Rep. Rev. Steve Hickey is cruising for a bruising in a GOP primary...or maybe for the title of occasional conscience of the South Dakota Republican Party. He's going John Dunbar on us and advocating for the release of American Indian activist and 37-year federal prisoner Leonard Peltier. If the Pine Ridge Reservation uprising in the midst of which Peltier was arrested and convicted were to take place today, Peltier would likely be branded a terrorist for killing FBI agents and threatening law and order.
Yet Republican legislator Hickey, says set him free:
Sick and now just shy of seventy, he’s not hurting anyone and since his kangaroo trial nearly forty years ago, reasonable doubt has surfaced that he ever did. At best he was convicted on circumstantial evidence and since his incarceration several decades ago, the case against him has been seriously compromised. In 1986, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged there had been the fabrication of evidence, withholding of exculpatory evidence, coercion of witnesses, improper conduct by the FBI and willful illegality on the part of the government. His trial is certainly one of the lower moments in American justice.
Even if you are of the opinion this guy killed two FBI agents, and there is no evidence he pulled the trigger or even had the gun, my plea to let him go is an appeal to the fact that these murders were in the midst of a civil war-like situation aggravated by FBI agents terrorizing the Pine Ridge reservation in the wake of Wounded Knee II. Certainly, as a judge stated in 1992, the government is “equally responsible” for the death of its own agents [Rep. Rev. Steve Hickey, "Celebrate South Dakota Statehood by Letting Leonard Peltier Go," Voices Carry, 2013.10.28].
Rev. Hickey is contending that we were the real terrorists, bringing upon ourselves a violent response from the Lakota people with the crimes we committed against them. I wonder: have Steve Hickey and Gerry Lange been having coffee?
But don't think the good Hickey is turning liberal on us. He's ready to speak in Tea Party tongues to justify his position that setting Leonard Peltier free is a proper response to an overreaching authoritarian government:
Every ammo-stocking, liberty-loving conservative in South Dakota fearing the Federal government (NSA overreaches, enemy lists, infringements by law enforcement and the like) needs to look past their Indian animosities for a moment and take a long hard look at what happened to Leonard Peltier. Martin Niemöller’s line comes to mind and so I’ll redact it for use here… first they came for [Leonard Peltier] and I did not speak out… then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. Yes, the genocide of American Indians does warrant a likening to the eradication of the Jews [Hickey, 2013.10.28].
Governor Dennis Daugaard can't release Peltier: he's a federal prisoner. If we wanted to make Peltier's release part of our quasquicentennial activities, we could make a symbolic gesture, like a proclamation from the Governor or a joint resolution from the Legislature. I don't know if such a resolution would pass our conservative Legislature, let alone have much persuasive impact on the man with the pardon pen, President Barack Obama. And real white-Indian reconciliation is a much larger issue than releasing one prisoner.
But discussing Leonard Peltier and the ugly history that spawned the Bill Janklow regime would be enormously instructive. Write the resolution, Rep. Hickey. Put it in the hopper. Hold the mirror up to our legislators and our state and put our sense of history and justice on the record.
It's a seemingly schizophrenic set of causes Rep. Hickey attaches himself to. From anti-payday loan, to pro-birther Obama Derangement syndrome, to pro-suing deep pocket churches for things that may or may not have happened 50 years ago, to this flavor of the day. I think Rep. Hickey just likes generating his own headlines when he's not getting into the news as much as he wants. Stirring the pot.
Some people have been wrongly convicted. Rep. Hickey has a lot of educating to do to convince people that Leonard Peltier is in that category. I suspect that Rep. Hickey will make a token effort, if any, before moving on to his next issue du jour.
Nelson Mandela would still be in federal prison if Republicans could turn back the clock.
Rev. Hickey is at DWC defending his position to the earth haters. The Black Hills National Forest and the National Grasslands should become National Monuments co-managed by the tribes and the Park Service.
For some reason, grandstanding and pandering came to mind when I read this.
Leonard Peltier has a lot of support groups and likely accepts all endorsements for his release. However, if he knew this pseudo preacher's background and intent he would like reject such support.
As was discussed on the "Nazi scum promotes Annette Bosworth and White Power - Yeesh", candidates and causes can be endorsed by those with sinister intentions and candidates and causes feel obliged to accept them.
I don't know who Hickey is appealing to, but I am skeptical as to whether Leonard Peltier support groups or the Native American communities are buying it. This Native American doesn't believe him.
The Rev(?) Hickey's support would be better served in Leith, North Dakota.
https://twitter.com/lastrealindians/status/394885975366565888
Roger, I'll admit, when I first saw Hickey's headline, I read closely to the end, wondering if I might find "Surprise! This is satire!" trick in the last paragraph.
For the moment, I'm inclined to give Hickey a little more credence here. Remember, this is the same pastor who has provoked his fellow Republicans by (as R mentions) campaigning against the usury industry and by changing his mind to oppose the death penalty.
Ask him, and I'll bet he'll express sincere distaste for the Aryan crud trying to take over that North Dakota town.
Cory,
I'll join you in giving him credence on the usury industry and a few other issues, especially the death penalty and I thank him for doing so.
If the good Reverend is reading this blog, I ask him now to state a public opinion on the Aryans attempt to take over a sleepy North Dakota town.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/security-and-human-rights/leonard-peltier
Roger - I don't have much of a comment on Aryans taking over a N Dakota town. What does "take over" mean? I'm not following that story. In general, I'd say I find the Aryan identity groups offensive, mean, and wrong and if they are trying to find a home here in the Dakotas I hope the locals resist their efforts.
Steve,
Take over as defined by the Aryans is to register to vote and run for public office and dominate city and county government to enact racist laws.
Thank you for taking a strong stand on this position.
I think the evidence, or lack thereof, casts grave doubt on Peltier's conviction. There were boatloads of dirty deeds as part of Wounded Knee and the whole 70's American Indian demonstrations/protests, etc. I'm of very mixed feelings regarding A.I.M., but the U.S. government has a great deal to be ashamed of in the context of agency behaviors.
Pardon Peltier. Whatever he might have done, and it wasn't killing an FBI agent, he's done more than enough time for it.
Steve, maybe you should primary DD.
Deb,
During this period on the reservation I had the opportunity to visit the Jumping Bull encampment both before and after the shooting. When you looked at the layout of the camp there were so many possibilities as to how the shooting went down.
The first of which was that the F.B.I. had no business there and their presence turned the camp into a war zone.
The government developed a theory and ran with it. Leonard Peltier may well have killed the agents by himself, but I doubt it, and even if he did the government never proved it. There was and is a shadow of a doubt.
Yes Roger. There was a lot of stink associated with FBI behavior. Peltier was only one example. Anna Mae Aquash is another.
Apparently residents of the res were deeply divided over it. In 1996 I had the honor of a conversation with Zona Fills the Pipe. She was in her 80s at the time I believe. She did not assign blame or right and wrong. She described the angst, fear, confusion and division in that time.
I can't recall the name of the Pine Ridge president then, but he was described as unethical, at best. Oh, it was a very difficult and painful time. Scars remain.
Oh yeah, and the FBI used every unscrupulous and subversive tactic they had to escalate the fear, pain and dissension. Their goal was to make a bad situation on the res much, much worse. You know, like the kind of thing the CIA has done to various other nations.
Shameful. Grrrr.
I suspect Steve could lead a more interesting and instructive conversation in a primary than Lora Hubbel will riding her John Birch hobbyhorses. How about it, Steve? Care to spend the spring (and maybe the fall) educating the electorate?