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 ...
"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.
Kaliforina Liberal Indoctrination Training!
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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Ray_Allen
Says about all that needs to be said - and what the Chron didn't say.
p.
Yea, why wasn't Sean Penn there with his little plastic cup?
"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.
You knew this would happen.
You haven't seen "Team America: World Police", have you?
You got it backwards, dullard.
I should open up a candle shop near the prison.
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.
Film Actors Guild. FAG!
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. :-)
Sayonara and all that.
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.