'A Postscript' 

Editor:

A postscript to Thadeus Greenson's story on Aaron Bjorkstrand ("Freeing Aaron Bjorkstrand," Aug. 22), the cover story man rescued from prison: Leonard Peltier, who has special significance for Humboldt County. When Julia Butterfly was tree-sitting Luna, Leonard sent her a congratulatory plaque he had carved in prison. This was an occasion for a huge demonstration in Stafford: Julia stood perched on her 200-foot treetop, swaying in the wind, while speakers read his letter from an adjacent ledge. A forest defender carved a eulogizing plaque in return, and we delivered it to Leonard in Lawrence, Kansas, on a bicycle trip across the U.S. to Washington to protest the war

Leonard has been imprisoned, much of the time in solitary, for 48 years. He is the victim of an "FBI-family vendetta" against the American Indian Movement, AIM. Despite incarceration, he has continued to lead the struggle to claim the rights and restore lands and culture of indigenous peoples, and champions human rights everywhere. He just turned 80 and is in terrible health. He can't even take a shower because the system insists on handcuffing him, so he can't use his walker to get there.

Leaders like Mandela, Tutu, Mother Teresa, U.N. High Commission of Human Rights, the I.C.C., have pleaded for clemency, but implacable presidents have so far been intimidated by the FBI. As with Aaron, our rigidly punitive prison system has an iron grip on him.

Ellen Taylor, Petrolia