• 
• 
  • Arts & Culture
  • City Hall
  • Environment
  • Housing & Displacement
  • Immigrant Rights
  • LGBQT
  • Poverty
  • Youth & Schools
• 
  • Features
  • News Briefs
  • Newswire
  • Headlines
• 
  • Mailing Lists
  • PhillyIMC's Wiki
  • LAVA
  • Contact us
• 
• 
• 
• 

Recent Posts by washtewin

• > A Call To Action: Medical Care & Support for Leonard Peltier’s Parole (#89637-132)

Recent Similar Articles

• > Leonard Peltier & Mumia Abu-Jamal: Justice Barometers of our Soul
• > Leonard Peltier Denied Parole; Take Action Today!
• Parole Hearings Held Today For Leonard Peltier


• > Leonard Peltier Medical Alert
• > Leonard Peltier Health Emergency -- Call Prison

• Rally In Support of The Fort Dix 5


• On February 11th 1990, Nelson Mandela was released.

.

Updated July 25, 2009:

Leonard Peltier’s long-term illnesses require him to receive a comprehensive physical every 3 months. Lewisburg Prison in Pennsylvania has not allowed this to happen. In fact, Leonard has received only 1 physical in over a year. He will be 65 years old this September, and he suffers from a wide range of health issues, many of which are life threatening. To name a few, he is partially blind in one eye, suffers from frequent headaches, has diabetes requiring medicine, and has high blood pressure for which he also takes medicine. He has untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which can cause death, and it also increases the risk of heart attack. He has a painful misaligned jaw, which was made more so, by several improper surgeries within the prison system. This condition still requires a proper surgery to correct it. He is also at high risk for prostate cancer, and takes medicine for his prostate condition.

In January of 2009 he was inexplicably transferred to Canaan Prison in Pennsylvania, which is well known for the overwhelming majority of young gangsters & thugs it houses. Shortly after his transfer he was placed in general population, and was severely beaten by several inmates. This contributed unimaginable stress to his growing list of health issues, and was only magnified by him being thrown into solitary confinement after the unprovoked, vicious attack. He had no phone privileges, medical treatment or proper nutrition which is essential for a diabetic.

The medical attention he finally received was only within the prison’s infirmary, as opposed to an outside hospital with the proper equipment and qualified staff. The only reason he even received the minor medical attention that he did was due to his supporters calling Canaan prison day and night demanding he be given proper care, as well as requesting he be immediately transferred out of that life threatening environment at Canaan. As a result, he was finally transferred back to Lewisburg Prison but we still have no idea what permanent damage Leonard may have sustained as a result of that beating because he continues to be refused proper testing.

Mid June of 2009 Leonard experienced classic symptoms of a heart attack. He complained of pain in his left arm, left rib cage, and in his chest. These symptoms should never be taken as anything less than an emergency, let alone with the additional health issues Leonard has that put him at higher risk for heart attack. Not only did Lewisburg Prison not treat this episode as an emergency, they flat out ignored Leonard’s requests to be given proper medical testing at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, MN, which is the only facility that can adequately test or treat Leonard properly.

Yet again, it was only due to the public outcry of Leonard’s supporters that he was finally sent to the FMC in Rochester several days later, where he received a treadmill/EKG test. That particular test indicated he had not had a heart attack. But there are still several more crucial tests that Leonard requires. One of these tests would indicate if Leonard has sustained heart muscle damage.

Leonard was then experiencing blood in his urine (hematuria). The blatant disregard for his healthcare continued. Beginning July 3^rd Warden Bledsoe of the Lewisburg Prison had been besieged with requests from Leonard’s friends, family, and supporters to get Leonard emergency care at FMC in Rochester. For five days and counting, Leonard had blood in his urine, and aside from a simple urine test by a physician’s assistant at the prison, Warden Bledsoe had refused to acknowledge the requests by Leonard, and his supporters to get him emergency care. It is highly likely that Leonard may be suffering from prostate cancer, of which blood in the urine is a symptom. But until he receives proper testing at FMC he will not know the reason for the blood he is expelling. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=60304029

Warden Bledsoe’s response to Leonard's supporters had been, and continue to be, that Leonard is fine, and receiving adequate medical care at Lewisburg Prison. This is the same facility that told Leonard, “You ain’t got nothin’ comin”, when Leonard asked them to provide emergency care for one of his many illnesses. This is a repeated and extremely disturbing pattern of negligence being exhibited by Warden Bledsoe in regards to Leonard’s healthcare. He knows full well that their physician’s assistant, and limited equipment are incapable of testing or treating Leonard’s numerous ailments. ****(UPDATE: As of July 12, 2009, due to the massive public outcry via phone calls, emails, and letters to Warden Bledsoe, the LP-DOC reports that Lewisburg Prison has put Leonard 'in line' to see a urololgist. )**** http://www.nativetube.com/video/538/FREE-Peltier-Radio-Special-71209--Parole-Attorney

It is sure to get worse as Leonard ages, and is forced to deal with the stress of untreated ailments and an unresponsive prison system. People do not cease to be human when they are incarcerated. They have the same rights to proper, and comprehensive medical treatment as anyone else. If Leonard were paroled, his mounting medical needs would no longer be a burden on the federal prison system. He would be responsible for his own healthcare needs. 

Leonard Peltier has been stripped of over 33 years of his life as the longest serving political prisoner in the United States for a crime he did not commit. It pains me to know that in spite of the untold good he’s done for many communities in need, and that he has been nominated 6 TIMES for the Nobel Peace Prize- he still is forced to suffer the inhumanity of being kept from his basic rights to proper and timely medical care.

"Over 560 (and counting) celebrities, scholars, journalists, politicians, and organizations from all over the world signed the International Peltier Forum declaring Leonard Peltier is innocent." http://users.skynet.be/kola/vips.html

"Fifty five United States Senators and Congressional Representatives (including Democrats and Republicans) have filed an appeal brief demanding that Peltier receive a new trial. Amnesty International has repeatedly called for Peltier’s immediate release from prison, governments from all over the world have passed resolutions insisting that Peltier be released, and a large contingent of distinguished human rights advocates have been very outspoken in their strong support for Peltier - including six people who have already received the Nobel Peace Prize: Nelson Mandela (1993), Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1992), Mikhail Gorbachev (1990), the 14th Dalai Lama (1989), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1984), and Mother Teresa (1979)."

http://www.blockreportradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=370&Itemid=26

There are untold millions of everyday people who have lent their time, money, voice, and many who have spent their entire lives trying to free Leonard. Until the time he walks free, and he WILL walk free, he is most certainly a man who deserves basic and/or emergency healthcare at the FMC in Rochester, MN. Of that, there can be no doubt.

Our justice system has an opportunity to redeem its past egregious & unjust actions against Leonard. His parole hearing is set for July 28, 2009. The few years of life he has remaining, and the health he can still muster, are rightfully his to take with him when he walks free.

To the elected officials in public office in my home state of Illinois, I ask you to listen to the voice of your constituents, and to the media and everyday people all over the world, step forward and make the calls necessary to aid in getting Leonard freedom through his upcoming parole hearing.

Please join the voices of millions around the world and make the call:

United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Blvd., Ste. 420
Chevy Chase, MD  20815-7286 PH: (301)492-5990

***Radio interview with Eric Seitz on July 24, 2009:

http:​/​​/​​www.​​blogtalkradio.​​com/​​NAMAPAHH_​​Radio/​​2009/​​0​​ ***
 

To all of you in the media who can bring this to the masses, I ask you to step up. To all of you who wish to be a voice for Leonard Peltier, I ask you to do it now. Do it because your heart speaks to you about justice, and the right thing to do. President Obama, during your campaign you promised your constituents that you’d help Leonard. Are you a man of your word?

Leonard’s story is one that needs to be shouted out over the rooftops in every corner of the world. His story is about a failed justice system. His story is about untold masses from all over the world who have been wronged, stepped upon, trampled, silenced, ruined, imprisoned, and even murdered, all because they dared to stand up in the face of wrong and injustice, to say, “No more!”

Sincerely hoping that humanity & justice will prevail,

Washte Win   --ILLINOIS

“Leonard Peltier’s unjust incarceration remains a festering sore that impedes better race relations in America. Surely the time has come to promote healing and a spirit of trust and genuine goodwill toward the Indian peoples of America with an act that serves both compassion and justice."  ~ the late Coretta Scott King

Archbishop Desmond Tutu called Leonard’s imprisonment,

“…a blot on the judicial system" in the United States. "I would hope that this campaign, the campaign to have him freed, will succeed."