American Indian activist Leonard Peltier has once again been denied parole. I am outraged at this decision. Peltier has served over 30 years in prison for killing two FBI agents, whom, he has always said, "framed him." For those of us who are aware of the murderous leveling of a whole culture of American Indians for well over four centuries, and the incident that led to Peltier's incarceration, this decision is unconscionable.
To make matters worse, FBI Director Robert Mueller criticized the Scottish justice minister for releasing one of the Pan Am 103 bombers, saying it "gives comfort to terrorists" all over the world. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill cited compassionate grounds as his decision to let Abdelbaset al-Megrahi return to Libya; he is dying of inoperable prostate cancer and has only months to live.
Mueller should resign; he has no heart or common sense. Our president has introduced the word "empathy" into the lexicon of our national consciousness, and it is about time Americans of all ages and stripes develop some.
I am appalled by what appears to be a pattern of abuse of power emanating from the FBI.
NANCY PLANK, MINNETONKA
