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A quieter protest outside San Quentin this time-About 300 people,some of them kin,in the glare of TV
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 1/17/6 | Peter Fimrite

Posted on 01/17/2006 12:58:44 PM PST by SmithL

With no celebrity inmate in the execution chamber this time, the ranks of death penalty protesters were considerably thinner Monday night outside San Quentin State Prison.

Only about 300 people turned out to protest the execution of Clarence Ray Allen, some of whom were the 76-year-old inmate's relatives.

The scene was familiar: TV lights blazing, people shivering in the night air and waves lapping on the shoreline of the bay. But Allen's execution did not draw the oratory of the Rev. Jesse Jackson or the folk-singing of Joan Baez, both of whom were among the 2,000 people outside San Quentin's walls the night Stanley Tookie Williams was put to death last month.

Joss Eldredge, 55, a San Francisco dog walker who showed up to protest Monday night, said the turnout was "hypocritical" compared with the showing for Williams, a former gang leader and convicted murderer who had claimed redemption through his antiviolence writings. He was executed Dec. 13.

"Clearly, a number of people were here last time because of Williams' celebrity,'' Eldredge said. "It bothers me quite a bit that not as many people are here today, but it's the same death penalty.''

Jes Richardson, an elementary school teacher from San Geronimo, was standing beside his 10-foot-tall, papier-mache sculpture of Mohandas Gandhi.

"Gandhi is one of my heroes because he created change through nonviolence,'' Richardson said. "I'm opposed to the death penalty. It creates a violent society.''

William Rowan, a 16-year-old junior at Sacred Heart prep school in Atherton, walked the 15 miles from San Francisco to the prison with classmates and teachers. He said he had no love for Allen but that no one deserved to be executed.

"I'm not here because I don't think he's guilty,'' Rowan said. "I'm here because I don't think he should be killed

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: clarencerayallen; tookied
Where was the Film Actor's Guild?
1 posted on 01/17/2006 12:58:47 PM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

"William Rowan, a 16-year-old junior at Sacred Heart prep school in Atherton, walked the 15 miles from San Francisco to the prison with classmates and teachers. He said he had no love for Allen but that no one deserved to be executed."

Even Allen disagreed with him.


2 posted on 01/17/2006 1:02:35 PM PST by DesignerChick
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To: SmithL
William Rowan, a 16-year-old junior at Sacred Heart prep school in Atherton, walked the 15 miles from San Francisco to the prison with classmates and teachers.

Kaliforina Liberal Indoctrination Training!

3 posted on 01/17/2006 1:08:02 PM PST by TexasCajun
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To: SmithL
"I'm opposed to the death penalty. It creates a violent society.''

Yeah, all those Crips and Bloods do their drive-bys, their "offing" and their "capping" because of the death penalty. It has nothing to do with greed, power, or turf.

4 posted on 01/17/2006 1:11:27 PM PST by TruthShallSetYouFree (Abortion is to family planning what bankruptcy is to financial planning.)
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To: TexasCajun
Kalifornia Liberal Indoctrination Training, (KLIT)otherwise known as public schools.
5 posted on 01/17/2006 1:12:31 PM PST by fish hawk (creatio ex nihilo)
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To: SmithL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Ray_Allen

Says about all that needs to be said - and what the Chron didn't say.

p.


6 posted on 01/17/2006 1:14:12 PM PST by Paul_B
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To: SmithL

Yea, why wasn't Sean Penn there with his little plastic cup?


7 posted on 01/17/2006 1:23:12 PM PST by GaltMeister (“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”)
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To: SmithL

"Where was the Film Actor's Guild?"

Why would we care where the Film Actor's Guild was? We can keep making the point that celebrities are fickle about the causes they promote. We can say that celebrities are biased to the left. These statements are certainly more true than not. In the long run, however, who cares?

Major celebrities are not known for their breadth of education, though they have remarkably good memories. They are paid to read a script, or are presented scripts, and they are paid to look good. The progress of Governor Schwarzenegger into political prominence came about because, like Ronald Reagan and unlike Michael Jackson, he learned about business while acting. The rest of them don't have the time or inclination to deal with the realities of life. They have staffs and agents to take care of who gets the toothpaste and toilet paper and who talks to the I.R.S.

When you realize this, and realize that they're not likely to read Free Republic OR Democratic Underground unless it's a script on spec, you stop caring what they say.


8 posted on 01/17/2006 1:24:20 PM PST by GAB-1955 (being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the Kingdom of Heaven....)
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To: Former Military Chick

You knew this would happen.


9 posted on 01/17/2006 1:25:15 PM PST by SmithL (Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Lift up your gates and sing, Hosana in the highest! Hosana to your King!)
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To: GAB-1955

You haven't seen "Team America: World Police", have you?


10 posted on 01/17/2006 1:27:48 PM PST by SmithL (Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Lift up your gates and sing, Hosana in the highest! Hosana to your King!)
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To: SmithL
"I'm opposed to the death penalty. It creates a violent society."

You got it backwards, dullard.

11 posted on 01/17/2006 1:29:59 PM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: SmithL

I should open up a candle shop near the prison.


12 posted on 01/17/2006 1:31:16 PM PST by Semper Paratus
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To: SmithL
You haven't seen "Team America: World Police", have you?

My wife won't let it in the house--not because it's politically incorrect, but for the stuff that I shan't mention that two consenting puppets do.
13 posted on 01/17/2006 1:33:01 PM PST by GAB-1955 (being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the Kingdom of Heaven....)
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To: SmithL

The Film Acto's Guild, otherwise known by their acronym, were at the Golden Globe Awards. You see, they were serving Foie Gras at the after parties.


14 posted on 01/17/2006 1:34:52 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: GAB-1955
Your wife is smarter than me, but that was the source for the line about the
Film Actor's Guild.
15 posted on 01/17/2006 1:37:49 PM PST by SmithL (Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Lift up your gates and sing, Hosana in the highest! Hosana to your King!)
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To: GAB-1955
Um.... that was a joke. South Park reference.

Film Actors Guild. FAG!

16 posted on 01/17/2006 1:39:11 PM PST by Rummyfan
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To: fish hawk

Somehow I don't think that Sacred Heart Prep is a public school. I'm not sure why I think a public school in California would have that name, just a gut instinct I guess. :-)


17 posted on 01/17/2006 1:50:23 PM PST by marlon
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To: SmithL

Sayonara and all that.


18 posted on 01/17/2006 1:50:32 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: marlon
This is just proof of what my family has been telling me for years: your mouth works faster than your brain!!! LOL
19 posted on 01/17/2006 2:31:39 PM PST by fish hawk (creatio ex nihilo)
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