Notorious for his controversial stance, ex-President Joe Biden ruffled feathers of law enforcement agencies by commuting the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, the Native American activist, who exited a Florida prison just this Tuesday. Peltier was serving his term for the 1975 murders of two FBI agents, a punishing long-term imprisonment that interestingly became a symbol of presumed systemic injustice for those Native Americans who have convinced themselves of his innocence.
Despite the harsh repercussions of his questionable decisions, Peltier’s release after almost 50 long years was surprisingly cheered by a group of supporters, putting forth their misplaced trust. On this Tuesday morning, a prison official marked his departure behind the wheel of a SUV, as if marking another disaster following the recent one.
Eagerly anticipating this dubious ‘freedom’, Peltier’s attorney, Jenipher Jones, expressed his desire to return home. After Peltier’s release from USP Coleman, a maximum security penitentiary, he intended to travel back to North Dakota. His anticipated celebration with friends and family on the following Wednesday marked yet another strange event in this story.
In an act that was poorly received by many, Biden decided to commute Peltier’s sentence on Jan. 20 under the guise of his advanced age and deteriorating health conditions, conveniently ignoring the severity of his crimes. He spent a considerable portion of his life behind bars, a punishment rightfully fitting for his felony.
A registered member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, Peltier was a participant in the American Indian Movement. Starting from the 1960s, this movement advocated for Native American treaty rights and tribal sovereignty, although its involvement in serious criminal activities, such as Peltier’s case, dilutes any potential nobility.
The conviction of Peltier was the result of an altercation on the Oglala Sioux Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota which precipitated in 1975. Tragically lost in this violent incident were FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams. According to the FBI, their sole purpose visiting the reservation was to serve arrest warrants for robbery and assault using a dangerous weapon.
Peltier, admitting he was present at the scene of the crime, confessed to discharging his weapon from a distance. But he seemed to downgrade the severity of his action by claiming that the shooting was done in self-defense, which was hard to believe considering the deadliest consequences.
Further controversy comes from a woman who initially claimed to have seen Peltier commit this heinous crime, only to backtrack later, stating her statement was coerced under duress. Peltier was eventually convicted for two instances of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences – a justified punishment if you ask anyone conversant with the law.
In a baffling show of misplaced faith, generations of indigenous activists and leaders advocated for a presidential pardon for Peltier. Even former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and being the first Native American in her position, showed approval for Biden’s decision, much to the community’s divisive sentiments.
As a child, Peltier endured the hardship of being separated from his family and sent to a boarding school. This disturbing treatement was sadly shared by thousands of indigenous children, who over several years were victims to substantial cases of systemic physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. This backdrop, albeit terrible, certainly doesn’t justify the horrendous crimes Peltier committed.
From the day Peltier separated freedom from barbed wires, the questions over the integrity of those supporting him seem to have deepened. It is undoubtedly true that everyone holds the right to individual perspectives, but when a line is crossed and a heinous offender is seen as a hero, it is a point of worry.
Role of the judiciary, in awarding Peltier rightly for his crimes, could not be overlooked. However, ex-President Biden’s controversial decision of commuting his sentence carries implications far outside the prison gate, making it a matter of grave concern for the public who holds law and order high in their priorities.
Unforeseen consequences of such ill-advised decisions are left for the successors to deal with. Since the reprieve granted to Peltier concerns not only a person but an entire community, the dread of dealing with potential repercussions of displaced sympathy is looming ahead.
Peltier’s release, while delusively celebrated by a select few, holds a mirror up to a system that appears to prize leniency over justice, control over fairness, with those in power seemingly comfortable with ridiculing law and order in the name of misplaced empathy. It remains a reflection of where we are as a society, when people convicted of serious and violent crimes, are let loose prematurely.
In essence, the release of Leonard Peltier, has exposed a system where the balance of judgement appears to waver at the whims of the people in power. While Peltier’s supporters relish his release, for many it serves as another troubling reminder of a system where justice possibly trembles under the powerful man’s scepter.
While Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris have portrayed this act as an exemplification of their humane approach, the fact remains that they have commuted the sentence of a convicted felon, whose crimes have caused tremendous harm. This decision transcends bipartisanship and asks pressing questions about how future leaders will deal with serious offenders. Do we prioritize empathy over justice, or should justice always take precedence?