By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
On the 40th anniversary of the murder of two FBI agents, Washington State is honoring the art of the two agents’ killer. It is a shameful and dishonorable act that highlights the man who took the lives of two young law enforcement officers and an affront to their families who have for forty years endured resurrection of this killer in the news with little mention of the fallen officers.
Last Thursday I read of a Native American art exhibit being held at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries headquarters in Tumwater, Washington. Being a fan of Native American art I travelled to the agency to review the artwork. To my dismay in the main rotunda of the state agency’s offices I saw four paintings from Leonard Peltier along with cards reading how to contact Mr. Peltier’s gallery for purchases of his works. I am familiar with his art and these works are consistent with his style of painting.
Leonard Peltier is currently serving two consecutive life sentences for the 1975 murder of FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams at the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Now, we have a situation where a government agency is promoting the art of this convicted cop killer, which is only certain to generate controversy in the Law Enforcement Community along with the families of those who have lost their loved ones. The State of Washington is sponsoring a murderer’s artwork and providing free advertisements toward its purchase. I view this as highly unethical and a strong conflict of interest. The State of Washington should not be in the business of helping convicted cop killers profit while in prison. It is an insult to the families of agents Coler and Williams and those who have served in the profession.
The great irony of this affair is that the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is the agency charged with paying benefits to police officers injured on the job and to also administer the Washington State Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund.
In 1975 FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were attempting to question a man suspected of a theft at the Pine Ridge Reservation. A brief informational of the murder may be read here. Execution would be a closer representation of how these agents died. Mr. Peltier was later found in Oregon where he allegedly fired on an Oregon law enforcement officer. Officials found Agent Coler’s handgun in Peltier’s vehicle.
A video dedicated to these agents’ service, along with narration from family members may be seen here.
I do take great exception to Washington State’s actions. The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) not only hosted the exhibition of Mr. Peltier’s paintings, but made announcements on L&I webpages and composed flyers showing its support of the artwork. Moreover, each of the paintings had a card naming the artist and where to purchase his works. In other words L&I is acting as an agent to advertise a convicted murder’s works where he or his agents will receive revenue and sales as an intended result.
Mr. Peltier has become somewhat of a cause célèbre among Hollywood actors and celebrities convinced that he is innocent. Regardless of this, and the fact that he has genuine artistic skill in his own right, I find this rather insulting to the police community. But for a government agency to display his works and solicit ways for him or his agents to gain money during his incarceration violates ethical constraints of government and the spirit of preventing criminals from profiting from their crimes or incarceration.
Labor and Industries should remove Mr. Peltier’s artwork and refrain from freely promoting incarcerated cop killers or economically supporting their ventures.
Here are some of the pictures I took of the display. The first shows the official flyer having a picture of Mr. Peltier within a prison facility.
Note: The information on the black wall is for another artist, not Mr. Peltier.
For information on the exhibit click here. A copy of the department’s handout may be read here.
Those having questions about this display may contact the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, or telephone their switchboard at (360) 902-5800.
Please honor Ron Williams, Jack Coler and their loving families.
By Darren Smith
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Photo Credits: Own work, released to the public domain.
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
I remember reading about this case.
Over time I have learned how the left lies about these cases for political purposes.
The Hiss-Chambers and Rosenberg cases from the 50s, the Mumia case, and Ferguson.
All were based on leftist lies.
As such, now I will presume that the left is once more lying about Peltier in the same way.
Given that the most vicious swipe here -full of a long ad hominem and little else- comes from an anonymous poster using as his avatar the instigators of the biggest mass murders in world history, Marx and Engles, I am almost certainly correct.
Yea sure KC. Between the Slave Trade and Manifest Destiny you’ve got about 200 million souls wiped out prematurely and then there’s the Nazis which would probably be running all of Europe and Russia today if it weren’t for the Red Army so now we’ve got yet another rube who doesn’t know shit from fat meat.
Karl Friedrich – not sure how you got to 200 million deaths. You must be reading that idiot Zinn.
BTW, one of my Indian students informed me that AIM stood for A**holes in moccasins.
Prison art is a niche market in the art world. The reason this art is where it is is because it gets a better crowd than at the prison. They usually do not sell for much so the money just pays for paints and supplies.
Karl,
Calm down. Lenny didn’t shoot FBI with AR-15. Then who did it? Karl, you know all the answers. We’re all waiting. It’s a nail bitter. Give proper testimony to DA too.
Darren: This is the stupidest, most poorly researched article I’ve ever read.
You’re a fool to go blathering on and on about cop killers when you clearly don’t know shit from fat meat.
Do you have any idea why Republican Governor George Ryan imposed a moratorium on executions in Illinois back in 1999 and then commuted all the sentences of 160 people on Death Row?
It was because it was PROVEN to him that 50% were innocent. That’s right, a team of Northwestern University students took 14 random death row cases and after several years of diligent investigating proved to Gov. Ryan that seven were completely innocent and ultimately set free. These innocent victims were framed and scapegoated and imprisoned for decades, mostly by filthy dirty cops.
Law & Order Republican Governor Ryan concluded guilt or innocence of murder in IL was like “a coin flip”.
Do you really imagine conditions in WA state are really that much different than IL?
With those facts in mind.what kind of moron wouldn’t at least bring up the fact there’ exists evidence Peltier was framed and is really being held a political prisoner.
You’re a goddamned idiot who should be ashamed of this piece or have the cajones to write a follow up apologizing for your naivety.
Was going to comment that there is a lot more to the Pelletier story, and glad to see others have already done so. Mattheson’s book is indeed an important source for a fuller understanding of the story. I actually commend the exhibit if only for not simply continuing the government’s knee-jerk reaction to everything Pelletier. And while most of the comments here show people with mind’s decided, if the discussion gets even a couple people to look more deeply at the case and at least wonder if it is possible that sometimes the wrong person is in jail and that injustices have been carried out by our government (which overall has done much good), then it will have served a useful purpose.
The discussion also shows the changing of the generations and how we forget. I don’t know how old Darren Smith is, but he looks pretty young. There was a time not all that long ago when everyone on the left knew the Pelletier story and for the most part were supportive of freeing him and getting him justice. I wonder how many others serving life sentences, and for whom there is at least some reason to believe they are innocent, that we are forgetting every day.
Yes, the government should not be making money off convicted felons. Never mind that private corporations do it, or that IN FACT governments have been profiting off prison labor for decades. It’s fine to sell prisoner labor in the free market, just don’t promote art. For chrissakes what is wrong with you?
Defend another bunch of sovereign citizen ranchers stealing, trespassing, lying and not paying for what they take? Sure, why not. Old Cloven Bundy and his ilk are true American Folks Heroes along with the Oaf Keepers that support them! ‘Murica!
Conservatives Love Domestic Terrorists.
I would love the opportunity to buy some pottery made by Ted Kaczynski or a Bernie Madoff self portrait.
WTF has happened to the once great state of Washington?
They have been Californicated. Seriously. When the loons from the blue areas of California move north and invade, they bring their crackpot ideas.
The government should not be hawking his art so that he and his agents can make money. IF he does sell his art, the funds generated from the sale of this criminal’s paintings should be put towards paying for the costs of his incarceration and donated to a cause to support the fallen officers. Just think how many millions of dollars have been spent on him since he committed these murders. Why shouldn’t the people get some of it back?
The killing of these agents occurred on the pine ridge reservation in south Dakota.why did the trial get moved to Fargo?
Interesting video. 1939 starring Shirley Temple, “Susannah of the Mounties”.
Skip over to the 1:12:40 mark. Black Foot Indian medicine man finds out who tells a big fat lie. Note, the Indian actors in this 1939 movie are real Black Foot Indians.
Law and order is served!
Will you defenders of Peltier also defend the Hammond family? Let’s see if you are really for justice, or is it social justice.
http://bundyranch.blogspot.com/2015/11/hammond-family-declared-as-terrorist.html?m=1
The leftists here miss the point entirely, as usual, and intentionally.
The US government should not be acting as an art agent for convicts.
Imagine the US making money for serial killers like John Wayne Gacy or the BTK killer, or selling nudes by serial rapists, or nekkid kid art by pedos.
Relitigate the case somewhere else.
He’s a convict and Washington state is being reprehensible here.
If you support this case of state promotion of prisoner art, you support other killers who mock their victims in art.
This is not something other taxpayers should be required to pay for.
Do it with your own money.
>Judge Heaney, who authored the decision denying a new trial, has since voiced firm support for Mr. Peltier’s release, stating that the FBI used improper tactics to convict Mr. Peltier, the FBI was equally responsible for the shoot-out, and that Mr. Peltier’s release would promote healing with Native Americans.
Among other facts.
http://www.freeleonard.org/case/
Peltier bragged about “killing the mofo’s.” He bragged that one of the cops begged for his life before he killed him. Liberals love sociopath killers if they are part of an oppressed minority.
Jerry, Aliens, obviously! I want to know if Beldar has an alibi.
The law allows for punishment of offenders, Darren, not persecution. Get over it.
Yeah, and OJ Simpson still wants public to believe killer of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman is on the lose.
The only people that tell truth right away are, Islamic Jihadists. They take credit for murders and wear it like a badge of honor.
If it wasn’t Lenny, then who did it?
I love how some stuff sparks the ‘S’ Rant. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes it auto generates.