Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson’s Open Letter To Attorney General Eric Holder Calling for the Arrest of New Black Panther Leaders

Via Puma By Design

April 17, 2012

Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear Mr. Holder:

I’m writing you on behalf of BOND Action, a national nonprofit organization committed to “uniting the races with truth, instead of dividing them with lies.” In the aftermath of the shooting death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, we’ve seen racial tensions fueled by the New Black Panther Party, Rev. Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Jesse Jackson and others.

The New Black Panther Party has put a $10,000 bounty on Zimmerman’s life and have distributed flyers calling for his capture “dead or alive.”

Even though George Zimmerman is now in custody and has been charged with second-degree murder, the blood lust and inflammatory remarks by New Black Panther Party leaders still rages. As you know, the New Black Panther Party is a racist organization—similar to the Ku-Klux-Klan.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently been roundly criticized for being too lenient with New Black Panther members. In 2008, your department dismissed charges against one of their members and narrowed charges for another even after video surfaced showing New Black Panther thugs intimidating white voters with batons at a polling station in Philadelphia.

The decision to dismiss has led to allegations that this Department of Justice under the Obama administration is unwilling to prosecute blacks for civil rights violations and hate crimes against whites.

And now during the investigation into the shooting of Trayvon Martin, New Black Panther Party members have taken it upon themselves to seek vigilante justice by placing a bounty on George Zimmerman’s life.

As the leading law enforcement official in this nation, you know that every American is guaranteed due process and should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The New Black Panther Party is pouring gasoline onto an already inflamed situation in Sanford, Fla. Their bounty could motivate someone to murder George Zimmerman before the trial. This is a domestic terrorist group and they should be rounded up and arrested for federal civil-rights crimes.

In addition to the bounty, New Black Panther leaders have shown their propensity for violence and desire to incite a race war:

• As reported on FOXNews.com, New Black Panther Party leader, Hashim Nzinga, who announced a $10,000 bounty on Zimmerman, was arrested last month for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

• Michelle Williams, Chief of Staff for the New Black Panther Party, made the following heinous remarks during an interview regarding the Trayvon Martin case:

“Let me tell you, the things that’s about to happen, to these honkeys, these crackers, these pigs, these pink people, these —- people. It has been long overdue.” “…My prize right now this evening … is gonna be the bounty, the arrest, dead or alive, for George Zimmerman. You feel me?” She added later: “It’s in me to fight. It’s in me to raise up soldiers. It’s in me that every time my feet touch the ground [in] the state of Florida—these crackers—they scared.”

• Malik Zulu Shabazz, Chairman of the New Black Panther Party said, “We’re going soon within a few weeks [to Sanford, Fla.]…. We have to raise up an army of black men and black people who will patrol and defend the community and we have to have a ministry of defense in Florida.” With all this, I was shocked to see you appear with Al Sharpton last week at his National Action Network’s (NAN) annual convention praising him for his work. Al Sharpton, along with the New Black Panther Party, has been a leading agitator in inflaming racial tensions in this case. He’s organized several rallies in Sanford and has threatened that his group would “move to the next level if Zimmerman isn’t arrested.” Your appearance is tantamount to a white Attorney General praising David Duke.

During your address at NAN you announced that the DOJ had opened an investigation looking into the shooting. You stressed that the department “will examine the facts and the law” surrounding this case. You also said, “If we find evidence of a potential federal criminal civil rights crime, we will take appropriate action….”

That’s encouraging to hear. On behalf of thousands of Americans of all races, I’m asking that the Department of Justice examine the facts and arrest The New Black Panther Party for civil-rights violations and hate crimes against George Zimmerman and the white citizens who are being intimidated in Sanford, Fla. We’ve launched a petition drive to demonstrate the concern and outrage of law abiding citizens regarding this issue (Insert link).

The New Black Panther Party has been emboldened by the Justice Department’s refusal to prosecute them for past and current crimes. They must be stopped now before their incitement to violence and bloodshed becomes a tragic reality in Florida and across this nation. Swift and aggressive action by your office would show that the DOJ is still committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, not just blacks, and that you’re seeking justice for all parties involved in this unfortunate case. I hope that you’ll do the right thing. The nation is watching.

Sincerely,

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson
Founder and President
BOND Action