Posted on 11/24/2005 6:29:21 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Back in the 70s far left writer Normal Mailer launched a similar campaign to have murderer Jack Abbott released from prison. Once free, Abbott showed his gratitude and proved the "wisdom" of Mailer's self-righteousness by reverting to type and knifing a New York City waiter to death.
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""
Apostle Paul was an entirely different entity than Tookie Williams. No comparison.
This creep co-founded one of the worst gangs that has grown throughout the entire USA. We could have done without him and his followers. His own son is on death row for murder. He only exercises in the prison yard with other members of the Crips gang, so how can he be so "rehabilitated" and no longer a gang member? He is still a gang member, inside the walls of the prison, and only interacts with the Crips there with him.
He won't divulge how his prison bank account is so high, and the source of the funds.
He has attacked prison staff, numerous times, as recently as 2003.
This creep has been getting 3 hots and a cell and lots of other stuff from the taxpayers of California for over 27 years. He has had many, many appeals. He keeps losing because he is a cold blooded killer.
He needs to go.
Snoop Dog is on TV telling everyone how we must love and forgive Tookie. Funny how Snoop never mentions that he was a member of the Crips when he was young. Nothing like supporting your founding father, eh???
Are you a girly-man or not, Arnold?
Too bad he didn't stab Norman Mailer to death instead of the waiter.
I doubt any of those bleeding-heart bastards can look those real victims in the eye and spout this bullcrap.
Excuse me? In the 1990s, Tookie planned to escape from prison and use both explosives and shotguns to take out whoever got in his way. This plot was uncovered before Tookie could put it into action.
Sorry?? My aching foot.
I have to agree. It's more than just the 4 innocent people he murdered. It's about starting a cult like, terrorist organization in Los Angeles. What's worse is his vision has spread and infected the culture in so many insidious ways, from music and movies to the glorification of a horrible way of life.
If Hitler had repented and started writing children's books would he have been spared the death penalty? I hope not. Same for Tookie. Gangs are evil.
Each day the families of four murder victims cry out for their loved ones, do their cries get answered?
I, for one, am sick and tired of violent criminals getting away with an "Oops, my bad," and a slap on the wrist.
So you believe in giving every multiple murderer a second chance, or just Tookie?
And how many multiple murderers can we sign you up to sponsor in your home? Can't wait to hear the number so we can get you signed up.
Yes, save this convicted quadruple murderer. Such misguided compassion for a stone-cold killer.
.... Liberalism is a severe mental illness... 'nough said?
If they are so concerned, let one of them take his place. We will even let them decide which one goes. Fair is fair.
My understanding his "reform" came immediately after he and his lawyers exhausted appeals.
Remorse came not after the murders, but after his all but his finally hope was dashed.
He ain't reformed. He's acting. Going through the motions.
Why does that tape of Richard Speck bragging how much fun he was having in prison, snorting coke, show off the effects
of female hormone injections come to mind?
No Sale.
He hasn't reformed, and, just so you know, anyone can be nominated for a Nobel --- anyone. I could nominate you, for example.
Check out Williams' real story, which can easily be found with a google search. He's an unreformed con-artist with a finely honed skill for playing on liberal guilt, sentenced to death for four murders, and responsible for possibly dozens more over his years as leader of the Crips, not to mention the hundreds of pounds, possibly tons, of poisonous drugs he distributed among poor lost souls in his community so he could make a profit and live like a big shot.
If anybody deserves the death penalty, he does.
His guilt extends far beyond four murders. He co-founded one of the most vicious killing and drug-running machines in the benighted history of the American inner city.
If he is sorry (I dont think he is), then good, he should be. He should be sorry, and he should be executed. Being sorry does not pay the price for murder. He should deeply regret his crimes, but that does not mean he should not be executed. I done believe he is sorry, but has nothing to do with it. He is not in prison to be "Reformed". He is on death row to be executed. Its different.
Tookie desreves the same degree of mercy he showed his victims, no more, no less.
Ya know... I used to roll my eyes when I would hear michael savage say that, but the more I think about it, I am starting to believe that to be a fact now.
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