Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 18:59:18 +0200
From: bernard blanc <berblanc-AT-club-internet.fr>
Subject: Super-Michael 


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

A Christmas Appeal to President Clinton

                             Dear President Clinton:

                             Today, you begin your last month in office.
There are many things my friends and I wish you could
                             have accomplished in these last eight
years. I'm sure you feel the same way.

                             There are a few things, though, you could
do in the next 30 days that would bring freedom to just
                             three people. I am asking you to be a hero
to three individuals who continue to experience a profound
                             injustice. You, as President, can correct
the suffering they have had to endure. In the Spirit of the
                             season, I am hoping you will consider my
appeal...

                             1. Pardon Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier, a
leader of the American Indian Movement, has been in
                             prison for over two decades. Amnesty
International and every other human rights organization in the
                             world considers him to be a political
prisoner. The evidence is clear he did not commit the crime he is in
                             prison for (the killing of a federal agent
during an uprising at the Wounded Knee reservation... see
                             http://www.freepeltier.org/).

                             Native Americans have barely survived the
genocide that white Americans began over 400 years ago.
                             That we would imprison just one innocent
Native American is not only abhorrent, it is a continuation of
                             that genocide. This man was punished for
his political beliefs. He has suffered enough. Sign the
                             pardon today.

                             2. Pardon Howard Mechanic. Howard, like
yourself, was an anti-war protester at Washington U in
                             St. Louis.  His crime: he threw a cherry
bomb. No one was harmed, no property was damaged, but
                             Howard was given a five-year sentence. 
After losing the appeal, he ran.

                             For the past 30 years, he lived a quiet
life in Arizona, raised a family, did charity work, and fought for the
                             underdog. Until he was caught. Now he is in
prison. He never committed a crime. The New York Times
                             magazine ran an incredible story on him
earlier this year. Not only is this man no threat, he is an asset to
                             our society, actively involved in his
community.  

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

                             The Vietnam War is over. Why are we still
fighting it by persecuting people like Howard Mechanic? This
                             could have been you, Mr. President when you
were at an anti-war rally. Release him from prison
                             immediately.

                             3. Tell Peru to Return Lori Berenson. Lori
has been in a Peruvian prison for over 5 years.
                             They accused her of conspiring to help a
rebel group there. She was in Peru working as a freelance
                             journalist. She never got a real trial (see
http://www.freelori.org/).  

                             This could be your daughter, Mr. President
-- a young, idealistic girl, traveling to a foreign country to
                             shed light on the way people are treated,
and because she was seen talking to or hanging out with the
                             wrong people, she is imprisoned for life!  

                             In fact, this could have been YOU, Mr.
Clinton. What if during your college travels to the U.K. or the
                             Soviet Union you were seen chumming with
IRA people or Soviet dissidents? What if the secret police
                             just whisked you away without a trial?

                             This is an outrage. I know you have asked
the Peruvian officials about her well-being, but enough is
                             enough. They now claim they will give her a
new "trial." No way. NO more Peruvian "justice" for one of
                             our young citizens.  

                             Demand that Peru return her now or face
harsh sanctions from the United States. All you really need to
                             do is just pick up the phone and make a
call. You don't even have to tell us what you say to them. Just
                             do it.

                             Now, that's not a lot to ask of you, is it?
Three of our fellow humans languishing unjustly in prison.
                             There are many, many more. I suppose if you
really wanted to go down in the history books, you could
                             reduce everyone's federal sentence on death
row to life imprisonment.  

                             Better yet, you could issue orders to stop
arresting our black and Hispanic citizens at such a
                             disproportional rate in your "War on
Drugs." THAT would be an act of courage.

                             I ask all who read this to join me in this
appeal. Write to President Clinton at:   

                             The White House
                             1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
                             Washington, D.C. 20500

                             E-mail:  president-AT-whitehouse.gov
                             Phone:  202-456-1414
                             Fax:    202-456-2461

                             And just for fun, just to make a final
point about the sacredness of everyone's vote, you could make Al
                             Gore -- not George W. Bush -- the 43rd
president of the United States!  

                             That's right, you can make the will of the
people a reality. And it's legal. Just resign a couple days early.
                             Al, according to the Constitution,
automatically becomes president. As I have said for years, it matters
                             little which one of you Republicrats is in
the Oval Office, so what the heck!  

                             Actually, the one thing we will miss about
you is your sense of humor. Give us all a good laugh and
                             force Baby Bush into having to succeed Al
Gore. Make him have to physically take the legitimate
                             reigns of power from the actual winner of
the election into his illegitimate hands!

                             And -- think of how much the Republicans
and the Inauguration Committee will have to spend
                             changing all the pre-printed banners and
napkins that say "George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the
                             United States of America." It'll drive them
crazy.

                             Yours,

                             Michael Moore 

                             http://www.theawfultruth.com/
                             http://www.michaelmoore.com/
                             mmflint-AT-aol.com