Posted on 12/03/2005 7:01:37 PM PST by bloggodocio
LOS ANGELES — The fight to save death row inmate Stanley “Tookie” Smith turned confrontational last week after his supporters clashed with a right-wing shock-jock on the streets of Crenshaw.
Radio personality, John Ziegler, a talk radio host with KFI 640 AM, got into a shoving match with community leaders and activists who were protesting that station’s alleged “racism and bigotry” and had gathered outside the Lucy Florence Coffeehouse in Leimert Park to announce a formal complaint to the Federal Communication Commission.
Ziegler, actually comes on at 7 p.m. weekdays after infamous KFI 640 AM hosts John and Ken of the John and Ken Show. They have designated the hour of 5 p.m. as the “Tookie Must Die/Kill Tookie” hour Monday through Friday until and if Williams, a co-founder of the notorious Los Angeles Crips gang, is executed in San Quentin on Dec. 13.
The station has also listed the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of Williams’ supporters who have subsequently received hate messages and violent threats.
To jeers and shouts of “racist,” Ziegler, who had ridiculed the death of attorney Johnny Cochrane by claiming he was going straight to hell for defending O.J. Simpson, tried to ask a question after the press conference had formally ended and was surrounded by angry Williams’ supporters.
“I didn’t come down here to provoke anyone,” he claimed when asked point blank.
“I came down here to find out why they were calling me a racist. What I’m doing on the show is not racist. In the Tookie Williams case, we’re informing the public as to the facts.
“Even his supporters have acknowledged that he wasn’t tried by an all-white jury, as has been claimed. And even if it was, that does not inherently mean that he didn’t get a fair trial.”
He added: “The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the most liberal court in the land, a court that despises the death penalty, a court that sees racism everywhere, has upheld his conviction and said it is only clemency from the governor that can save this man. That tells you that he got a fair trial.”
Earlier, Jasmyne Cannick of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, had lambasted the station, which is owned by Texas-based Clear Channel Communications.
“It is clear that John and Ken and host John Ziegler are trying to play on the emotions of blacks in Los Angeles as it relates to the Williams execution,” she said.
“The core and manner of the on-air remarks, which were extremely distasteful towards Williams and his plight, were extraordinarily disturbing and offensive. I urge the FCC to examine these incidents and take any and all actions consistent with their rules and regulations.”
Her comments were echoed by Lita Herron, a spokeswoman for a Victim Mothers Support group.
“This smacks of the party mentality that went on when American whites were lynching blacks,” she fumed.
“We feel that Stanley Williams has a right as any other citizen to a fair trial, a fair sentence and a fair justice. Not indecency or salaciousness so a radio personality can achieve ratings. We’re outraged at KFI and we want the community and world to know that we object to this kind of behavior.”
At press time, neither KFI nor Clear Channel had returned calls for comment.
Williams, who was found guilty of murdering four people in two separate robberies in 1979, has become a cause celebré after renouncing his violent past and penning a series of books aimed at dissuading youths from gangs and the drug culture. His work and message of redemption have led to multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has scheduled a private hearing on Dec. 8 with Williams’ lawyers, Los Angeles County prosecutors and other interested parties. The governor has the authority to commute a death sentence to life in prison without the possibilty of parole, but is not obligated to hold a hearing.
Schwarzenegger has denied his first two clemency appeals, stating that an inmate’s model behavior was not enough to sway him to grant mercy.
It should be noted that only 1 of the 4 victims for which Tookie is serving a death sentence is white.
LOL!
Thanks.. yes- I was surely lacking the typing accuracy.. but I made up for it with passion.. LOL!
thanks...
by-by Tookie
williams is the racist in these matters......
to after people = go after people
good to see you and thanks for turning me onto these guys in Caleefornyia.....
25-50%?
Optimist huh? :)
I think CA is in for a really, really rough ride about 8-10 years out. Like, to the point of civil conflict rough.
Obviously the runaway union influence in the state has now blasted through the point of no return. Spending will continue to spiral upward, illegal immigration will be actively encouraged, and at some point it will all need to be paid for - and taxes will start going up.
Once they start, they won't stop. Confiscatory taxes, increasing crime and heavy-handed socialist policies will spark massive flight from the state (benefitting Nevada, Arizona, Texas, NM, OR, WA and even Colorado), which will only speed up the problems. Fewer people to tax = even higher taxes. Spending will not slow, because Dems will hold all the cards.
It's only a matter of time at this point.
Only way it could be prevented, is a complete change in the CA GOP, but they really don't seem up to it.
Arnold seems to be at the point, where he's going to start making decisions which will advance his re-entry into the entertainment community.
This poster is not hopeful at all.
Yeah, Texas actually executes murderers. How cruel of them!/s
Man it really sucks when a mass murderer and thief gets their feelings hurt. Is there no justice in this land.
Screw them. My only wonder is what will the sides be when the inevitvable civil war occurs.
Without John and Ken, I don't know that THREE STRIKES would have passed. They were champions in that effort.
I find that hard to believe. Those bozos lack common sense and common decency.
Like universal healthcare. Like confiscating guns. Well, like everything England and Canada; enacted 'for the common good', of course.
I'd vote to split California into two seperate states: Along the San Andreas Fault. East California and West California.
West California being ground zero for AIDS, welfare, communitarianism, butt piracitism, carpet munchilentarianism, and all the ills that befall a society that has flipped up-side down.
In life, as in an outhouse, this is not good.
I believe it!
They are STRONG! Get he story- the facts. GREAT SHOW!
Time for nighty night for me! LOL!
God bless all!
I hear you. And I fully understand your rationale. I was very conflicted by the choice.
You STUPID, Race-Baiting WHORES!
"...extremely distasteful towards Williams and his plight, were extraordinarily disturbing and offensive."
You want "extremely distasteful towards Williams and his plight, were extraordinarily disturbing and offensive."? Try looking at the photos of the Victims...ever seen an asian woman eat a shotgun blast from about 3 feet? I have...and it was Tookie's victim! Do you think SHE felt that Tookie was "extremely distasteful towards Williams HER and his HER plight, were extraordinarily disturbing and offensive."? Are you as concerned about the VICTIMS of these animals as you are about the ANIMALS themselves?
This P.O.S. founded The Crips...a VIOLENT, Racist Criminal Gang that showed NO mercy...yet you expect some sort of "special treatment" for this scumbag?
You are sick PUKES, and if I had my way, you would be NEXT in the chair after him!
I cringe at your progosis, but I still hold out hope. Negative consequences are a powerful motivator. Hopefully, like a rebounding alcoholic, the electorate will wise up before reaching rock bottom.
It doesn't look like he has repented, I think that his soul in in danger.
If you listen real close you'll notice the only people bringing race into this are the supporters of Tookie in an attempt to give him a pass.
Its the ol' but he's black you can't punish a black man argument which is more racially laden than a Klan rally.
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