Laureates seek clemency for Death Row inmate [Tookie Williams]

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 11/24/5 | Lynda Gledhill

[SmithL]

Sacramento -- A bevy of Nobel laureates and celebrities have written a letter urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to commute the death sentence of Stanley Tookie Williams, himself a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

Williams, 51, the co-founder of the Crips gang convicted of four 1979 murders, is scheduled to be executed at San Quentin State Prison on Dec. 13.

The letter praises Williams' work as an anti-gang crusader, including writing children's books.

"Each year at the holiday season voices the world over cry out for peace," states the letter to the governor. "This year, one of them, a voice of great power, will be lost unless you act."

Among the signatories of the letter are Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Irene Kahn, secretary general of Amnesty International; and Mairead Corrigan Maguire, who founded the Community of the Peace People in 1976.

Among the celebrities who signed the letter are Jason Alexander, Jackson Browne, Russell Crowe, Carl Reiner and Susan Sarandon.

Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, with the Human Rights Center of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, also signed the letter. She is a cousin of Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver.

On Monday, civil rights activists Jesse Jackson and Bianca Jagger visited Williams at San Quentin. His case has become a cause for many activists.

"Through his work, gang truces have been mediated, and long-standing wounds have been healed," the letter states. "Lives have been saved."

Williams has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize each year since 2000, initially by a member of the Swiss parliament and more recently by a Bay Area philosophy professor.

[AmishDude]

I don't think that commuting a death sentence to life imprisonment rises to the level of a second chance. It's entirely possible to be for wanting Tookie off the streets permanently, and against killing him.

If I recall correctly, a prisoner who'd been "permanently" incarcerated had escaped.

[Steel Wolf]

Murder is always evil. Some motives are more comprehensible than others but the murderer must ALWAYS be punished.

I agree, but for a fitting punishment, I think you have to understand the how and why of the crime that was committed. The motive and method tells me a lot about what kind of danger the person is to society.

In Iraq, a vehicle full of booby trapped children's toys was found recently. I'd be comfortable in giving out the death penalty to whoever built them, whoever was going to distribute them, and anyone that knew about them and said nothing. Still, I wouldn't want to execute a woman that shot a cheating husband after catching him in the act. Murder is wrong, but the details should dictate how severe the punishment.

[goldstategop]

Yep. The one argument for the death penalty is that there's no chance the murderer can escape to kill again when he's free and there's no chance he'll ever get out of prison through misguided parole or (remember Wille Horton?) furlough. The only way out of the prison gates for a murderer is being rendererd stone-cold dead, sealed in a coffin.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[goldstategop]

Of course there are exceptions to the nature of the punishment. As long as they remain exceptions, I have no problems with it. What I do have a problem with is this misplaced sympathy for murderers like they think the world owes them something. Au contraire. I believe we must never forget the world owes their victims the most precious gift of all - justice.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[little jeremiah]

The coloring book could have cut out paper dolls. And a little gurney.

[SmithL]

I suspect that including a little Bic lighter would be considered too over-the-top, huh?

[little jeremiah]

Maybe someone's mentioned it down the thread, but on another thread someone posted all the crap this bastard has done while in prison. Sounds as though the kiddie books and whatnot are a shallow attempt to make himself look better.

If people get clemency for a supposed religious conversion, or being a goodie goodie, that only encourages people to pretend to convert or be a goodie goodie. It's nice if people repent, convert, or become goodie goodies. But they should still face execution if that is their sentence.

The only people who should get clemency are those who are innocent of the crime.

[thoughtomator]

It's still early ;)

[cardinal4]

Among the celebrities who signed the letter are Jason Alexander, Jackson Browne, Russell Crowe, Carl Reiner and Susan Sarandon

Man, that sucks. He was great in "Master and Commander", one of my favorite movies. Why do actors who play great and honorable people, turn out to be such weenies in real life..?

[little jeremiah]

Thank you for shining the light of truth on this subhuman scum who should have fried a long time ago. Only too bad he can't be executed four times.

[goldstategop]

With Hollywood liberals, I'm not surprised. I can think of a few names not on the list.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[L.N. Smithee]

Seems to me that the clemency option is made for people who have reformed and made a contribution to society. If this killer has reformed and is doing some good in his life, why not grant him clemency? While I am putting on my flame suit, consider that the Apostle Paul, a killer of Christians, was given a second chance and changed the world for the better.

In his letters, Paul never claimed to have put a Christian to death. While Saul of Tarsus may have been a leader in the persecution of Christians, and voted for their execution when given the opportunity, there is no Biblical account that says that Saul actually personally participated in the murder of Christians or anybody else. He also had the sanction of the Jewish high priests in his misdeeds; it was not out of greed.

A more fitting parallel to the Tookie Williams situation would be that of the criminals hanging on both sides of Jesus Christ. While one them was taunting Jesus along with the Roman soldiers, the other expressed belief that Jesus was the promised messiah, and requested inclusion in his Kingdom, which Jesus granted.

No word on the other one. We can't presume that he was granted the same privilege.

Jesus was able to read that man's heart. We can't do that with Williams. The word of a guy who says out of one side of his mouth "Don't be like me" but refuses to provide information necessary to convict other gang members with the other side ain't enough, IMHO.

[goldstategop]

To my mind, the only humane way to execute the SOB is to starve him to death. Its the one form of capital punishment liberals have enthusiastically endorsed. If they protest, they're worse than hypocrites.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[little jeremiah]

Actually, it's not possible to forgive someone who didn't harm you in any way. The people he killed and their relatives and friends are the only ones who can legitimately forgive this a**hole.

[goldstategop]

Its what he didn't do that people ought to recall: he didn't pull back from firing the trigger. He had the opportunity not to commit murder. Human beings do have free will, after all. He chose not to do the right thing when it counted.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[goldstategop]

Only the dead could forgive him. But that's a moot point, isn't it? Since he can't ask for their forgiveness, the sooner he meets his Maker the sooner this entire wretched circus will be over.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[little jeremiah]

It really makes me wonder just exactly what goes on in the minds of liberals who get all gooey gooey over subhuman scum.

And we know that if Tookus got half a chance, he'd be just as ruthless and cruel to these fawning liberals as he was to his victims.

[little jeremiah]

Jesus prayed to God to forgive those who were tormenting him. There is nothing in the Bible that advises us to forgive those who harm OTHERS. In fact, false compassion and artifical forgiveness cheapen the real items.

[little jeremiah]

Another point is that when a condemned killer faces his certain death, it gives him a golden opportunity to seriously repent and pray to God for forgiveness.

[Yaelle]

Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, with the Human Rights Center of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, also signed the letter.

With a name like that...

...you'd be ashamed to walk in to a RNC meeting.