonard Peltier's freedom. However, after two years of the Fast/hunger strike and the denial of clemency it's been hard to find the right path. Turning it into a vigil has felt less then adequate. My concern is to keep clear and strong the combination of inward spiritual and outward social action. My hope was to involve many many people in this work. But few people have made a commitment of paying attention for even one day though now it doesn't involve the small sacrifice of missing a couple of meals. The fast-for justice e-group/e-mail list is currently up to over 200 people. Do more then 5% take action or use any kind of prayer to correct this supreme injustice?

Currently the LPDC is asking us to continue to contact our senators and others "pressing the Judiciary Committee to hold substantial investigations of the FBI which include a full examination of the Peltier case and the release of the 6000 FBI documents. (On their web site http://www.freepeltier.org/) is an updated sample letter stressing that the public's confidence in the FBI cannot be restored without full and fair investigations into the FBI and follow-up measures to assure that such practices of abuse and misconduct are stopped." - Will you be honoring their request?

At this point I have decided to clean-up, pare down. I think this will make it easier to see the road ahead. With this in mind I am going to be unsubscribing many of you from this list, leaving a body of 40-50 people who seem to have either a deep spiritual seriousness, a fairly clear understanding of the dynamics of oppression and/or a sincere ongoing commitment to Leonard Peltier. In addition I am in the process of forming an inner core of 7-12 people (ideally people on the Red Road (Wampanoag), Jewish as well as Quaker people) who will to provide spiritual advise and support for each other in our struggles to stay faithful and present. Obviously there are many of you I don't know and if you are unsubscribed but you want to continue please feel free to resubscribe and sign up for a vigil. The purpose of the vigil is to devote a day to the combination of any sort of prayer with some kind of outward action; be it lighting a candle, letter writing, simply talking to people, learning about Leonard Peltier's case in general or working on the broader dynamics which influence this issue. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fast-for-justice/calendar?s=2&t=985150800 and add you name as an event or e-mail me and specify what day you want and whether it is once a week, once a month or once a year). Another similar opportunity is being organized by the Oglala Commemoration Committee. AN "INTERNATIONAL PRAYER VIGIL" has been started. "All People of heart, please say a prayer for Leonard's freedom, his spirit, his health, and his family, every day at 9:00 a.m. (in your own time zone). The world will pray in unison, and strength will come to Leonard!" (I set the alarm on my computer to go off at 8:55 as a reminder)

 In the message I wrote after clemency was denied I described the situation feeling like a train pulling into a lonely station. Today it feels like the train is starting to leave. "Whoo - whoo, all aboard." Why should people devote any effort to this one man with so much injustice and societal problems in the world? For one thing Leonard is a spiritual leader for many Nations of Indian people. It is one of the few ways that those of us of European decent can demonstrate our concern and respect for them. For another he is a symbol for an entire host of issues around some of the methods used to protect white privilege and supremacy. And as Eugene Debs said, "While there is a lower class I am in it; while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there's a soul in prison I am not free,"

Why should we take the risk of entering a place of mind-set change? Why should we allow ourselves to be uncomfortable? The answer depends upon what kind of world we want to leave behind us. Do we want a world in which all people can join together as equal and respected parts of the human family? If so we must let go of that which keeps us separated, apart from each other and apart from the Source of Light, where pure Love and Peace abide, where the divine spark within every individual joins in harmony with all others. Somehow we need to find the courage to go beyond our comfort zone and demonstrate our willingness to fulfilling our moral responsibility. We need to dare to think holistically, think beyond our minds and look to our hearts.

When obstacles seem to be in the way perhaps we should make ongoing prayer a priority; hold "the problem" in the Light so to speak. It could be that the healing unity found in the Spirit, that sense of the Presence that goes beyond words and worlds, is what is necessary to build a foundation for spiritual reconciliation which must start with justice. In times of hurt, anger, and sorrow if we turn to that Divine source we can't be dragged astray and pain becomes an opportunity for the Light to unfold in our lives.

Separation, growth, death and birth are painful and often scary. Two things we can be sure of are that change is inevitable and that the Spirit will work through whatever tiny openings we provide. I welcome a time when, for each of us, old blame and shame dissolves into new compassion and harmony, when we choose change rather then hold onto our suffering. I look forward to being in a place where a renewed commitment to Justice, Truth and Respect blossoms in all our hearts; where we met each other with Light and unconditional Love.

May you be surrounded with Joy and Beauty,
May you find that space of Perfect Peace and Wholeness,

"G-d" willing,
Rachel Carey-Harper

"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'Universe', a part limited in time and space. (We) experience (our)self, (our) thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest---a kind of optical delusion of (our) consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
    "Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty."

--Albert Einstein

09PM, May 13, 2001
The Greatest Love

"There can be no healing without truth, and the greatest love is that which is based on justice." Leonard Peltier

Dear Former Fast Friends,

Margy's recent message spoke to my condition. I have felt like I've been limping along. The change of the fast to a vigil has met with very marginal success. I have had trouble sustaining the energy with only a handful of people having made an ongoing commitment. (If interested go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fast-for-justice/calendar?s=2&t=989121600, click on "add event" then put your name in the box labeled "event name" or email me and I'll do it for you).

I have been spending much of the last month at the potters wheel. This is a very good place for me to be at the moment as it is a constant reminder of the importance of being in the present and staying centered. This is useful analogy for my life at this time. The very center of my life is my relationship with the Creator. Surrounding this is the reality of an adoring husband and partner, a beautiful environment, a house full of laughter, the freedom to live authentically and the time to devote to peace and justice concerns. As with the clay, occasional air pockets (ignorance), foreign material (prejudice), or hard bits of clay (my own unexamined attitudes or distresses) can, if I'm not very careful, push me off center.

Recently I have been reflecting upon how many people, who at one time were friends, I have lost to their racist attitudes for at the moment I am estranged from my Quaker faith community. (But, this is well balanced by the friends I have gained with whom I connect in place deeper the words.) I realize that at one time I shared the same attitudes and perceptions but something changed as I looked within myself and understood the spiritual consequences. It could easily have been me resistant to naming a situation of bigotry.

 I have been studying the Torah with Rabbi Mazo and two weeks ago the weekly portion (Lev:14) was about the treatment of a leper. A Midrash was that the thing that "G-d" hates the most is "He that soweth discord among brethren" and one mustn't separate oneself from community. (It's uncanny how often the portion directly relates to what's happening in my life). So here I am, feeling like a leper, doing exactly what's prohibited. This does trouble me greatly. I am considering the role that arrogance plays in my behavior. It is complicated. Were the biblical Isaiah and Jeremiah or John Woolman arrogant? Where does righteous indignation belong?

In my humble (for I do realize that my knowledge is most imperfect) opinion, what is of primary important is our unity with the Source of Light where pure Love and Peace abide, where the divine spark within every individual joins in harmony with all others in Oneness. I do not think that achieving this state is automatic or assured. It takes a commitment to fearlessly consider our inner state and detach from anything and everything not of "G-d's" will or in other words, not part of the sacred (to the best our limited discernment can determine).

Healing, forgiveness and reconciliation can be important actions to bring this to conscious reality but without care they can also be detrimental. For example if forgiveness or healing is used to cover over the very thing that is keeping people separate from That Which is Eternal then the best that can be achieved is a pseudo spirituality, one that is born from complacency, comfort and collusion. We can then only achieve a hollow, superficial peace. It's like putting a bandage on an abrasion but not first cleaning out the embedded dirt. For healing to be effective the behavior or situation that is causing the damage must first stop, a wound can't heal when the knife is still cutting. As Leonard Peltier says "There can be no healing without truth".

Racism and injustice (IMHO) are attitudes and behaviors that those of us descended from European immigrants carry (most often unconsciously) that keeps us apart and I personally continuously work on within myself. To my mind, it isn't our racist attitudes per-se (or greed or any of the other negative human behaviors/evils) that keep us separate but rather when we tenaciously hold onto them, when they become more important than that Life in that Spirit. The trick is to stay flexible so that they can slip off us like a snake shedding its skin. One of the best ways of doing this is to keep an open mind, be willing to deeply listen and respond when an oppressed group speaks out and tells us what they need and what we must do.

For example, this question that came up from Yarmouth Meeting regarding the petition for Federal recognition "What else will Wampanoag want". I hear in this a fear of the lose of white privilege and a resentment of the "disadvantaged" taking something from the "more equal". How do I become a spark, a catalyst that gets people to think enough differently to take a look at these with themselves? It is so easy for people with tenaciously held attitudes to take it personally. We cast ourselves in the role of the victim; hurt by anyone who expresses pain at our privileged behavior.

It can be exceedingly tricky to figure out how to chip away at enculturated attitudes of privilege and supremacy without triggering the person to simply add more mortar and brick to cover that Light within. If someone shows us what we think is their good side it could be their Light or it could be a mechanism that they are using to solidify their walls; sometimes by manipulating things so we don't get too close "see, I'm really okay, you can trust me, I'm a nice person, (just don't challenge my stuff in this other area)".

Some would like to disconnect the principle of unconditional Love from justice but in examples from of Gandhi to Jesus to the Torah we see that they are inseparable. We can no more separate justice from unconditional love then we can divorce it from peace or truth. As Leonard Peltier says "the greatest love is that which is based on justice."

During Friends Meeting at a recent wonderful retreat on Quaker ministry I was moved to say that "at its best our ministry is a vehicle for and connected to that infinite and eternal unconditional Love. It is this Love that is the ground, this Love that is the air, this Love that is the fire and this Love that is the water of our Life." A woman then spoke about the messages she has heard from children and I remembered the first I ever gave. I was ten years old and said "God is Love". The last message of the retreat's Meeting was a man who sang a hymn "God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." As Meeting broke tears were streaming down my face. To a lesser degree I experience something like this during services at the Cape Cod Synagogue when after a sustained silence the cantor sings what would be loosely translated as "May the One who causes peace to reign in the high heavens cause peace to reign among us, Israel and all the world". It feels like I am swept into a place of such intense Beauty, intense Love, intense Peace that I am overwhelmed.

May your life be full of blessings
of Light,
Rachel

March 17, 2001
Night Before the Dawn

We are reorganizing. To subscribe send an e-mail to: fast-for-justice-subscribe@egroups.com
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Dear fast Friends,
The last couple months have been an especially low time for me. As you might guess, it started with the Inauguration when we learned that Leonard Peltier wasn't pardoned. I had feelings of worthless and extreme hopelessness. I felt, to quote Ed after he attended a somewhat unproductive meeting, "I wasn't useful, it wasn't fun and it was a waste of time". More significant however was feelings of disillusionment with humanity.

If our leaders don't have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong or if they lack the courage to stand up to tyranny especially when it is in our own police forces, what does that say about those of us who let them be our leaders and what does that say about our future? If we as a people can accept the twisting of the truth until it becomes a lie or tolerate such blatant injustice with a shrug, maybe a shake of the head and a "poor man" and then go back to business as usual what does that say about us as individuals? For two years I maintained a continuous fast, for what did a few of us sacrifice? Did I bring even the dimmest glimmer of light or, like eating a chocolate bar, were my words kind of nice but soon forgotten? I have a little saying at my desk "never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and annoys the pig". Is that what I was doing, simply annoying the pig?

It felt like we were on a train that was coming into a station. We were going to be met with a brass band, a big feast and a warm homecoming. When the train arrived there was no brass band, no feast, I was alone in a desolate place far from home, the journey uncompleted with no idea where to go or how to get there.

Then a situation in Mashpee got very tense. I found myself in the ludicrous situation of, in a public forum, with a loudly raised voice, red face and wagging finger screaming how can we find ways to bring friendship, harmony, trust and love to this community. A former Mashpee Selectman organized this gathering about what he thought Mashpee Wampanoag tribal recognition would mean to the town. The hall was packed with about 250 mostly European American people sitting in chairs. For the most part, the Wampanoag stood around the sides and back. On the stage was a long table with four white men who spoke at length in what seemed like an attempt to sow mistrust, hatred and fear. They falsely insisting that if recognized, the Wampanoag would bring casinos into the town of Mashpee or at least onto Cape Cod and that they would sue people and claim their homes. Over and over again these so called experts gave examples of how Indian people lie and don't subscribe to law. They insisted that "there is no middle ground" quote unquote.

It is impossible to convey with words the emotional pain that was inflicted by this event. However, one good thing was that this time the Cape Cod Times was accurate in their reporting and included specifics such as the opening remarks of Jeff Benedict advised against any reconciliation work with the tribe equating it with attempts to appease Nazi Germany. While Quakers from around the Cape have gathered in a committee to take some positive steps, my local Meeting is currently not supporting this committee's work. This saddens me.

A couple of weeks ago the realization came to me that it isn't that people are bad but rather it is a question of cleanliness. The inner goodness within each of us gets obscured by emotional clutter. Light can have difficulty shining through the grime of tenaciously held ignorance. Distractions of inner turmoil can refract and distort the brilliance. I realize that ultimately I can't force people to open their eyes or clean up their messes. The work of awareness has to come from within each person. We have to find out for ourselves. I can only work on me. So I have made a personal commitment to cleanliness.

As I am so fond of doing, I am combining inner work and outward action. I am clearing away the clutter, the piles of stuff that are all over my house. I am examining the things that are important for me to keep and throwing away those that aren't. I am scrubbing off the grime. (Those who've been into our home know this is no small undertaking). Meanwhile I am also focusing on those aspects of my life that make a sort of spiritual clutter; hyper self critical, impatience, irritation, disappointment, frustration, various resentments, any place where I notice a negative emotion.

I am learning to sense when the interaction is such that I leave feeling unsupported, disrespected and distrusted. There are many disagreements that don't produce unproductive controversy. But when it feels hurtful, fear of attack can be triggered and I become defensive. There are times when it could be necessary for me to endure such an environment, however these situations, where many times negativity is often under the surface, severely interferes with my spiritual serenity. Under these circumstances, not only is it not good for me but I am often not good for others. Healing is interrupted. Since spiritual relationship is of utmost importance to me, those of you who participate with me in Meetings might occasionally notice me withdrawing. I feel like being in these situations clutters up the light within me and are contrary to my fulfilling my personal commitment.

So what about Leonard Peltier? What about peace and justice? Where are we? I still find the concept of continuous fasting powerful but impractical to maintain indefinitely (except maybe for Rueben who continues it even now). To do this sort of action we need at least 4 other people willing to commit to 1 day/week and 8-10 others willing to do 1-2 days/month.

Each morning one of the first things I see when I walk out of our bedroom is a poster from the annual vigil we used to do on the Hyannis village green to bear witness to Leonard's incarceration. It has a 16"x22" picture of Peltier and the words Prayer Vigil - Free Leonard Peltier and Free Ourselves. I looked "vigil" up in the dictionary. It means "1: a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast with prayer or other devotions... 3: an act or period of watching or surveillance."

Vigilance is essential especially for Leonard as indicated in the excerpts from two recent posts from the LPDC following this message. So it occurs to me that this might be an appropriate place for us to work. What this would exactly entail? Perhaps people could sign up for a day similar to when we were fasting but instead of giving something up, we could resolve to use the day to pay attention to Leonard's case and issues of justice, share the facts with others around us and use the time for prayers that revolve around peace and healing. We could mark this time by keeping a candle burning during our 24 hours. As always each of us could follow our own way (although I like the concept of a continuously burning candle). If interested you can sign up for a day where it says add events at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fast-for-justice/calendar?s=2&t=985150800 (put your name for an event). (Using their calendar will make it a lot easier on Ed however if you have any difficulty at all let us know). I think that perhaps starting at the equinox would be appropriate as it is a time between the darkness of the winter and light of summer solstices.

Perhaps we could consider this Vigil as keeping watch during the night through the darkness of ignorance, injustice and insanity. We wait and watch until the dawn of Peltier's and our own release, until the time when people awake from their comas of complacency and greed. We watch and wait until each of our sparks join together, until the Light within each us shines through our sparkling clean Selves so brightly that we bring a time of wholeness, a time of peace and love.

What do you think? Will you join me?

May the Light of Awareness Be
yours,
Rachel

--------------------------------
    From: "LPDC" lpdc@idir.net

PRISON AUTHORITIES CRACKING DOWN ON PELTIER AND ALL FEDERAL PRISONERS

Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary is banning the media from interviewing Leonard Peltier. In the last week all pending interview requests from established media networks and reporters were denied. Prison authorities say they are facilitating too many press visits and their staff is unable to handle the volume. However, Peltier has not done an interview for several months.

Secondly, Leonard Peltier and other prisoners received memos this week from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) stating that federal prisoners' phone calls will be restricted ... Both phone call and visitation privileges have been gradually eroded over the past few years, and will likely diminish completely if the public does not fight back.

We at the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee find these two developments to be an alarming sign that prison authorities plan to cut prisoners off from communications with the public. This dangerous trend will make prison staff even less accountable for prisoner abuse. Moreover, it will have a devastating affect on the families of prisoners and on the defense networks of political prisoners, whose voices will be largely stifled. check out www.freepeltier.org for more information
------

FOP Asks Officers Not To Work Film Shoot

NewsChannel 5.com ~ Nashville, TN
 Tennessee is once again in the Hollywood glow as Robert Redford gets set to shoot a new movie here. ...As Redford heads to Nashville to make a new movie, the city's Fraternal Order of Police faces a conflict. "Our problem with Robert Redford is that he is an outspoken supporter of Leonard Peltier, who killed two FBI agents," said Calvin Hullett, with the Fraternal Order of Police.

Hullett wants Fraternal Order of Police members to remember the slain FBI agents when Redford begins filming at the old Tennessee state prison. "We're asking that officers not work in an off-duty, voluntary capacity out there," Hullett said. "He may need five or ten officers out there working when they're filming. We're just asking them not to." ...Hullett said the fact that President Clinton didn't pardon Peltier before leaving office backs up law enforcement's belief that Peltier was properly convicted.

Take the following path for the rest of the story...
http://www.newschannel5.com/news/0103/02/fop.html

January 26, 2001
Unfinished Business

Dear Fast Friends,

Although the Solidarity fast for Peltier Peace and Justice has come to an end, obviously the effort to gain Leonard's freedom continues. I remain committed to this struggle. Perhaps one of the most essential things we can do in this regard is to follow Leonard's leadership regarding getting treaties honored as well as work on the primary issues facing indigenous people in our own communities.

IMPORTANT
-**- ON CAPE COD WE HAVE A RARE OPPORTUNITY. While it is extremely infrequent for the Mashpee Wampanoag to invite outside help, today they feel that it is important for rational non-native people to be present in defense of their efforts to gain federal recognition.

FEB. 3rd (Saturday)
1-4pm
at the Quashnet School, Old Barnstable Rd. (from Mashpee rotary take Great Neck Rd. (the one to the north) a few blocks down to Old Barnstable Rd. on left, school is on left.)

George Benway (former Selectman during land suit) has scheduled a speaker, author Jeff Benadict, who will inform non-natives here of what he thinks we can expect as a result of federal recognition. According to an anthropologist who has worked with the tribe and used to review applications for federal recognition, Benedict is dangerous because he is ignorant of US Indian law and the tribal acknowledgment process, is prejudiced against Indian tribes, and passes himself off as an expert in an effort to sell more of his own books. He does shoddy research but the way he presents it is often very believable to the public at large.

Many of the Mashpee Wampanoag fear that Benadict will pitch things in a way that gives folks the impression that everyone on the Cape is 'at risk'. The fact is, no non-native person has ever had their property taken by the government or a tribe through eminent domain as a result of federal recognition.

Everyone is invited to attend at no charge.

NOW's OUR CHANCE! Please bring this invitation back to your communities. Rally your people. Please get everyone you can think of to show up for this rare opportunity to
DEMONSTRATE SOLIDARITY! It's time to show who we are!
------

While continuing my personal work, in the face of extreme disappointment I have been thinking about where and how to concentrate spiritual energies and apply outward action. It seems rather futile to try to pressure a Bush White House with petitions, phone calls etc. and it appears to me to be obvious that the national Democratic Party leadership aren't real allies. One thing that makes sense to me is to build on the base of true allies who have demonstrated their resolve for justice and reach out to others who perhaps have similar leadings. From what I see, the Green party looks like a place for positive political change (Cape Codder's check out http://www.acircle.com/green/citizen/intro.html). I also think it can't hurt to continue to educate people about Leonard's case and the state of our democracy. Although, in the short term the benefits from this work could be marginal as it seems to me that the power in this country rests not with the people but with invisible hands of corporations and the FBI/covert intelligence agencies.

But what if it wasn't really Clinton's fault that he didn't pardon Peltier. In this week's Torah portion we learn that "God" hardened Pharaoh's heart to prevent him from releasing the Jews. What if "God" hardened Clinton's heart? Why would "he" do this? We know that one of the primary purposes of Leonard's imprisonment is to bring people together. What if the reason Leonard is still behind bars is not Clinton, not his Lawyers, not even the FBI, but us. It's not that we weren't diligent enough with petitions, etc. but rather that we have not come together. We have not been generous with our support or encouragement of each other. We have been too quick to criticize or marginalize, to show disrespect. We have been too interested in our own ego and not responsive to each others needs, sorrows, joys or hardships. We have been too quick to dismiss or ignore each other's insights or gifts. Personally, I have felt that our considerable efforts and sacrifice with two years of fasting has been invisible because of nefarious power both outside the system as well as inside, the status quo. Certainly I wouldn't have wanted or expected coverage in the New York Times but what about the Nation? Basically it's possible that we haven't fulfilled the task which has been given us. So Leonard stays in jail.

To me it feels like people need to be woken up from in a deep coma. It feels frustrating to me that so many extremely wise people have been talking and screaming and it seems to be doing very little good. This is what lead me to start a virtual Meeting for Worship http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/entryway.html. If words have no impact then perhaps silent prayer is the best we can do. Maybe if people are uncomfortable, cold, hungry they will rouse themselves. I wait and pray with unwavering faith in the love and light that exists in all our hearts.

Walk with Beauty,
Sit with Truth,
Sleep with Peace

Your sister,
Rachel

P.S. Please sign or simply post your comments in the guestbook (http://pub.alxnet.com/guestbook?id=2025519).

previous messages are still at http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/rmm.html.

January 21, 2001
Come to the End

Dear Fast Friends,

We've come to the end of this wonderful adventure. Thank-you so much for allowing me to share with you this part of my journey. Thank-you for the opportunity to personally develop in spiritual awareness. Thank-you for expanding the possibilities and visions of a peaceable world and thank-you for supporting new ways of confronting injustice and oppression. Ed and I will not be dissolving the fast e-group. There is still a lot in this world that could use a dose of prayerful attention. If (after a rest) you think you'd like to get us rolling with a different focal point in the struggle for justice, please feel free to post to the list. If enough steam is generated for combining inward spiritual work with outward action, I am very willing to take another ride.

One final request. Before you leave please sign out on the guestbook http://pub.alxnet.com/guestbook?id=2025519 or you can find it from http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fast.html where there's also a link to all the material from the last two years of the fast for justice. Feel free to include any insights, reflections or any sort of comment. Afterwards you will find a link to a virtual meeting for worship http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/entryway.html. I invite anyone with a spiritual bent to visit. I think you will find that you don't need to be a Quaker to find it of value.

It may seem like a mighty low time but do not despair. With each struggle, win or lose, more and more people become aware, more and more people become outraged at the abuse of human rights. The corruption is being exposed. Thanks to the wide variety of large and small actions of committed people like you who've seen what is important to them discounted, no longer are we under the grand delusion that the US is a land of the free, that truth and justice are part of the American way. The people in power are exposing themselves as cowards, people who no only will betray those they love but their own professed convictions, such as Clinton's rhetoric of healing historical injustices while denying Leonard Peltier his rightful freedom, the plight of workers enslaved by an unlivable minimum wage, etc.

The question is no longer where we've been but where are we going? Do we accept life in a plutocracy or are we going to fight for real democracy with justice for all? Truth is on our side. So be of good cheer. Sure, the squirrels are in the bird feeder but who knows, someday in the not to distant future we might be grateful for their protein. Goodness will triumph.

Please know that I love you,
With much gratitude,
Rachel

January 14, 2001

Dear Fast Friends,

Leonard Peltier says "When at last I'm a free man ... we must work unceasingly, no matter what the odds, for the honoring of the treaties...But within the greater struggle, we must turn and help ourselves and our People, one by one. There's not a one of us who can't give a helping hand, just as there's not a one of us who can't benefit from a helping hand." ("Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance") This is certainly true for us all and is a wonderful example of love. Many of us recognize that aiding our own people and all human beings is essential at this point in our evolution. We all breathe the air, live on the earth. Together we're hanging on this spinning sphere. The solution to our severe problems does not lie in our politicians but in ourselves, you and I.

Leonard also says in the section entitled "A Message to Humanity"; "We must each be an army of one in the endless struggle between the goodness we are all capable of and the evil that threatens us all from without as well as within. Yes we can each be an army of one." (Interesting that the US Army is using the words of a man who many believe is a US political prisoner in a new ad campaign.) Leonard goes on to say "One good man or one good woman can change the world...We must each be that person. That will transform the world overnight. That would be a miracle, yes, but a miracle within our power, our healing power ... To heal we will have to make the conscious effort to live as the Creator intended, as sisters and brothers, all of one human family, caretakers of this fragile, perishable, and sacred Earth." How about you? What do you say?

  A friend has asked me "How do you stay so......deeply spiritual? I don't know how you do it, but you keep doing it! It's exhausting to me." Well I've got to admit It's been a very challenging time for me yet also rather invigorating. What could be better then feeling the arms of your beloved surround you, knowing that you are completely loved and at the same time knowing that it is all one so never mind any duality illusion. I think it is my daily practice that sustains me. When I first open my eyes in the morning, in that time when my mind is not fully in gear, I connect with my heart and think about how much I love ("God"). Likewise during odd minutes through my day and especially at night when I drift off to sleep. There's time enough to think about mundane issues during the active hours. I also prioritize worship time both communal as well as personal (usually 1-2 hours /day while walking, good for the body as well as the soul). I guess it's really no big deal, especially when you start where you are (even if only a few minutes) and just take it one step at at time; simple.

 I also have lots of help. Recently one evening I felt like leaving it all behind. Over and over again people, a lot wiser then me, speak or write truly uplifting words about what we need to do, where we need to be, yet things don't seem to get better. I questioned whether anyone was listening so why should I, in my feeble attempts, even bother. What difference could my puny effort make when such greater minds then mine don't seem to be successful. I spent that late sunset walking on a very blustery beach. It was so beautiful, exactly what I needed. Later in the bath the candle went out and I was left in the light of a just past full moon listened to Bjork. In her album "Homogenic" she sing "I feel emotional landscapes they puzzle me, confuse, then the riddle gets solved and you push me up to this state of emergency". She spoke to my condition. (I highly recommend it the album.)

In many of my messages I speak about Love. I think it is important to be clear that the love I am talking about is not being a doormat or tolerating abuse from anyone or any group whether it be physical, emotional, cultural or political. Love is not turning a blind eye when someone, or some people, steal, lie or cheat. In fact, I believe that real Love demands that we confront this sort of behavior in ourselves as well as others. Without challenge the worse not the best is strengthened. Who the person really is isn't the immorality or ignorance. It is the good that is in every person where we find that Light. Now I'll grant you that it can be difficult to see this spark in some. But I firmly believe that no matter how small or how buried it does exist. Love requires us to trust that it is there and do everything we can to encourage it. Condoning the bad is giving up on the real person. Love means staying strong in a fight against oppression and injustice because it is truth, respect and justice that gives Love its power. John Woolman said in 1763 "To conform a little to a wrong way strengthens the hands of such who carry wrong customs to their utmost extent; and the more a person appears to be virtuous and heavenly-minded, the more powerfully does his conformity operate in favor of evil-doers"

Let's not give up. Let's not give up on Leonard. Let's not give up on each other. Let's not give up on ourselves. Let's be each other's helping hands.

Stay strong in Love,
Rachel

P.S Humor is also very important to my spiritual well being. The other day the tag from a Salada tea bag said "Fast food, gobble, gulp and go"
(I'm not kidding).

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dates for Cape Cod People
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Mashpee Wampanoag might be needing the support of Cape Codders committed to justice on Feb. 3rd. I'll let you know. Please keep the date free.
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January 20th, inauguration day, from 10 AM to noon at the Mashpee rotary (near Mashpee Commons) to protest the blatantly illegal and anti-democratic presidential "election". Bring signs and/or costumes. Assemble (& get warm) at the Mobil Station. Organized by the Upper Cape Greens.
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vigil at noon on January 20
 Rep. Delahunt's Hyannis office at 146 Main Street.

Rep. Delahunt has not taken a position on this issue (Iraq sanctions), even though thousands of people in Iraq are dying each month from disease and hunger due to the US-led sanctions. He has not responded to requests for meetings on this issue. This action can also protest Delahunt's lack of action on the effort to free Leonard Peltier, and any other issues that people wish to speak out on.

--------
From: "LPDC"

Dear Friends,
No decision on Peltier's clemency yet. We are still expecting the decision to be announced at the very last minute.

The White House comment line has officially closed for the transition of presidency. You can still fax the White House by going to our web site: http://www.freepeltier.org

You can also flood the White House with emails by sending messages supporting clemency to president@whitehouse.gov (emails are not usually as effective as phone calls and faxing, but now that phone calls are eliminated, we may as well go for it!)
You can also vote at the vote.com web site. The question as to whether or not Clinton should grant clemency to Peltier is still on their site. Currently the results are 46% supporting clemency and 54% against, although the poll does not seem to reflect accurate results. At one point Peltier was winning, but then the votes supporting clemency began to disappear. It seems the poll runs in cycles and starts over every so often, allowing people to reenter their vote. Also, all of the site's other poll results are very right leaning, overwhelmingly supporting Ashcroft and Bush. At any rate, it doesn't hurt us to try! Just click on this URL to vote (the company only accepts votes from the US):
http://www.vote.com/vResults/index.phtml?cat=4075633

Lastly, you can hear excerpts from the Congressional briefing that was held on the Peltier case on our web site: www.freepeltier.org.

Thank you for your continued support.

New Year's Eve Meeting for Worship 12/31/00

"As one moment turns into the next moment, as the hour moves to the next hour as this year changes to the next millennium, we are part of these cycles, riding on the divine circle, the sacred hoop of life. On this journey, may we connect with each other in Love so that together we can illuminate the world."

Dear Fast Friends,

Round and round we go. At some point in our lives most of us realize how this existence is so very short. We are here one minute then gone. And, while there are many different concepts about what happens after we die, only one thing is for sure; our life as we know it will have come to an end. What has been given to or taken from us and what we have given to or taken from others can no longer be changed. What we have accomplished, what we have neglected is etched in stone.

Perhaps this is a major reason I am working so hard for Leonard Peltier (and other issues of peace and justice). I want to be sure that when I pass over I have done literally everything I possibly could for the cause of truth and Love. For Love is the one thing that survives even death. As I said years ago in one of my speeches about the Clothesline Project (which bears witness to violence against women): "Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Just as the most gentle stream eventually erodes the hardest rock so Love will eventually soften the hardest heart." Love is what can and must connect us. It can cross all boundaries of rich or poor, young or old, imprisoned or free. This is one of the greatest gifts that Leonard has given to the world. Through his suffering he has created an opportunity for us to ignore the artificial constraints of race, class and so forth which have separated us for far too long and get to the real heart of the matter.

Yes it is a critical and uncertain time for Leonard. If he doesn't get out now the current wisdom is that he will die in prison given his health conditions. However even if this awful thing should occur he will be successful. First, from my observation (please forgive me if I speak out of turn) it seems that many Indian communities can be seriously at odds with each other. Leonard Peltier is one cause that across the board, Indian people rally around. Second, good hearted people of every race, both in this country and around the world, have joined together in this struggle. Leonard is a point of unity in a fractured world, connecting us no only for justice but in that deeper eternal place that exist within everyone.

I started the last message with some of my personal seeking on what I should specifically be doing at this critical time. I have taken Ed's advice and on 01/01/01 started a fast of silence (no talking, though I do allow myself laughter). I also am on a limited food fast, having simply 2 glasses of juice a day except for special occasions (these include potlucks, special dinner dates, hospitality hours, about 2-3 meals and 1-2 snacks/week). I will be doing this until Clinton makes a decision about clemency or until the Jan. 20th inauguration. Beyond the spiritual or non tangible benefits this action has proved to be very useful for educating the unaware. When I am in public no one knows if I am not eating but many become aware that I'm not speaking, This gives me the opportunity to share a brief explanation of the situation. Its amazing how many people have become interested. Maybe you could consider this too, (though I warn you it isn't easy if, like me, you are a bit gregarious by nature).

In the last post I sent out I also said that the FBI and the US judicial system have done a marvelous thing. Perhaps I am wrong. The biblical Joseph said to his brothers "Now do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because your sold me hither; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you...God has sent me ahead of you to ensure your survival on earth, and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance. So its not you who sent me here, but God." Maybe this is true in Leonard's case as well. There are particular circumstances in which we can find a larger purpose at work although I am not suggesting that bad situations can usually be explained away by "God's will". What if Leonard in in the place he is in order to heal that divine circle, the sacred hoop of life. Certainly its odd to find any similarities between Joseph and Leonard although they were both leaders and in a sense they both were/are slaves. (For that is really what in some sense our prison system has become; legal slavery.) And as Ramona P. said over two years ago when I started this thing, Leonard is a warrior for the people, that's who he is and therefore he was well aware of the demands that this role entails. Imprisonment is sometimes part of the job description as is death. He knows his life is a sun dance. He is better served if we waste no tears and look to correct the injustice that he is fighting against as we struggle for his release. (If you haven't already I highly recommend his book Prison Writings: My Life is my Sun Dance. A easy read that's available through http://www.freepeltier.org or a major bookstore.)

 A midrash (ancient Jewish text of the underlying significance of a Bible passage) on this section says "Joseph was the youngest of the tribal ancestors, yet his brethren could not withstand his rebuke. How much more then when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes and rebukes each man according to his deserts, as it says, But I will reprove thee, and set the cause before thine eyes (Ps.L,21)!" Joseph's brothers have to answer to a higher power. What about our FBI brothers? I pity the government people when/if their time comes before Creator and I certainly would not want to be Clinton if he fails to free Leonard at this last chance for justice. But when all is said and done and we are at best fading memories, politics won't matter and property will turn to dust. It our righteousness and all that we create in Love; our positive energy, that will live on.

Here and now is our chance to manifest that pure Light that abides in respect, peace and joy. The moment turns.

Be in
Love,

Rachel

December 29, 2000

From: "LPDC" lpdc@idir.net
The website http://www.vote.com has a poll up with the question "Should President Clinton Pardon Leonard Peltier, Who Was Convicted Of Killing Two FBI Agents?"

For each person that votes, "vote.com" sends an email to President Clinton, telling him how he/she voted. [Vote.com was created by Dick Morris (who was President Clinton's chief strategist and advisor in the 1996 campaign.] *We are asking all Peltier supporters to go to this website an vote in support for Clemency for Leonard Peltier.*

The site holding the on-line petition supporting clemency for Leonard Peltier will close on Friday, at which point we will print it and have it delivered to the White House. When you sign the petition, don't make your email address public. FBI agents are sending out hate mail to supporters.
 Here is the link to the petition. THANK YOU!
http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html

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Dear Fast Friends,
I'm sure we all had hoped Leonard Peltier would have been released by now. Since this hasn't occurred I feel that it is critical that we continue our work into January. I am intending to take the first four days of this new millennium for fasting. I will be concentrating on putting into the world the spiritual energy that I hope will help create our dreams of a future of peace, justice and ultimately the profound understanding of oneness. I am seriously considering continuing this effort until Leonard's case is resolved however I have great trepidation about committing myself to a fast that could last up to 3 weeks. This effort started with a prolonged fast, perhaps it is fitting that it end with one. I would appreciate any advise to help me clarify my calling in this matter. When I spoke to Ed about this issue he suggested I consider a vow a silence for this length of time. Certainly a possibility I will consider. I also ask any of you who can participate to sign up for some time. (And please keep up the phone calls, sign the petitions, etc.)

 In the last message I spoke about those qualities of Mother Bear that give me hope. In New York city on December 10th I found that she wasn't unique in this regard for I found myself with nations of such people. I especially felt most strongly these qualities I mentioned before with the folks from Mashpee; gentleness and love, strong and proud, accepting yet wary, hopeful and pragmatic, resigned, enthusiastic, and sheer joy in life. I also observed a great dignity and a grounded power solidly rooted in the spiritual life. To walk the streets of New York for 30 blocks with these 4,000 plus people on soil cover with pavement, through corridors of concrete and glass was transforming. It didn't matter that there was little media coverage. It didn't matter (too much) that the United Nations building where the march ended up was closed. It didn't matter that the entire route was with policemen every six feet. In fact it seemed that the police started to walk with us, not against us, and at least at one level I believe this was true for I think it would have been very difficult for any person to escape the rhythm of the drum, the smell of the sage, the beat of our hearts. And after all, reality is that we are all related to each other. In the square in which we gathered is also a building for the Cantor Foundation outside of which is a wall dedicated to the Jewish victims and survivors of the holocaust. I laid a bit of cedar feeling a wave of poignancy that the struggle isn't over, that it continues today for all too many people, the same struggle, the same fight.

The day ended for me with some quiet conversation with Glen Marshall who quoted a teacher who said that a person is judged not so much by whether they win or lose but by the quality of their adversary. Think of the implications of this for Leonard, for you and I. Win or lose we will prevail. Why? Because our spirit is so very strong, because we have truth on our side, because we are fighting for justice, because our love and respect is solid, because we abide in joy and beauty and because our goal is peace. Ultimately failure is impossible because "Love never ends; as for prophesies, they will pass away; as for tongues they will cease, as for knowledge it will pass away for our knowledge is imperfect our prophecy imperfect but when the perfect comes the imperfect will fade away" Where is this perfection? It is in our commitment to truth and justice, it is in our unending respect for each other and it is in the strength of our love. Where is the imperfection? It is in the lies and oppression, it is in the corruption, it is in the greed that confronts our efforts.

Leonard, the FBI and the US judicial system have done a marvelous thing. At one and the same time they have created a situation that has drawn us together. People with good hearts of all races and beliefs have met each other in a solidarity that transcends injustice. What an incredible gift! I am very grateful. Thank-you FBI, thank-you Department of "Justice", thank-you President Clinton, Bush, for the many years in which you did nothing. Especially, thank-you Leonard. Thank-you for your strength, your determination, your steadfastness to what is good and right and true.

We all have different ways of hearing the voice of the Creator. Some hear it in the words of Torah/Bible; not a stale book of ancient history with only one interpretation but a living source of insight. Some find it in the silence of a Friends Meeting, as we turn our minds to waiting for that still small voice. Some hear it in the natural world, the whisper of the breeze, the flutter of wings. No matter the tradition, there are people that we meet along the way who we look up to as leaders, people who seem capable of listening to this source and sharing it with others. Leonard is such a man.

However there are dangers. On one hand, pride is absolutely essential for a leader because it helps support self confidence and the courage to persevere. Pride allows leaders to stand strong in the face of opposition. It allows them to bear unbearable burdens. And to be honest, simply statements of truth can sound like expressions of pride to some folk. However it is also incredibly dangerous for a spiritual person. Pride can lead to an inflated ego, an attitude that one is above the constraints of "ordinary" people, and arrogance. It can make a person incapable of seeking or accepting help or showing weakness.

For any spiritual leader pride presents a catch 22. It is something they absolutely must have in order to do the work yet at the same time it can undo them. One antidote to this dilemma is if each one of us cultivates and maintains an attitude of being each others heroes. It can often be hard. I talk to someone and think "boy, this person has a long way to go how can I hold them up to be my hero"? Sometimes I just let it go, knowing that there is probably something in them I could admire if I only knew them well enough. If we think of everyone around us as our champion then perhaps pride can lose it's harmful power. Even those who oppose us I can hold onto as heroes, for inside (maybe buried very very deeply) I believe is a spark that knows the truth. I do not hold their ignorance against them. It is their burden but not who they really are.

It is very easy for me to have as heroes all who have joined me in this effort. I hope you can hear me as I send in this message my deep and abiding gratitude. Thank-you. Please understand, I do not expect my heroes to be perfect, goodness no. We all are human beings with things in the past we aren't proud of, things in the present which we wish we did better and know that there will be times in the future when we won't live up to our own expectations for ourselves. But these are opportunities, opportunities to learn and grow and heal.

There is however, another side to the problem of leadership. People tend to think that we can't be expected to have the same virtues as the people we most admire. We feel that not only must we be content to live lesser lives but that anything else is impossible. In this way we avoid taking responsibility for our lack of commitment to spiritual principles and follow through. We think that the world and our own wrong actions and thinking is beyond our control. Someone else will feed the hungry or be totally honest or fight for justice or challenge corruption, not us ordinary people. We tend to think that if we have ever been sinners (less then perfect) that we can never be saints and conversely that the people who we think of as saints are never sinners. We are in a time of the year when many people celebrate the birth of a Jewish boy they think of as God. It is quite possible that he was able to avoid the first danger of leadership, keeping himself humbly grounded in spirit. But what about this second problem? Friends have a concept in our worship of waiting for the Divine Spirit to manifest itself in our hearts but what if while we are waiting for "him/her" it is "God" who is waiting for us; waiting for us to commit ourselves to following the Spirit, waiting for us to be in that oneness of complete love, waiting for us to emerge and claim our birthright as "his/her" child of peace, waiting for us to be the Messiah.

So, we have a little farther to go before this step of the journey is complete. We have the power to defeat the lies and greed. Let's stay strong, and brave and committed.

Keep up the struggle and taste the sweetness,
I believe in you,
Your friend,
Rachel

P.S.
Ed heard this FROM VOICE OF RUSSIA (12/27) on his short-wave radio (I guess its their version of Voice of America). We went to their web site where it's posted.

WHO ARE THOSE BILL CLIFTON IS READY TO PARDON?

By Alexander Druzhinin

On Christmas Eve US President Bill Clinton pardoned 59 prisoners serving sentences in American jails. Who are they - the lucky inmates on whom he bestowed his forgiveness? These are Mr Clinton's old pal running a major food company in his native Arkansas state and convicted for bribing the Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, also a former senator Daniel Rostenkowski who robbed taxpayers of about 600 thousand dollars and pleaded guilty of mishandling federal assets, but was sentenced to a ridiculous one year in prison. Mr Espy didn't seek pardon, yet it was granted to him and thus closed down a disgraceful page in his biography.

The 59 do not include the staunch fighter for the rights of American Indians Leonard Peltier whose case triggered a wide public response in the United States and overseas. In 1975 he led his fellow tribesmen to protest against federal interference into the affairs of an Indian reservation in South Dakota. When two FBI agents were killed in a clash with Indians in South Dakota, Peltier was arrested, and despite the absence of direct evidence, found guilty of murder. The sentence was unusually tough - two jail terms. The US Church Council, the human rights grouping Amnesty International, Europarliament and other organizations have filed numerous petitions for his release, but all in vain. The FBI was sharply opposed to it. On Christmas Eve FBI agents chanted their arguments against Peltier at a street rally in Washington. President Clinton lacked courage to overcome their resistance. So what kind of a democratic society is the one in which grafters, swindlers and embezzlers can count on amnesty, while fighters for human rights and freedoms, and for true democracy remain behind bars.
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Life is a circle from childhood to childhood;
so it is with everything where power moves.
  Black Elk
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I know that all must be brought into the Sacred Hoop for it to be mended. I often wonder how we will bring those who do not see even the simplest of Circles into the greatest Circle of all. Then I remember it is a thing that has been promised by Spirit. That is how I know it will come to be.
Aho! Peace!
Gary Night Owl (contemporary)

November 29, 2000

!!!Its now or never for Leonard Peltier!!!

"From: LPDC; EXTREMELY URGENT ACTION
Dear Friends,
We have some very exciting news for everyone ! President Clinton has publicly confirmed that Leonard's clemency petition has reached his office, and that it will be decided one way or the other in the very near future. It looks like critical decisions are being made in the White House RIGHT NOW. Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard the last many years for Leonard. You have brought this case right up to Clinton's desk. But now we must work harder than ever for the next few weeks. We are down to the wire and this is literally a matter of life and death.

It is now or never for telling the White House how we feel about the case. We are asking people to call every single day to the White House." CALL THE WHITE HOUSE FOR LEONARD PELTIER : 202-456-1111
----------------------------------
(for those who may still be in doubt about the merits of this case)
THE GLOBE & MAIL - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2000
RETRACTION ENDS 25 YEARS OF GUILT
WOMAN WHO IMPLICATED ACTIVIST IN KILLINGS SAYS SHE WAS "FORCED" INTO IT BY
FBI AGENTS
Kirk Makin, Justice Reporter, Toronto

Twenty-five years of pent-up fear and guilt gushed from Myrtle Poor Bear as she recanted the utterances that led to aboriginal activist Leonard Peltier being extradited to the United States in 1976 over the murder of two FBI agents.

--
16 November 2000
USA: Amnesty International urges Clinton to grant pardon to Leonard Peltier Amnesty International is today calling on President Clinton to grant Leonard Peltier presidential pardon before leaving office. Amnesty International believes that the evidence that Peltier shot the two FBI agents is far from conclusive. One of the organization's pivotal concerns was that his extradition from Canada was on the basis of a testimony by an alleged eye-witness who was coerced by the FBI into making false statements.
(for complete texts of these articles/resolutions go to http://www.freepeltier.org/progress.htm#top

****************************************
****************************************
My Dearest Fast Friends,
(you are stars in a night sky),
We're entering into the final stretch of this struggle and I urge each and every one of you to take a fast day this next month! Especially those of you who've fasted for Leonard at anytime over the last 2 years, both as individuals and as a group, lets complete the circle for the sake of peace and justice in the world. And those of you who have yet to take a day but keep meaning to, I suggest you do it now. Please help the Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice wrap up on an energized, strong note; not with the whimper of the few but with the roar of the many. As you know, I am loath to establish any rules of fasting. Each of us comes to it in the way we are led; some go without food and water, many simply without food, some fast from sun up 'til sun down, also there is fasting from talking, etc. Whatever your way please sign up today.

While not confined to this season, this is a time of reflection and gratitude for me. This year I am particularly grateful for my ancestors, for my parents who taught me about love, creativity and also for the frequent and sometimes prolonged separations from them. Throughout my childhood it was these times that kept me in "God's" arms. I am also supremely grateful to have as wonderful a soul mate as Edward and such marvelous f/Friends (including you). I also feel a lot of gratitude to Leonard for being the catalyst for spiritual growth, fortitude and hopefully awareness. Thank-you one and all.

Contemplating the coming end of this effort is for me both extremely sweet and a bit sad for I will miss these opportunities to converse with you. I will miss the concrete knowledge when people signed up for a fast day that you are with me in this struggle; for the struggle to end oppression of course goes on. However, the joy we will feel at Peltier's release will eclipse this sorrow like in the morning, the fire of the sun overpowers the light of a distant star.

The new moon, two days after Thanksgiving was my 50th birthday. My public wish is best expressed through a slightly adapted form of the Mi Shebeirach prayer:

"Mi shebeirach avoteino
M'kor habracha l'imoteinu,
May the source of strength,
Who blessed the ones before me,
Help me find the courage
To make my life a blessing,
And if "God's" will, Amen"

Certainly, there are times when courage deserted me and fear grips my heart, in extreme cases it feels like an iron fist is squeezing my chest. When this occurs I remember that my life is dedicated to the Creator and therefore I am surrounded and effused with love and a power that knows no bounds. I try to let go and simply trust in this great power and have faith that the will of "God" will prevail. I do my best to open myself up (for my inclination in these times is to close in). And I try to be available to those in need, whether friend or enemy, on this plane of existence or another, to help find love, peace, truth and justice. Finally, I remember that I am not alone.

How do we make our lives a blessing? Perhaps one significant way is how we use the resources, time and talents that we have been given. Working through prayer and onward action for Leonard's release, and by extension the liberation from oppression of all people, is one ways we demonstrate our commitment to make our lives worthwhile for the world.

Another important area is through sharing whatever material goods are at our disposal. I know a middle aged couple who, instead of living below taxable levels for reasons of conscious as they have done for their entire married lives, are this year making money. After putting some away for retirement they are donating 40%-50% to primarily local non profit programs that meets a primary need for women or people of color. While 40% might be a bit high for many people, especially people raising children, imagine what it would mean if every one of us who has reaped the benefits of this system mired in supremacy and privilege gave away a significant part of these ill gotten benefits.

The prayer/birthday wish goes on:
"Mi shebeirach imoteinu
M'kor habracha l'avoteino,
Bless those in need of healing
With r'fua sh'leima,
The renewal of body,
The renewal of spirit,
And if your will, Amen"

There is so much healing that needs to take place; spiritual and emotional as well as physical; by individuals, communities and the entire planet. I especially ache with grief for the people living in mortal fear and hopelessness or those who are losing their lives in the Middle East. I am equally sad for the people taking those lives (which seems to me to be a grave burden on the soul). I actually understand how some believe that to die in service to "Allah" is to be granted heaven. However I can not comprehend a way that killing another human being would get you there. (That's not to say self defense is always wrong, just that I don't believe it is a one way ticket to the "pearly gates"). I also grieve for the souls of people who are setting up these situations that make people think they have no choice. My heart felt so heavy that for awhile tears leaked out with only the smallest provocation.

At Meeting for Worship one recent Sunday a woman gave a simple message that Love is our guiding principle. A few moments later people walked by the silent meeting house in a loud, prolonged argument and I thought about a heart shaped stone that was traveling in someone's pocket through a recent trip to Israel. Working for love and peace seemed so impotent rather than important. I have faith; faith in that infinite Light. I hold onto it tenaciously especially when dealing with fear and hopelessness but when in the midst of the whirlwind of despair it is hard for me to believe that it can have any real impact.

Shortly thereafter, I had lunch with my friend Mother Bear and my heart lightened considerable. Here is a woman whose people have endured occupation for 300+ years. They have seen their sacred sites decimated and destroyed. They have lived in a country with people who call them names and seek their elimination, with leaders who publicly call, and privately work, for their "extermination" Eisenhower actually used this term in a quote on his plans to "solve the Indian problem". And there is some documentation that Hitler used the US treatment of the Indian as a model for the holocaust. With all this, Mother Bear is gentle and loving. She is strong and proud and accepting. She seems to looks to the future with both hope and resignation reveling in the small things, excited about the renewal of Wampanoag Spirit and energized (in her quiet way) about expanding this faith and practice to more Wampanoag. I think what brings me the most cheer is that she is my friend. If this is possible for her and me then it is possible for others whose basic cultures have irreconcilable differences. There is reason to hope.

I am reminded that the light is always shinning above the clouds. No matter how thick those clouds, we always have our sun and the other stars. Just so the real Light. However, it is a hard time in the world right now.

In closing I want to share this excerpt from Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Speech in 1994. I think it speaks to the condition of many of us:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t
feel unsure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Over and over we have been taught that the Light, the Love, the Peace we put into the world is the measure of the Light the Love the Peace that we have in our lives.

Come on everyone, let's get moving
And lets walk together into a better tomorrow.

With much gratitude to you dear friends,
On the path of Love and Light,

Rachel

P.S. In last month's message I spoke about an excellent conference I attended about Thanksgiving. I neglected to mention that it was at Plimoth Plantation (kudos to Linda Coombs and her staff at the Indian Ed program). I was again reminded of this when the local newspaper ran photos of a 3rd grade acting out the dominate culture's mythologized version of Thanksgiving. It brought me back to the 1950's when I was that age. Such a simpler time. Few white people cared that we were offending an entire race of people. We didn't think about whether the story was factual. Plimoth Plantation did an excellent job setting the record straight about this time of year. I hope they do in again next Fall and that Cape Cod teachers, not only those in our schools but also from our churches and synagogues are encouraged to attend. It's fine to have myths and invent traditions, its even more fine to express our gratitude, we just need to be truthful and respect everyone.

P.P.S. I intend to be in New York city with some Mashpee friends for the Countdown to Clemency Peltier Walk for Freedom Sunday December 10. Are you going too?

P.P.P.S(extra special thanks to all those who are already signed up to fast in December)
xoxoxo
R

November 6, 2000

Dear Fast Friends,

I wrote you last about a beautiful experience on Mt. Monadnock. But you know, many places are just as special. A walk along the beach by Cape Cod bay can't be beat on an October evening, a setting sun of magentas and purples with an almost full moon lighting the way or in November with waves tumbling onto the beach. Beauty can surround us; even a simple flower on the desk will show this. But what about someone in prison?

 Many of us have no trouble seeing the hand of the Creator in the natural setting; a fabulous sunset, or a single leaf clothed in Fall colors. Yet we deny that divine miracles happen today. It seems that we don't often see this Force in human activity. We seem to think that all wonderful human achievement or individual accomplishment is ours and ours alone whether it is a medical break through, scientific discovery or work of art.

Recently Rabbi D. Pipe Mazo taught about the reason why in Genesis 11, "God" made people not understand each other (a condition that makes it very difficult for us to get along). It was because we had aspirations to become Gods. The hubris of that presumption was more than could be allowed.

Meanwhile, we blame "God" if things go wrong. "Why does He let __ happen?" people ask. All the blame but none of the credit is not a prescription for a healthy relationship rather for disaster. What would it be like if we took full responsibility for the many things we do that are less than our potential while accepting the things we cannot change and understand that what we do that is exceptional is are not only ours, we do the work of the Creator?

This e-group hopefully has in some small measure a twinkling of this Light. Meanwhile, since this is the Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice, I think we should give some prayerful attention to the situation in Israel. My sincere hope is for restraint on both sides as well as working on respect. (I'm also wishing for them to have the weather we've been having, cold and wet. I've been told that a cold shower does wonders for the over excited person). Between today and November 11th (and beyond) is a critical time.

Now is also a critical time for Leonard Peltier. I strongly urge anyone who has taken a fast day at any time since we begun to come back in on this final push to his release. Lets not let this opportunity pass us by! Anyone who has been meaning to take a day but just hasn't gotten around to it, please sign up now! When Leonard walks free of the prison won't it feel good to know we were (in a small way) responsible for this triumph of justice. In prayer and action lets focus on freedom, freedom for Leonard, freedom for all who are being subjected to injustice, freedom even for those of us who need to be clear of the guilt of the oppressor.

We live in interesting times. The election is on the forefront of many peoples minds. The current wisdom is that Leonard supporters should vote for Gore. This is a problem for me. First, I enthusiastically like Winona LaDuke; Nader's running mate, an activist American Indian (mother was jewish), Harvard-trained economist, with weighty credentials. Two, what some people see as a lesser of two evils choice keeps getting worse and so obviously isn't a long term solution. And, if not now then when? And three, to vote for Gore is saying I want him as president which, for me, is a lie. There is much that is unfortunate. It is very much too bad that Gore hasn't proved himself in the last four years to be the sort of leader many of us think we need; one who had freed Leonard (Clinton/Gore administration could have done it at anytime), a leader who protected workers and women as opposed to the work of NAFTA and "welfare reform", who overturned the death penalty. I hope that he has another chance and this time does the kind of job that next election I can say truthfully say yes, I will want him to be the President. Now, each of you will come to your own conclusions and this is a wonderful thing. I adore our differences. They are what keep things interesting.

We are also entering into the time around the Thanksgiving holiday. What will Leonard Peltier's be like? What will yours and mine? Sept 16 I went to one of the most excellent conferences. It was like I had a half dozen pieces on my hand which I have been studying to understand and I found the place for them in a puzzle. The overall message was balanced between the nature of greed and that of thankfulness. Examples of greed for food, greed for land, greed for power, greed for recognition as an authority were juxtapositioned with the state of continuous thankfulness.

The first speaker spoke that the heart and mind must be connected but that for some this could be the longest journey. Just so it seemed to me to be the case for the first panel which was made up of people from European decent who seemed to be mostly in the head. White men with PHD's (and one women specializing in the food of the time) gave citations from primary source material as they put forth the premise that there really was no "first" thanksgiving or at least not one which resembles what we think of as this holiday. They shared that Plymouth was mostly an economic investment and that their form of austere religion forbid most anything except Sabbath prayer and occasional fasting.

The second part of the day started with a Missisquoi Abernaki scholar and storyteller. The theme spoke to me about the way of gratitude, generosity and hospitality. She told a story about the seductive nature of free flowing riches (in a parable about maple syrup) and the danger of greed. The final panel, made up of people from a couple of New England tribes did not seem to have as much difficulty with the heart and mind connection. The theme of continuous thank-giving was woven through each and every presentation many of which included beautiful poems. Among other things, the first speaker spoke about the need to include the bad parts of our history as well as the good. Often this is missing from the "Euro-American" view (or from that of the dominate group in other instances). The next people included in their presentations the need for respect of all life. One man from Mashpee spoke about his prayer being distorted because of the destruction of non human life.

The last presenter started by talking about a hundred year old Wampanoag woman in the late 1600's who had never seen an Englishman but wanted to before she died. When this was arranged she was in throes of tremendous grief because these were the people who had kidnaped her three sons leaving her alone. The English gave her baubles, explained that it was some other individuals and felt they had discharged their responsibility. They could not comprehend why the woman was inconsolable and still held them accountable. The speaker spoke of example after example of men who were kidnaped into slavery yet when an english boy was lost he was cared for by these same people and returned healthier than when he had left. There still seemed to be disbelief that the English could treat other humans so terribly when they repeatedly were shown kindnessess. Finally, one of the most powerful messages was about it being essential that different communities (and peoples) help each other grieve.

Grieving is an important part of what is needed for individual healing and growth. It also is a time when people can reach out heart to heart to one another and start to build a foundation for reconciliation. We need to be able to be still and hear, even when being confronted with anger at a personal loss or massive injustice. We need to comfort and when it is our turn, be comforted. Whether between American Indians and white immigrants or Palestinians and Israeli's, we have a difficult but not impossible challenge to console, atone and forgive.

Love is the key but often it is difficult to find the door that this key opens and even when found it can be difficult to know how to use it. Perhaps this is one place to start. Another way to use this key is to look for, support and follow the guidance of those people who have already been able to bridge the gap of irreconcilable differences with close relationships. Instead of the Romeo and Juliet tragedy we can use them to help us find peace.

It is important that we not only talk and think about these sort of issues but DO something. Talk is cheap. It is the actions we actually take that ultimately will create the future, whether it be peace or war, harmony or destruction. When focusing on the past it can be useful to look at the fruit we have grown here and now and consider what we are planting for tomorrow. All of humanity has to be concerned about balancing what we take out to what we put in. Its time for the greed to be replaced by gratitude, atonement and forgiveness.

There is a time for silence and a time for stillness, it is often in these moments of contemplation or prayer that we can hear the Creator. But there is also a time for speaking out and for taking action. The problem is that sometimes we speak when we should be silent, we are still when we should take action.

In Genesis 9:27 it says "May God make room for the Philistines that they may dwell peacefully with Israel". If we long for peace to abound in the world then we must do the hard and necessary work of counteracting greed with expiation, blame/shame with thankfulness, haughty pride with mindful humility. This I think is the way of oneness, not oneness as a homogeneous unit but a world of marvelous diversity, united in joy, united in beauty, united in truth and justice, each of us really feeling our souls connected to everyone else in unconditional, all encompassing love. Here and now this is reality through that of the Creator in each of us, we just have trouble letting go of the illusion of separation.

May each of our families "Thankgivings" bring us happiness, may we continue each day to express our appreciation for "God's" great goodness, may we allow beauty to surround us and may we follow a path of peace and justice. For Leonard Peltier, for Israel, for you my Fast Friends, I send my prayers, my love. May the Light shine through our lives and illuminate the world. Shalom.

9/23

Dear Fast Friends,

I have been feeling unsettled and a bit anxious the last month or so. People and concerns that trouble me are disturbing me more and more; I feel unable to keep things moving positively. I've feel like I am running to keep up but falling more and more behind and I almost canceled the camping trip Ed and I were planning. I am most happy that I did not. Spending time this week at Mt. Monadnock has helped reinforce the benefit of being outdoors and walking softly on the earth. It has helped me understand more about the relationship between my commitment to the spirit and my commitment to justice. It has renewed my purpose and cleansed my link to that which is eternal.

You see, I believe in the sacredness of everything, that there is a Oneness that connects each with everyone and everything, that all is a gift from our Creator. In a natural setting it becomes so clear to me; the rocks, the green growing things, the trees, the birds, the bugs, all embody this spirit of creation with a purity that in not as easily recognizable to me in the man-made world. I don't think this is because it is impossible for human beings but rather because most often we don't put our intentions/attentions to the proper source and it's harder to see.

Sometimes, in fact, we do just the opposite. The actions of the government people involved in incarcerating Leonard Peltier is a case in point (for details go to www.freepeltier.org). Instead of preserving peace and truth they thwart it while calling it justice. Fabricating evidence, withholding relevant facts in order to get a conviction is not part of a right and moral legal system no matter what the circumstances. Like calling a pile of shit a rose, it still smells the same no matter what its name. Why do so many people believe someone's words even when they are contradicted by their actions? (The present presidential election is a good example of this).

LIFE is so beautiful, SPIRIT is so beautiful that it takes my breathe away. (Unfortunately this is literally true as it is so very easy for me to get winded climbing Mt. Monadnock.) To be in sync with the spirit and thereby produce things that also emanate from this center is possible. I wish we all would do everything we can to bring a particle of this same beauty into the world. It is already within us, we have the capacity, it just takes the will.

It actually was a most auspicious time to go camping. The weather was in the upper 70's with rain only over one night. I am only physically fit enough to get about 1/3 up the mountain. However, without the motivation to reach the top, I take trails that are suitably vigorous but much less traveled. These bring a deep peace and have many places to rest and drink in the incredible beauty. I always visit the fairy spring and this time I also found a pretty little waterfall area. The first day's walk I saw an eagle circle overhead and in the night a flock of juvenile owls (according to the park rangers) flew around the camp making the oddest sounds.

The equinox found me on a resting rock. With the sun moving up the sky to the left and the moon descending to the right, I became aware of the importance of being Oneness, not just acknowledging it or honoring it but being in that place where there is no longer a separate it and me. I felt myself move between a place of complete utter stillness and one that I can describe most inaccurately as humming vibration/resonance. Both states seemed part of a divine dynamic. Love surrounded and infused me, flowing in flowing out.

With a sense of gratitude and repentance I thought; "Thank-you "God" for your great and beautiful presence in my life, thank you for your infinite Love and for accepting mine, humble though it is. Forgive me that, for all the magnificent gifts you have given me, I have disappointed you. Please forgive my many failings. I am sorry for my weaknesses and for my stubborn ignorance. I am sorry I am so often fearful. Please help me work through it and help me be always able to find that humming place, that place of centered stillness. Thank-you for your compassion on my soul and your forgiveness, it brings tears to my eyes."

It seemed that on this trip I saw Hebrew letters in many odd places. At first it was the letter for H, which I think is the first letter of the word for love (makes sense in terms of what I was experiencing). Then on the descent my last day I saw what I think is two letters that were slightly raised but still an integral part of a boulder. The first one (on the right) was the letter B or K, the second H or CH, I have no idea what this means. I have been studying the hebrew prayers and find them most meaningful. I have recently been having great fun seeing if I can start to recognize some words written in this very different alphabet. It has become sort of like a game in which I've found peace, love and am working on finding justice.

During this camping trip a prayer book opened to the following: "When justice burns within us like a flaming fire, when love evokes willing sacrifice from us, when, to the last full measure of selfless devotion, we demonstrate our belief in the ultimate triumph of truth and righteousness, then Your goodness enters our lives and we can begin to change the world; and then You live within our hearts, and we through righteousness behold Your presence."

Does justice burn within you like a flaming fire? Are you willing to make a sacrifice for truth and love? Do you want "God" in your heart and life? Are you ready to change to world?

May Our Lives Bring a Blessing,
Rachel

PS. **Please sign on for a fast day for Leonard Peltier! http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fast.html

**Also, if you haven't done it yet please sign that petition - http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html. If you have any trouble let me know. I can help.

**Read the latest from the Defense Committee. They are also in full swing organizing for a rally December 10th in New York "Countdown to Clemency, Leonard Peltier March For Freedom" being planned for Human Rights Day. Are you interested?

**Call the White House Comments Line Today Demand Justice for Leonard Peltier! 202-456-1111 (a very small sacrifice that collectively will mean a lot)

PPS. I found it interesting that in Meeting for Worship the Sunday after we got back the following Query was read "Do you revere all life and the splendor of God's continuing creation? Do you try to protect the natural environment and its creatures against abuse and harmful exploitation? Do you regard your possessions as given to you in trust, and do you part with them freely to meet the needs of others? Are you frugal in your personal life and committed to the just distribution of the world's resources?" from Faith and Practice NEYM 1985

August, 2000

Dear Fast Friends,
First in this post is information of that petition http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html, followed by a couple of announcements and lastly some personal reflections.

I have been surprised that only about 20% of us have signed onto the petition for Clemency and have been wondering why, since you all know the details of the extreme injustice and the effort required to sign is so minimal. Perhaps some people are confused so here are some of questions and answers:

--question
"Has everything started all over now, since the unsuccessful parole hearing, so that all signatures are now "new"? Also, I signed a postcard at the Mashpee Pow-Wow and now this petition. Do they ever overlap?"

--answer
This is a NEW petition. Each petition drive is autonomous. No one could come up with one overall petition that spans 23 years. The postcards you sign have no relationship to the on line petition.

--question
"I've signed so many Peltier petitions that I'm never sure if my signature will be duplicated on the same overall petition, thereby invalidating it. I wouldn't want to jeopardize the petition... Does anyone ever check for duplicate signatures ? What happens if they find a duplicate signature?"

--answer
While each petition drive is distinct, signatures are checked for duplicates on each particular petition. On this one Wild Horse (the author/organizer) writes "what do we do about duplicate signatures? Unfortunately all we can do is delete them. But we do have a saving grace concerning the numbers. When there are signatures signed Mr. and Mrs. Somebody we are able to separate these to make 2 signatures our of them. After all they do represent 2 people and not just one."

--question
"I am not totally clear on how all these things get to the proper place. i.e. Do some petitions go to the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee in Kansas, some to various authorities? And especially with Email and online stuff- I am never totally clear about who decides to send it in and when, etc."

--answer
>From Wild Horse:

"When we feel that we have collected all the signatures we can, I feel 50,000 is a good goal to reach, the decision will be made to pull the petition. It will go into editing. Spelling errors will be corrected and any political remarks will be removed from signatures such as spelling America Amerikka and such.

The petition will then be printed and delivered to LPDC, the Senate sub-committee on Indian Affairs, Congress, Senate, the Vice President and the President. We are thinking of a contingency to hand deliver the petition to the President, providing we can get an audience with him. ****** These goals must be reached no later than October 15th. We must have the time for the final editing and delivery before election day. I have the petition available in Microsoft Word format for printing and hand gathering of signatures. If you would like a copy of this file please send me an email wild.horse.list@mindspring.com requesting it."

CURRENTLY THERE ARE 6,289 WE MUST GET BUSY IF WE ARE GOING TO MEET THE OCT. 15TH DEADLINE WITH ANYTHING CLOSE TO 50,000. PLEASE PASS INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU CAN THINK OF! AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE SIGN IT!! http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html (if you have any other questions or concerns please let me know)
-----------------
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-----------------
One Million Voices for Peace
World Peace Festival 2000
Join us on August 19th for a historic event benefiting all of humanity.

Include the prayer "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in your prayers and meditations and connect with people across the world as an integral part of One Million Voices for Peace live on the Internet at www.WorldPuja.org

The World Peace Prayer Society
www.worldpeace.org/festival
-----------------
On Wednesday August 23 Cape Cod Coalition Against Iraq Sanctions will be showing a video by John Pilger, "Paying the Price", about the devastation of the sanctions and bombing of Iraq. This will be at Meeting Room 1 downstairs at the Falmouth Public Library at 7 PM. Please spread the word.

On Sunday, September 17 at 1 PM we will be meeting at the Otis Rotary to protest the involvement this fall of the Otis 102nd Fighter Wing in enforcing the "no-fly" zones in Iraq. The Otis rotary is 4.3 miles south of the Bourne Bridge on Route 28. There is room to park just after the rotary exit to the Massachusetts Military Reservation.
-------------------
REFLECTIONS
-------------------
Many people believe, although it can be described in different ways, that there is that of "God" in everyone. One of the saddest things in the world to me is the people I know who intentionally obscure this gift of the Creator. Perhaps one of the reasons we are here is to peel away the stuff that covers up our unique pure essence; maybe this is what it means to be perfectly enlightened.

 Unfortunately it isn't easy. It seems as if some people use brick and mortar or glue and paper, like piñatas, to keep their souls from shinning. As the parable says "You are the light of the world." (You shouldn't) "light a lamp and put it under a bushel but on a stand that it gives light to all the house." The reeds of our baskets are greed, fear, privilege, emotional and physical abuse/excessive criticism, prejudice, dishonesty. These are often woven through the old hurts and ignorant teaching we received and accepted as children. Why is Leonard still is prison? Because we are afraid of the truth, we hold tight to the ignorance of discrimination and white supremacy. We elect people and support policies that protect those very things that prevent us from being our radiant pure Selves.

We have a choice however; we have free will. We can examine and change our behavior. Perhaps sometimes we are afraid. We think that these distresses, old resentments protect us. Their familiarity comforts us. They become what we think we are. We fear that if we don't hold onto them we will be snuffed out or somehow polluted, when actually I think it is the other way around.

For many of us it can be difficult to determine just what exactly is this material and from where does it come. One trick that I have learned about this is that if something is annoying or bothering me, there is a good chance that this is where there are some of the layers that cover my light. For example, when I said "One of the saddest things in the world to me is the people I know who intentionally obscure this gift of the Creator" this was a clue that I could have something there. My best guess, for it comes up a lot for me, is impatience. This doesn't mean that we are bad or wrong for having these feelings. In fact, often they can be good motivators. If I wasn't upset about the treatment of Indian people I wouldn't be as concerned about Leonard. When a person hurts someone we love of course we are upset. The question is do we stay there and reinforce the pain or do we work toward correcting the situation and promote healing for the victim and perpetrator? Are we responding to the present issue appropriately or is there something in our past or nature that is influencing the situation?

  Imagine for a minute that you have seven measuring cups in front of you labeled love, peace, contentment, fairness, beauty, respect, truth. If these are measuring what you put into the world in all your interactions, family, work, community, how full would each of these be? If these aren't full for us it seems to me that it could be a good indication that we have debris to clean up. Each of us is responsible for our own cups but not only do we need to attend to our own but we must work to bring the world to that day when everyone's cups run over.

Let's all of us today right now sign that petition. This is one very easy way that we can take to let our light shine, to put a tiny drop into our cups of fairness and truth. Consider going one step further and calling the comment line (202-456-1111), another step and sign up for a one day fast (good days available in September), another step then another and another. Like an everlasting ember which we have chosen to feed, little by little we will become who we really are and have always really been, beacons and truly the light of the world; eternal and pure.

Love and Light
Always,
Rachel

Late July, 2000

Dear Fast Friends,

After the following section on petitions is a history of the Fast-for-Justice e-mail list for the Cape Cod Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice. Many have joined who could benefit from knowing why it started and what are and are not this list's intentions. Also there is a prayer that speaks strongly to my condition. Near the end it says " Therefore, we pray to You instead, 0 God, For strength, determination, and willpower, To do instead of just to pray, To become instead of merely to wish. For Your sake and for ours, speedily and soon, That our world may be safe, And that our lives may be blessed."

For Leonard, For all who suffer for Truth and Justice,
Let it be so,

Yours in love
Rachel

P.S. In Meeting for Worship I was asked to what are we being called, what is it that we hope to find in this Worship. For me the answer was that I feel drawn to that ocean of Light which Richenda Scott wrote about in The Friend 1975. “there may come a moment when we are carried out of ourselves...and swept into the ocean of light and love that flows over the darkness of the world...perhaps to know for the first time the persons we really are and can be."

For me, it is a place of infinite and eternal unconditional Love; a perfect place of Peace; a place called Oneness. In this space there is no room for hatred, no room for greed, no room for violence (one of the primary reasons I am a pacifist). However there is space for Truth, Justice, Mercy (forgiveness), Joy, Beauty and particularly Respect, respect for the earth and especially respect for ourselves and each other. I dream of the day when all the world will know this place and accept it into our hearts. I commit myself to do everything I can to make this a reality not simply wishful thinking.

To what are you being called?

----
A gentle reminder to sign the petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html. If you are having difficulty you can sign by e-mailing full name, city, state, zip code and your email address to wild.horse.list@mindspring.com. I know a lot of us are very busy and maybe aren't always reading our e-mail. This is okay 'cause the petition is going on for at least a couple months so whenever you get around to it, please sign. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Maybe there are some who are on this list because they like to read what I write, not necessarily because they support Leonard Peltier. (Although, if one reads the documentation, I find this hard to believe but maybe this too is a question of being too busy to do the research necessary for these folks to have a clear mind about this issue). Maybe there are people here, who because of fear or some other reason, don't want their name associated with the petition. This is okay 'cause each of us must find our own way but I do hope you will reconsider. It takes 30 seconds, about 15% of us have signed it, certainly we can do a lot better. Also, please pass information about this along to others!

Meanwhile, there are other petitions on the same service that I think are interesting. One in particular is at
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/snar/petition.html
"Stop Exploitation of Traditional Native Religion by new agers and charlatains!
We The Undersigned,
Wish to raise our concern against the out and out exploitation of traditional native american religion by new age and shamanistic religions... Many of these people calim to be medicine people or other terms in order to sucker poor people into paying them totally outrageous prices for a completely bogus and sacreligious ceremony... We below support Indian people of all tribes in speaking out, challenging and preventing this blatantly disrespectful act."

They ask people to sign and give comments to which I reply as follows:
"Looking to our own ancestors/family traditions to meet our spiritual needs is something spiritual teachers of many backgrounds advise. However, many people have felt abused or traumatized by the churches of their childhood or find them without meaning or substance and they are like spiritual refugees. It is ironic that so many, for their spiritual community's practice, turn to the group whom they continue to oppress, sort of like if, after WWII, the Nazi's were forced out of Germany and they especially wanted to immigrate to Israel."

"Another important lesson is, when in private practice, to follow our hearts in Truth. Some people seem to try to be other then who they are. Often we have to wade through and clean up the various distresses, hurts and guilt, the garbage that accumulates before we can find the living or presence of "God" within. Sometimes people think it will be easier to look only elsewhere and without, to take or to buy. The easy path is most often the way of failure."
 
------
History of fast-for-justice.

Dec. 1998, with consultation with Mashpee Wampanoag and the Mashpee Leonard Peltier Support group, I made a commitment to join an International Fast/Hunger strike seeking medical treatment for Leonard Peltier. I made this decision as a result of the previous year having some strong leadings that I should fast for Leonard. In Feb. 1999, organized out of Michigan and Washington state in coordination with the LPDC (Leonard Peltier Defense Com., KS - http://www.freepeltier.org), many hundreds joined from all over the world. As part of this commitment we were expected to compose a statement on why we were doing this, write letters, make phone calls and urge others to do the same. Combining the inward spiritual work with outward action seemed to me to be a very powerful way of bringing prayerful attention to this issue. I see it as more then Leonard in that for me he is the focal point for the wide range of issues related to the racism that effect the lives of Native people and people of color in general every second of every day.

At the time I made the commitment it was set up that people would fast for two weeks and when they were through would find someone else to pick it up. I knew that a two week fast was more than most Cape Codders would do so I organized it as one day fasts 7pm to 7pm, my thinking being that the more people who got involved the better. My partner and I developed a calendar where people sign up. (You can see it and other information at http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fast.html.)

The International action went fairly smoothly until it was clear that the "power" was not going to budge and it slowly disintegrated. However, people from Cape Cod decided to keep going with the Cape Cod Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice. People sign up for one day per month or per week or every once in a while, their choice. And since people are welcome from different spiritual paths, the type of fast (going without liquid, including juices, etc.) is completely left up to the individual.

In May 2000, Leonard finally got treatment for a severely debilitating jaw condition that he had been denied for years. The sense of the group was to continue 'till he is freed (if this doesn't happen by the time the next president takes office we will reassess the situation). Following the outline of the original action, each month I have been writing messages. These are designed to share some of my process, keep people somewhat up to date on the latest developments and LPDC plans and encourage people to participate. Previous ones can be read at http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/rmm.html. This list is not intended to be a primary source for information on the campaign. For that I recommend that people subscribe to the LPDC list by sending a blank message to lpdc-on@mail-list.com.

People from other parts of the country wanted to join us and it was decided that this was okay. When the number of people got too big for me to keep organized in my regular e-mail address book we started this as a e-mail group. On this list are about 85 "support" people and 14-20 who fast from one to four days per month focused on freedom for Leonard Peltier. PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING ON A FAST DAY!!!

Messages that are personal positive feedback are wonderful to get. (Thank you, each and everyone. It sometimes seems that affirmations are more precious then diamonds.) However, I do not post them on to the entire list nor do I share anybody else's personal information. However any Cape Cod announcements, ideas or experiences that are in harmony with this work you wish to share are most welcome.
---------

WE CANNOT MERELY PRAY TO YOU

We cannot merely pray to You, 0 God, to end war;
for we know that You have made the world in a way
That we must find our own path to peace
Within ourselves and with our neighbors.

We cannot merely pray to You, 0 God, To end starvation;
for You have already given us the resources
With which to feed the entire world,
If we would only use them wisely.

We cannot merely pray to You, 0 God, To root out prejudice;
For You have already given us eyes
With which to see the good in everyone,
If we would only use them rightly.

We cannot merely pray to You, 0 God, To end despair;
For You have already given us the power
To clear away slums and to give hope to the needy,
If we would only use our power justly...

We cannot merely pray to You, 0 God, To eradicate ignorance;
For You have already given us light
To illumine the pathways of darkness,
If we would only use our minds and hearts to the full.

Therefore, we pray to You instead, 0 God,
For strength, determination, and willpower,
To do instead of just to pray,
To become instead of merely to wish.

For Your sake and for ours, speedily and soon,
That our world may be safe,
And that our lives may be blessed.

May the words that we pray, and the deeds that we do
Be acceptable before You, 0 God,
Our Rock and our Redeemer.
------------------

PPS
 I know some of you well, some of you I don't know at all, but I feel it is obvious that you are a very remarkable person or you wouldn't find this list of any interest.
Thank-you for being part of this adventure with me.

Date: Tue July, 2000

Dear Fast Friends,
What did I learn from my week of not speaking as part of the solidarity fast for Leonard Peltier? People in various ways have asked me this and, as with many things of the Spirit, it can be very hard to put it into words. One thing I learned however was how much I say that doesn't need to be said, how much talking is reflex or for ego gratification rather then communication. Yet I think that the most important lesson I learned was regarding serenity. Biblically it is about that peace that passeth all understanding; for me it is the feeling when in the center of Oneness.

There are times that being in that state of mind is very easy for me such as in Quaker Meeting for Worship, the Synagogue, using the potters wheel or in private prayer. Sometimes though it seems this is very hard to come by. Sometimes simple daily life can be overwhelming, so much to do, to read, to process. Then there is the struggle for justice which even at the best of times is exceedingly difficult and then when confronted with an apparent set-back it seems impossible.

One of the most commonly used prayers is "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference". I have come to question the usefulness of accepting the things we believe we cannot change. Many times there are things that we think are not changeable but through the perseverance of dedicated people it happens. If we sit back and accept Leonard's imprisonment and the unjust, racist system because over and over again it seems that nothing we do makes any impact then of course it will continue. Sometimes silence is the voice of complicity. I believe that we must challenge the injustice around us not because change is assured but because, if we do nothing the situation becomes truly hopeless. Perhaps, if our Way is right and proper for us and grounded in Truth then little by little we will bring things around.

For me, letting go of the outcome and accepting whatever happens is essential to hold on to serenity. While we work to accomplish a goal perhaps it is the *way* we travel, with all our busy-ness, that leads us to the place we want to be. A ninty-eight year old life-long Quaker told Ed last week that Life is busy. All we have to do is sit on the grass watching the ants and listening to the birds to know this is true. And who am I, anyway, to demand that the Creator conform to my time frame and agenda. Do we conform to time constraints of gnats?

There is something tangible that each of us can do right now for Leonard. I spoke with Jack Magee a few days ago and he said that he has been communicating with the Massachusetts' congress people (Delahunt and Kennedy) who are on Judicial committees, asking them to expand their committees' current investigations into the FBI to include Pine Ridge. Specifically, he asked each of us to contact, either with a letter or phone call, Mark Forest (Delahunt's aide) at 146 Main St. Hyannis - 771-0666 and Sen. Kennedy's office. At the end of this post is a sample letter that you can use or rewrite (simply select the letter, copy and paste it into your word processing program). It also wouldn't hurt to send a similar letter to all our the Congress people and the President. The latest e-mail and requests from the LPDC with more about the FBI tactics is also following this message. And of course Call the White House Comments Line 202-456-1111.

Finally, the following poem speaks to my condition:

OUR GOAL: SHALOM

Peace, shalom
is not
the absence of difficulties
but
the handling of difficulties
without
loss of balance.
Shalom is not the absence of tension
but the acceptance of it as part of the Way...
Shalom, is not passive non-violence,
but active confrontation with truth.
Shalom is the ability to see the grain of life
and act in accord with it;
to discover that effortless effort,
action in tune with the Way of Universe,
is the secret of both peace and power.

from Tangents by Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Shabbat Shalom,
Rachel

P.S. A few days after my silent fast I went to a chinese restaurant with a friend. My fortune cookie actually said "Don't say, Don't ask. All things are laid in silence." What do you suppose it means? Your special insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank-you

PPS. Mumia Abu Jamal's last two columns have been excellent. He writes: "America's history is a history of the domination of women, and where official domination is not allowed, unofficial ways of subordination will be found. What happened in Central Park in June of 2000 was not "clean fun," "wild boys," or an open form of erotic play. What happened was a mass attack on women, to humiliate them, and to subordinate them." I heartily recommend subscribing to Free Mumia News at www.afrikan.net/email.html

PPPS If you haven't taken a fast day for a while perhaps you should consider taking a day in July or August.

Date: Tue Jun 13, 2000 9:46am

Dear Fast friends,

Well unfortunately, I'm talking again.

>From the LPDC:

"The Parole examiner did not respond to pleas from Amnesty International or the National Council of Churches, and he showed no interest in the eight parole plans offering Peltier housing and employment from various Native Organizations and tribes... The Parole Examiner refused to read a report from Dr. Peter Basch who, after reviewing Peltier´s recent medical records, determined that problems with Peltier´s health could result in “recurrent central retinal vein occlusion, stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.”

"The doctor also noted that several of Mr. Peltier´s health problems had not been treated appropriately by prison medical staff... Furthermore, the examiner refused to accept or consider the 10,000 letters collected over the last three months from US citizens, human rights organizations, luminaries and members of the international community supporting Peltier´s release... Without deliberation or the consideration of any documents presented, the parole examiner recommended that Peltier´s sentence be continued until his next full parole hearing in 2008. Those in attendance reported that the examiner wrote the denial while the presentation was still being made..."

---- So this is an example of US justice that is being seen all over the world (yes, they are watching. Many foreign countries have a keen interest in this case). Unfortunately, people often equate a people with their government, especially one which calls itself a democracy. However, everywhere I went on my silent "fast" when I showed people a board that explained why I was not talking inevitably they say, "oh yes, I've heard of him, he should have been out a long time ago", even at fancy Cape Cod cocktail parties.

How is it that THEY can listen to the facts and determine that 24 years is enough for a conviction based upon such flimsy evidence? Then there was the woman working at the check-out counter at the supermarket. She stopped what she was doing and read the short fact sheet, called others over until 4 people were expressing concern. "Why?" they will inevitably ask me. What can I say except that it clearly demonstrates that the reality is that we live in a country which places little value on wise justice. And that WE the People MUST do something about it.

The fact is, we have been disappointed (or complacent) many, many times. Sadly, the disappointment can sap the energy we need to press forward. I have heard that if Leonard doesn't get out by the time the next President takes office that he will die in prison. If this happens I want to know that I did everything I rationally could to prevent it.

So what can we do? Maybe you have some ideas which I truly hope you will share. For me I think we can try to keep up the pressure on the Clinton comment line. Also the GrassRoots Oyate have a free fax service http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate/ffc.htm that will send a message to President Clinton, Attorney General Janet Reno and the Office of Tribal Justice. Following this is the excellent letter they send out (*which has some very interesting facts including excerpts from court transcripts*) plus, they allow you to add your own.

It seems to me that if any of us can be the one grain of sand that toppled the mountain then all this effort will be worth it. Furthermore, if we can be an example to others who add their grains of sand then there is hope. I believe that each of us is responsible for our actions and ultimately these are seen by the Creator to whom we will answer. I also believe in balance, what we put out, will eventually come back to us so I am most thankful that I am not that Parole examiner or the others who are obstructing the truth! Poor people; I think buried deep inside each of these folks is a good heart and intelligent mind that is been obscured by irrational emotion rather then facts, by various fears and distresses rather than serenity and that they are being manipulated by hidden agendas. (This is just what they think is happening to us which appears to me to be a classic case of projection). My prayers go out to them.

SO LETS KEEP UP THE FASTING. PLEASE CONSIDER SIGNING UP FOR A DAY! ASK OTHER TO DO THE SAME. SPREAD INFORMATION TO EVERYONE. If you need copies of fact sheets etc. let me know, or check with the primary source, the LPDC web site.

The following poems written by Peltier were read at the vigil in Brewster.

the message

"Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity.
But silence is impossible.
Silence screams.
Silence is a message,
just as doing nothing is an act.

Let who you are ring out and resonate
in every word and every deed.
Yes, become who you are.
There's no sidestepping your own being
or your responsibility.

What you do is who you are.
You are your own comeuppance.
You become your own message.

You are the message."
---

we are not separate

"We are not separate being, you and I.
We are different strands of the same Being.

You are me and I am you
and we are they and they are us.

This is how we're meant to be,
each of us one,
each of us all.

You reach out across the void of Otherness to me
and you touch your own soul."

-------- This is the man who is so heinous, so dangerous that he must spend his life in jail.

So, dear friends, ONWARD with love, courage, respect and serenity; sharing beauty and hope with everyone for where there is life change will happen.

May the Spirit lead us,
Yours with love, Rachel

----------
Text of fax message from the GrassRoots Oyate:

Mr. President:

I would like to borrow a couple of moments of your time to request a favor of you.

On June 26, 1975 a terrible incident happened at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Two Agents of the FBI were caught in a gunfight and killed. These Agents and their families are in my thoughts at all times.

On April 18, 1977 a second terrible incident happened when Mr. Leonard Peltier was convicted of the murder of these two Agents. The trial of Mr. Peltier was riddled with false testimony, evidence that could have proven Mr. Peltier's innocence was either withheld by the prosecution or not allowed by the courts.

During the 1985 Appeal Hearing for Mr. Peltier, AUSU Crooks first conceded not knowing who Actually shot the Agents. Here is a section of the Oral Arguments from that Eighth Circuit Court Appeal:

-Judge Ross: Certainly you attempted to prove that first of all Leonard Peltier was there with two or three other people. -Crooks: That's correct. -Judge Ross: Secondly that he was the only one there with an AR-15? -Crooks: That's correct. -Judge Ross: And thirdly that that AR-15 was the one that was recovered in the Wichita accident. -Crooks: No I can't agree with that because we simply don't know other than the shell matched. It could have matched any AR-15. It didn't matter which AR-15, all we were trying to show is that Mr. Peltier had an AR-15 that was his gun, that he had it, down by the bodies, a shell was ejected into the trunk. We didn't particularly care physically which one it matched up with. -Judge Ross: This would have been an entirely different case, both in terms of the manner in which it was presented to the jury and the sentence that the judge imposed, if the only evidence that you have was that Leonard Peltier was participating on the periphery in the fire fight and the Agents got killed. -Crooks: But we can't prove who shot those agents.

Since that date there has been a confession by an unknown individual. The FBI has not taken the confession seriously even though the confession included information that was previously unknown.

On November 09, 1992, AUSA Crooks again conceded the lack of evidence shown against Mr. Peltier in during Mr. Peltier's second Eighth Circuit Court appeal with this statement:
  "We had a murder, we has numerous shooters, we do not know specifically who fired what killing shots. We knew who participated, we knew who was murdered, but we did not know "who shot the agents."
  "What I mean is we did not, we did not have any direct evidence that one individual, as opposed to another on pulled the trigger... and did the coup-de-grace"
  "We tried the case on the facts available. Period. The facts available did not give us direct evidence as to who did the coup-de-grace. They simply didn't..."

Mr. Peltier, housed at the Leavenworth Federal Prison, Bureau of Prisons Identification number 89637-132, deserves to be granted Clemency from the Executive Offices of the President of these United States.

Mr. President, I beg of you to do the right thing and release Mr. Peltier at your earliest ability. And with this being an election year. The action of releasing Mr. Peltier unconditionally will assist in securing continuation of the proud and strong Democratic Party maintaining control of the highest office in this great country.

May 30, 2000

Hello Dear Friends,
Below are announcements of three upcoming events. The last one concerning the death penalty is this Thursday. The first concerns a vigil on June 11th to bring prayerful energy to the parole process for Leonard Peltier.

As you might know, I am going to be doing a week long silent "fast" (no talking) with the purpose to spend the time in prayer for Leonard's release. My inclination is to spend the time in a semi-retreat status. But it's occurred to me that to might be useful to the political aspect of this effort if I don't isolate myself. (my fast is from June 6th 'till I hear about the outcome on the 12th). If you can think of anywhere I might be useful please don't hesitate to let me know.

To tell you the truth, I am a bit nervous about this as when I did one day I found it most difficult (actually harder for me then not eating, which was a surprise). So I hope you will hold me (and of course Leonard) in your thoughts during this time. Perhaps you will consider doing a day of fasting, keeping a candle burning and/or make a phone call to the President's comment line - 202-456-1111.

 And please, if any of you wish to speak to me, do so before the 6th or wait till after the 12th!

Yours in Love,
Rachel

---

SUNDAY
June 11th
the night before
Leonard Peltier's
parole review of his wrongful imprisonment
Join us for a
PRAYER VIGIL
8pm - 9pm
First Parish Brewster (on the lawn by route 6A)

TRUTH will PREVAIL
Join us for a few minutes
Join us for the hour
Join us in solidarity
for
JUSTICE
FREEDOM
Stop by
to pray
to learn
to bear witness

-------------------------------------------
(*note: this is a draft version - corrections might be coming later*)
lift the sanctions against Iraq
West Falmouth Friends Meeting - Rt 28A
Sunday June 25th
12:00 noon
Carol Bragg
from National Fellowship of Reconciliation and
American Friends Service Committee
will discuss the

Campaign of Conscience
with the purpose to
lift the sanctions against Iraq

some of the questions that will be addressed:
How do we keep from strengthening Saddam Hussein
How do we know that materials we send will get to the people

no charge, bring a sandwich

Friday May 5, 2000

"It is time we all faced the truth of the hardships ahead of us. It is time to investigate the one form of genocide which threatens us all. It is the environmental and human destruction that American industrial greed is bringing, not only to Indian Nations, but to the other nations of the world." Leonard Peltier
 
Dearest Friends,

As some of you know, I recently went to a spot on the woods where I go to pray and someone had dug a 4' deep 5' foot wide pit right in the circle of stones. It was a terrible shock. I don't think it was the people whose property borders the area. Ed thinks it was someone looking for "treasure". This very well could be for, as stated in the above quote from Leonard, greed is destroying the planet. Occupying my mind with "who and why" was necessary in the beginning of my grieving process but then it didn't matter. Rather, I decided to try to balance the energy and consider this an opportunity to transform feelings of violation and destruction into beauty and life, change fear into love. In the end I know that Love, Respect, Beauty, Light/truth and Peace will prevail over destruction, greed and ignorance. This is where true power resides, human power is merely a fleeting illusion.

It's hard to stay positive. It's hard to not get sucked into negativity when the "Lawn Company" sprays their poisons to my north and west. Its hard to stay positive when I am awakened each morning to the sound of trucks to the east filling in wet-lands so developers can build yet another huge house. It's hard to face "the truth of the hardships ahead of us... and the environmental and human destruction that American industrial greed is bringing," But the sun still shines, on occasion, flowers bloom and love surrounds us. Do we, in our turn, let our light shine? Do we love? Do we nurture life?

The message that had been in the fore for me was about the cycles of life and death. Life is fierce. It's easier and more comfortable to stay asleep as long as possible. At some point we have to wake up and grasp the messy, often painful, roller coaster experience of love and life. As a tiny seed can break through the toughest asphalt, just so goodness will persevere. A fierce life and gentle death or a gentle life and fierce death; if these were our only two choices which would you choose?

 On the new moon at Princess Beach Ed and I used that "wonderful" deep hole to plant a Maple tree from Eden. Two of the three other people I was expecting had car accidents and we had a time miscommunication with the third. Ed mentioned that a significant portion of our spiritual life is private. So I guess this was exactly right. If any of you have the urge, you are welcome to help with the nurturing of this space. Let me know if you need directions. There is only about one inch of top soil so water during dry spells will be especially helpful. It is quite possible the tree won't survive but one of the things I am fairly good at is perseverance.

Running through my mind has been the question: In the next few minutes as well the long term, to what is my life dedicated? At the lake this prayer repeated itself
"May the Source of strength who bless the ones before us, help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing, and if "God's" will, Amen.

Each of us determine what we must do to make our lives a blessing as we struggle with finding courage. For me, the work for Leonard is such an endeavor as is the Clothesline Project. Racism and sexism; how much easier peace and justice work would be if these two conditions were cured.

Keep Love Alive and Strong in the Struggle,
rachel

P.S. The LPDC asks us to remember to continue the phone banks to the White House Comments Line on Leonard Peltier's behalf. For the next few weeks, we also need to make calls to the House of Representatives a priority. Priority 1.: Calls to the White House 202-456-1111 Priority 2.: Calls to Congress 202-224-3121 (This is the switch board, they can connect you to your local representative) Priority 3: Calls to Janet Reno at the Justice Department 202-305-1400

ALSO THEY HAVE A GRANT PROPOSAL ABOUT READY TO GO. PLEASE LET THEM KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO CONSIDER FUNDING SOME OF THIS WORK. A TAX DEDUCTION IS POSSIBLE.

---

07PM, April 21, 2000

Dear Friends,

The Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice continues (now in our 15th consecutive month). We are now on a Fast for Freedom! At the end of this message are announcements including an exciting upcoming presentation by a woman who was at Pine Ridge during that fateful time. As usual, please consider taking a day on our fast calendar. Especially important is early June until Peltier's parole hearing on June 12th.

Meanwhile, a couple of Saturdays ago I did a fast day in a different way; a fast of silence. For the 24 hour period I did not speak. This was a surprisingly difficult thing to do especially around people. Speaking comes like a reflex to me. Words are the primary means I use to stay connected to those I love with simple things like "dinner will be ready in a few minutes" and "I love you". Another thing that made this hard is that I talk to myself all the time :-).

Lessons around how, what, why I open my mouth that has been coming to me in various ways. Perhaps the most important is the necessity of being very careful with speak and the implications of making disparaging comments. Rabbi Mazo told a story of a man who spreads gossip and feels badly - he goes to the rabbi for advice. the rabbi says go and put a feather on every doorstep in the town. The man does that but doesn't understand why. He goes back to the rabbi - the rabbi tells him to go back and collect the feathers. When the man tries to do that - he sees that all the feathers are gone. He goes back - upset, to the rabbi - the rabbi tells him that that is what happens with gossip - once the words are spread through the town - they can never be retrieved.

Speech is usually instigated by thought. Disciplining one will impact the other. Years ago Ed and I came across a pamphlet by Emmet Fox, "The Seven Day Mental Diet". Fox says "It is the thoughts you allow yourself to think, the subject you allow your mind to dwell on which make you and your surroundings what they are." This does not mean that Leonard Peltier could think himself out of jail, rather, keeping a positive focus, has probably been very important to his survival mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For more information on this program we have posted the pamphlet on http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fox.html.

All in all I found the silent fast put me in a different mental place. I was left with feeling of peace and tranquility. From June 6th until we hear about the the parole outcome I am intending to do a week long silent fast and keep a candle burning. You are most welcome to join me.

When I wrote this message (now 2 weeks ago) I came down with a bad case of the flu. I am still in recovery. While the physical symptoms are almost resolved, I still feel rather disconnected. Times like these I find the most helpful thing is to spend time in a natural setting. Here the beauty of the universe unfolding before me in awesome splendor. Here is peace and power. Here is life in infinite variety. Nature has the ability to contradict hopelessness. It helps me reaffirm my belief that the human capacity to cause suffering is only exceeded by our ability to love.

When using a potter's wheel the first thing one does is center the clay. If when forming the pot the clay get off this center it becomes unbalanced. The farther it gets off center the more unstable until it collapses and you have to start from the beginning. Just so with the world. The time will come when either our better natures will rise or we will be recycled.

Positive thinking must be honest. People say they want peace yet since there can be no peace if a segment of people are subject to injustice and since few white people are willing to examine there own supremacy attitudes their desire for peace if a lie, plain and simple. Without personal commitment to stop living lives that contribute to violence, dreams of peace give the illusion of positive thinking but are worse then meaningless for they allow a person to pretend that they hold high ideal when they are simply self serving.

One of the reasons I am so engaged in Peltier's cause is that I think that his wisdom, example and the energy and the energy we are producing from this commitment, have the ability to help us get back to our center, to the truthful place we need to be; a place of justice, of peace, of joy, a place of Light and Love.

In the Spirit,
Rachel

P.S. If anyone is curious about how I spend my days when I am not praying, writing, gardening or playing you can check out some pictures of some of the pottery I made in 1999 at http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/creat.html. Also for new people on my mailing list you can see previous month's messages at http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/rmm.html

 If you haven't taken a fast day yet but are considering it you might want to read some fasting tips (a little more then half way down in this section 5/3/99 message).

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• APRIL 22 (Saturday) 7pm First Parish Brewster*** Jean Day who was at Pine Ridge during the time of the shoot out will be speaking. Anyone who has any questions regarding the situation is urged to attend. Jean Day has a personal connection to the case of Leonard Peltier.

   During the “Reign of Terror” she saw many of her friends and family killed, disappeared, threatened and harassed during what some consider to be the largest headhunt of political leaders and most serious case of repression against Native Americans in modern decades. Though silenced in the past due to fear of the FBI following through with its threats to her and her family, Jean is now prepared to speak out and share the truth about the mistreatment she and many others have had to live with for so long.

• May 7th - David Hendricks Walk (commemorating the Mashpee Wampanoag man who was murdered by a police officer).

• June 3rd - Yarmouth Friends is planning a walking meditation in Yarmouthport Saturday am June 3rd followed by a meeting for worship at the Kelly chapel.

• June 12 - Parole Review Hearing, letters and phone calls urgently needed.

  (Skip to the bottom **** if you wish to read only the nuts and bolts).

3/7/00

Dear Friends,

I often find it difficult to hold onto hope. It feels like one of those scenes from a County fair with the greased pig. I can keep a belief in the goodness of people and be optimistic about the future for the briefest time before ending up face first in the mud.

It is so easy to get discouraged and fearful. I am frightened by the numerous examples of environmental genocide., such as the wiping out all life, including algae, in one of the tributaries of the Danube. I feel discouraged by the extreme greed that is celebrated by our culture as depicted in the prime time games shows. I am horrified by the heinous acts of white police officers who kill innocent people of color with impunity; from Diallo, to Young to our own David Hendricks. In the investigation of the LAPD, Rafael Perez, testified that "officers in the department's Rampart Division actually gave each other awards after being involved in shooting unarmed and innocent people." I am appalled at Candidate Bush, the “religious”right´s darling, giggling about how many people on Death Row he has allowed to be killed. And, of course, the mistreatment of Leonard Peltier is always a strong concern Recently I heard about conditions in the hospital where Kennedy (and other “important” people) are treated . It is similar to a suite in a 5 star hotel, antiques, gourmet food, massages, etc. Compare this to a story that I also heard about a hospital in NYC with dirty syringes in the bathroom, grime everywhere, total lack of care for a life threatening situation for 24 hours. All this makes it seem like a tremendous “evil” has gripped the world. Actually, to tell you the truth I kind of feel sorry for the people caught as perpetrators on the hurtful side. They seem to me to be so far removed from their spiritual center. I have faith that there is a beautiful, real person underneath but they are so covered in distress that I have trouble see it. I pity them.

I fully understand that what leads to such behaviors is in everyone including me and that one of the few things I can do is to pay attention and root out those elements in myself. However it seems like the spread of hatred and greed coupled with arrogant complacency are becoming more extreme and depraved with serious consequences.

Faith in people often eludes me. Sometimes I feel very alone. At these times I remember the stars shine even in the day light. Just so , there is a light that shines in people. Iy is through our acts that we manifest this which is in our hearts. and even if sometimes they are obscured that doesn´t mean they aren't real. Feeling alone is just an illusion brought on by mental anguish;. Simply because we don´t see the Light that people put into the world doesn´t mean it isn´t there.

Actually, there have been a number of sweet things In the last few months. The Green Party's platform (www.greenparty.org) is something I think I could get behind for while I have little interest in Nader, his running mate, Winona LaDuke; an Ojibwe activist from the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota, seems quite worthy of support. (If anyone in Indian country has info to the contrary please let me know). I have ambivalence about “waste my vote”. But am I being truthful if I chose a person who doesn´t reflect my concerns over one who does (for the most part), because the one that does is unelectable? Plus, if we all do the “lesser of two evils” dance how can we ever move the country to justice and respect? If the Greens can get 5% of the vote then their views will have a voice. Since they are explicitly anti-racist and for prison reform, cases such as Peltier's have a far better chance of being resolved with justice.

Another positive development for me is a piece being developed out of the Dallas Peace Center ”How Best is Coalition-building Accomplished?”. This shares no only many of the pitfalls but also positive tactics which can be used to counteract the divisions that often keep us powerless.

I have also come to realize the importance of cultivating patience both for myself as well as others. This isn´t easy but I think that coupled with love, it is an attitude that will help us live a more joyous and productive life. Perhaps we are at a point in history where we need to let time separate out that which is good and useful, (like cream that rises to the surface) from that which is bad which settles to the bottom to be discarded.

****Meanwhile the nuts and bolts of our work continues, much of which is very exciting! Many Cape Cod activists are in the process of working on an April 15th event around our tax dollars at work.

And of course, The FAST FOR PELTIER, PEACE AND JUSTICE continues. Please contact me to make sure your name is on the calendar. Many, many of us have let this go, relying on those stalwart souls who have enough commitment , discipline and stamina to keep it´s spark alive. We would greatly appreciate it if others would help, just one day every month or two. If it has been a while since you have taken on this excellent way to demonstrate your pledge to peace and justice. Please sign up for a 24 hour period in March, April or May. We need you. LEONARD PELTIER HAS A PAROLE REVIEW HEARING SCHEDULED FOR THIS MAY. According to their own rules he is long overdue for release through parole, and this is one of his most viable options for freedom. The parole commission has been extremely hostile toward Leonard, so we must bring enough pressure from responsible human rights organizations, the public, government officials, media, etc. to ensure that this time they follow their own guidelines and let him go. Maybe we should think about gearing up for a big push . IMPORTANT NEWS FROM LPDC: "We need more letters in support of Leonard's release through parole! We know for a fact that the FBI and their organizations are "lobbying" to stop Leonard from being released, so please help us collect letters and ask your friends and especially local organizations (we have received very few) to do the same. Also, we just received a 60 day eviction notice from our office building. If you are able to donate to the LPDC at this time it would be of great assistance to us."

Of possible interest to some who get this mailing is that on the agenda of the upcoming Yarmouth Friends P &S meeting I will be attempting to give a clear explanation on why we should support L.P in particular since there are so very many innocent people in prison, some on death row. ALSO, the LPDC ASKS THAT WE PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP OUR CALLS TO THE COMMENT LINE GOING! Call the White House Comments Line Today. Demand Justice for Leonard Peltier! 202-456-1111.

Lets focus on encouraging each other in our often stumbling attempts, and acknowledge and support truth and goodness. Let´s try to be in love and do our best to use patience. Its up to us to keep hope alive.

With All My Love, Namaste,

Rachel

P.S. The Feb 6th vigil was excellent. I learned an interesting and potentially useful lesson on how to constructively deal with a disruptive and argumentative person. Pictures of the event can be viewed at vigil.html .

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Dear Friends,

The following is a progression of thoughts written between the Solstice 12/21/99 and 1/10/00. A the end of this letter are some organizing items so please feel free to skip ahead to the "nuts and bolts" if you are pressed for time. Also please reaffirm your fasting commitment. It´s been awhile since some of us have been in touch and we don´t want to have someone scheduled who isn´t fasting.

-------xoxoxoxoxoxo-------

Meeting for Worship 1/10/00

"Love never Faileth". This has been much on my mind as of late and I have wondered about those times when this doesn´t seem to be true. Sometimes there are people in our lives who seem to resent us no matter how much we love them or for whom we feel we can never do enough. Then there are the larger social issues such as Leonard Peltier, which seem unmoveable even though many of us devote a great deal of loving energy to this cause. As I contemplated this dilemma two things occurred to me:

Firstly, that there is much that is beyond our perception. Perhaps our love is making a real and profound difference in the world but we can not see it.

Secondly, even those rare time when love doesn't seem to manifest positive change in the world, it does something within us. It is through Love that we are able to get to that place which is One. This is the home of the eternal. It is here where the peace of our souls, the peace that isn't of the world, resides. It is a space of infinite wisdom, complete knowledge, perfect simplicity and wholeness surrounded by love. Love is the skin. the womb, the glue that hold it (including us) all together. This means that in our lives, each can be proof and bear witness to the fact that in truth Love never Faitheth.

"Love is the reflection of God's unity in the world of duality. It constitutes the entire significance of creation." Meher Baba When I read Leonard´s book, one of the dominate impressions I got of him was that he is, first and foremost, a man of love; love of family, love of Indian people, love for all humanity. In My Life is My Sun Dance he addresses the families of the slain FBI agents "If (you) get some salve of satisfaction out of my being here, then at least I can give you that, even though innocent of their blood. I feel your loss as my own … We´ve shared our common grief for twenty three years now, your family and mine, so how can we possibly be enemies? …To the still grieving Coler and William's families I send my prayers if you will have them…I state to you absolutely that , if I could have prevented what happened that day, your menfolk would not have died. I would have died myself before knowingly permitting what happened to happen."

I really don´t understand how the FBI and other people can tell lies about this man and step inside whatever church they attend. Or how they can talk about freedom and justice for all without feeling intense hypocrisy? How can they possible think that this is the best and safest way to build the society they profess to believe in? How can they fail to realize that the values they are passing on to their children are the values of lies and corruption? How can they fail to see that the whole purpose of these actions is to protect a system of greed and ruthless indulgence? Don´t they know that this is the way of misery? I am pained by their decisions because "they" are "us". We really are all one.

------xoxoxoxoxoxo-------

1/1/00

Just as I imagined when in my mid twenties, I spent New Years eve 2000 in the company of rock stars. Actually, after the 7pm Meeting for worship in Sandwich, Ed and I were on a Cape cod bay beach. It was so peaceful, stars and the rocks. Overhead the Milky Way stretched into the north. The monument in Provincetown stood slightly to the west. Then at midnight it lit up in flashing red. Behind us were explosions of fireworks. As slightly to the west the fireworks of Boston made small bursts of light followed by the sound. Simply spectacular. However, even more incredible was overhead. We saw 2-3 shooting stars. Life is a cycle, some things end as others begin.

-------xoxoxoxoxoxo-------

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Last updated on 09PM, January 25, 2003