Posted on 01/06/2006 7:41:11 AM PST by Former Military Chick
Editor's Note: African-Americans who rallied for clemency for Stanley "Tookie" Williams must do the same for Clarence Ray Allen, a non-black, 76-year-old blind man just weeks away from execution, the writer says.
LOS ANGELES--In the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 17, another man will be put to death by lethal injection in the State of California. This comes exactly 36 days after the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams. But where are the protesters?
With less than a month to go before the scheduled execution of a 76-year-old blind, deaf and wheelchair-confined man, there has been no public outcry of support for clemency for Clarence Ray Allen, a non-black. There's been no planned protests and celebrity read-ins in support of saving an old man's life. Community activists and civil rights leaders aren't organizing statewide tours to bring attention to Allen's execution. There hasn't even been one "Kill Clarence Ray Allen Hour" from KFI-AM'S "John and Ken Show."
Which raises the question: Was the community cry for clemency for Williams because he was a black man, or was it because the death penalty is immoral, inhumane and cruel?
Granted, Allen hasn't written any children's books, been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, or had a Hollywood actor play him in a film, but that doesn't mean his life isn't worth saving.
The fight for clemency should not have died with Stanley Tookie Williams. With two more executions scheduled in the New Year, including Michael Morales, who was convicted at the age of 21 for the rape and murder of a 17-year-old female, now is not the time for all of Williams' supporters to retreat back to their separate corners of the world. In fact, it's time for the opposite. We need to get back into action and show the world that the fight for clemency for Williams was not solely based on the fact that he was a black man but rather that he was a man who did not deserve to have his life prematurely taken from him, no matter how heinous were the crimes that he was accused of committing.
Californians are very close to establishing a moratorium on the death penalty. Although the vote didn't come soon enough to save Williams' life, our work today and through the 10th of January, when an assembly committee plans to consider the legislation, could aid in saving the lives of many condemned prisoners, including blacks, while a state panel reviews the system.
Black Californians who supported clemency for Williams need to re-examine their reasons for wanting Williams to live. Was it because he was a black man? Was it because he co-founded the Crips? Was it because of his anti-gang and anti-drug work? Or was it because we abhor the death penalty?
Allen poses no significant risk. Blind, deaf and wheelchair-bound, it's very unlikely that he will be ordering the killing of anyone if left to live his remaining days on death row.
Many of the black leaders who supported clemency for Williams vehemently denied they were racists when challenged by a pair conservative radio DJs in Los Angeles who sponsored the repulsive "Kill Tookie Hour." Accusing the black leadership of getting involved in the fight to save Williams only because he was black, the shock jocks noted that these same activists were going to be nowhere to be found when the next execution of a non-black person came up.
If all of the protests around clemency for Williams were not just for show, it should be no problem for the black community to reassemble for the fight to save Clarence Ray Allen. He may not have been our homeboy from back in the day, or demonstrated to the world that he is a redeemed man. He may not even be likeable, but his life is worth trying to save even if he's not black. What kind of message does it send if we sit back and do nothing while another person was systematically put to death on our watch?
PNS contributor Jasmyne Cannick, 28, is a Los Angeles-based writer of political and social commentary and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She can be reached via her Web site, www.jasmynecannick.com.
The radio show that pushed that Tookie be put to death should also be discussing this case as well. To at least honor the victims. If you are going to do it for one, frankly you should do it for all of them.
Clarence dosen't have a cute 'teddy bear' name like 'Tookie'.
(And he's also a whitey.)
Evidently there is another curious about where the folks are as well and does bring up race.
kill whitey
The haters are on vacation.
Turn over a log or look under a rock and many pro-abortion anti-death penalty slugs will emerge.
Allen isn't cool. Besides, he is a white boy. The left will shed no tears for that execution.
The author is confused. In this country, we don't execute people based on what they are likely or unlikely to do in the future. We execute them for what they did in the past. The only injustice here is that it has taken over thirty years to get to the finale of this little morality tale, which is long enough for Allen to have lost most of his hearing and eyesight. It would have been far better to have gotten rid of this murderer three decades ago, when he could still walk, see and hear perfectly well.
Perhaps their liberal hearts are still bleeding for 'po, innersent Tookie'!
Sounds like poor Clarence should have wrote some childrens books ..then he would get attention!
Tehse people are eager for more folks who look like us to die. They're liberals, after all. Ipso facto, tehy're racists and they're intolerant. QED.
They are all at a party for Terri Schiavo.
They are all at a party for Terri Schiavo.
Tookie William's supposed reformation could have been a scam. A little skepticism wouldn't hurt these Hollywood types.
(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.")
Hmmm. Not a bad idea there. Time for a live hour of "Clarence Must DIE!"
Sent an email with out reply. Oh well.
Here is what SmithL posted For a white man's execution, where are black protesters?
Now did she submit the article with the new title on an old article? Did the Chronicle decide to change it?
Was it changed to inflame the reader?
I am getting sick and tired of folks changing things to meet their agenda.
Frankly this chick misses it in her writing, the folks that came out for Tookie were the Hollywood elite. Nobody else. Well, the Hollywood elite would bus folks into the rally's but it was about them.
I ask the same question where are the protester's that demanded Tookie live? Do they not want a man, that could be their "grandpa" to die? Guess, they to, can decide who lives and who dies.
For those who missed one of my few attempts at a vanity on this subject you can check it out at Tookie's fan club are fair weather death penalty foes?.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.