I looked at the thermometer and it was 8 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors. I put on my cap, scarf, and coat and left for a walk along the state park trail. It was a brisk walk in that I wanted to keep my heartbeat elevated. I was stunned by the news. Leonard Peltier is freed.

I got teary-eyed as I read the White House Press Release that in one of his final acts as president, Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier. This has been a long time coming. I have been in favor of freeing Peltier since I can remember, including in the 1970s when I served in the U.S. Army overseas when he was sentenced.

Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz had been posting on social media about granting clemency to Peltier since the election. I don’t know how Washington works, yet I believe his advocacy made the difference. It certainly wasn’t my message to the White House, the last of several I sent.

We will miss Joe Biden more than we know.

Since the Trump administration will immediately take down the Biden administration website, I screen-shot the text below. The archived website is expected to return, yet who knows when that will be?