Posted on 10/27/2005 10:28:19 AM PDT by Millee
STANLEY "TOOKIE" WILLIAMS is a charismatic symbol of what's wrong with the death penalty — and of what's wrong with the debate about the death penalty.
His story of sin and redemption powerfully illustrates the unfairness of capital punishment. But to argue that capital punishment is unjust for some defendants is to concede that it may be acceptable for others. The reason to oppose capital punishment has to do with who we are, not who death row inmates are.
The death penalty is inappropriate in all situations because it is unbefitting of a civilized society. Williams' case, though poignant, is irrelevant to this argument.
Part of what makes Williams such an effective symbol in the debate over capital punishment is his compelling story. If there was a hall of shame for criminals, Williams would deserve his own wing. Williams founded the violent and oppressive Crips gang, dealers of crack cocaine and death by gunfire who spread their lethal gospel nationwide.
He was convicted of four 1979 gun murders, and who knows what other violence he masterminded as the Crips leader. By most accounts, however, Williams has become a very different person in his nearly quarter-century in San Quentin.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
It's statements like this that REALLY make me laugh. I'm STILL trying to connect the train of thought here..
Then let the inmates siting on Death Row become neighbors of the author of this article. Then let's have a discussion with him on whether or not a death penalty is appropriate for a civilized society.
I just love how the left keeps re-defining just what a civilized society consists of and what its philosophies are.
Shut down the LA Times.
He is a symbol of what is right with the death penalty. A slimebag that should have been executed long ago.
"Putting people to death is more costly than incarcerating them for life"
Only if you use a dry sponge between the scalp and the skull electrode.....
Let's open all those doors on death row and send them all to the LA Times.
Agreed. I think the major problem with death row is that people sit on it for too long.
With a name like Tookie you know he's a lovable cuddly teddy bear. The 4 murders were a quadruple fluke.
Given their downward spiral in circulation, they're pretty much doing that to themselves....good riddance.
Unfortunately, the story of Tookie Williams makes it all to clear that we are not a civilized society. If we were there wouldn't be so many Tookies who clearly deserve the death penalty.
Putting people to death is cheap. What's expensive is holding them on death row for 15 years while the lawyers play procedural games.
You know, I think I'm in the wrong line of work.
It's statements like this that REALLY make me laugh. I'm STILL trying to connect the train of thought here..
Just as the LA Times is irrelevant in political and social debates. The LA Times has proven itself to be an untrustworthy news agency - their condemnation of the death penalty only strengthens my belief that the death penalty is necessary in more cases and crimes than it is currently being used for.
It depends on who you're asking.
The simple fact is that this man is responsible for taking a South Central L.A. gang and making it into a nationwide crime organization. I'm not saying there wouldn't be gangs in cities regardless. But this man made that lifestyle appealing and actively recruited young boys into a life of crime, becoming indirectly responsible for their behavior and violent deaths.
For that alone, this man deserves to die.
I have a fix for the cost of putting people to death argument. Once a trial has concluded and the death penalty is recommended by the jury, have a final phase of the trial to determine whether or not overwealimg evidence of guilt is present. If it is, place the perp on a fast track and execute within 90 days. No lengthy internment, not lengthy appeal.
They aren't going to put them away for life anyway. As soon as they declare the death penalty unconstitutional, they will set about the task of declaring life in prison unconstitutional.
Someone ought to do an actual study to see how many prisoners who are at some point given life in prison actually end up spending the rest of their lives in prison. It only happens when the liberal judges and parole officers don't like the defendant for some reason, such as Sirhan Sirhan, or maybe Charles Manson. And even those guys might get out someday if the liberals have their way.
Well, here is something for them to consider ... would Tookie have had the conversion if he was not under a death sentence?
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