Mr. One Thousand and One
36 min 15 sec... 12:35am
By the time you read this, Stanley Tookie Williams will be dead. Tookie the self confessed cofounder of the notorious international gang called the "CRIPS" will have been put to death buy the state of California. As I write this, there is as a tempest in teapot going on, over this piece of human debris. All the usual suspects will be holding court at San Quentin prison, Rev. Jackson, the Hollywood elite as well as 'fringe leftist' who will find a way to connect (blame) this execution to capitalism and, George W. Bush. All are in attendance, wailing, jostling for the next hot mic or live camera. This for someone, who's name they couldn't spell a few weeks ago, and will not be able to remember after the holiday season? They're bloviating, never missing an a chance to parot to anyone one who'll listen, what a rotten, barbaric country America is... (and the drumbeat goes on) They'll hit every talking point, making sure not to miss an a opportunity to play upon the conflicted feelings, any normal person should have over state sponsored ritualized killing. My feelings over this event are conflicted but just barely? I should be totally honest it's because of who this man was. Remember this man didn't just choose to join a gang, he set up a self perpetuating machine (still in motion btw), to shepherd countless others into his "CRIP lifestyle," who will then victimize countless others in the future. Let's us reflect a little, I doubt that Hitler ever shoved a Jew into the showers himself, but he built the system that fed the ovens and deserved his fate in the end and so does Stanley. Tookie isn't just convicted of a killing, these were brutal, callous, murders.
As the execution hour approaches, let's keep the focus where it belongs.
THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS:(and the crimes)
ALBERT OWENS
TSAI-SHAI YANG
YEN-I YANG
YE-CHEN LIN
Funny the older I get the more pro life I get. Yes I believe that I Terry Schiavo should still be alive, and that abortion is killing a child, if it isn't, then let's be honest, why do it? So, I have to ask myself... why am I not more upset over this 'completion of justice'? My answer; because I believe in evil and 'the evil that men do'. I know and that they live among us, just waiting to separate one of us from the herd. Men who take joy and pleasure in hunting others human beings, raping them, cutting off their arms and leaving them in a ditch. The recent sociopath short list? BTK, the Green River Killer, Scott Peterson, and Tookie Williams.(sidebar) I went to the Timothy McVeigh execution In a effort to make short film a local woman said something that stuck with me when I asked her the 'what do you think question'.
"...When he, (Timmy) did what he did, took himself out of the 'American Family' He deserves to die..." This comment facinated me on many levels, but the idea that 'in doing these evil things' one is betraying ones 'family', intrigued me so that even today it adds a special intensity to all murders I hear about.
Nonetheless... this is the taking of human life, and if I may paraphrase a gagline from my pro-choice friends it should be "safe, legal and rare". In sharp contrast to others who are also way 'less disturbed' by capital punishment (than let's say the media), I'm not at all upset with the systems lengthy appeals process, I think if we choose this form a punishment it's best to be through. In the case of mister Williams it gave him 26 more years of life than he gave to his prey, and judging by the way 'he was living' at the time of his arrest, he's probably lived way longer in jail than he would have if he stayed on the street. I also believe all capital cases should require automatic DNA test, whether or not it was key to the case. The finale irony is, I'm proud that I live in a non-death penalty state, and yet... I don't object to states who choose differently. Again truth-be-told, I'm not so much sadden when these men are put to death, as relived. (To the right; 3 of Tookies the last four, victims).
Three things Tookie could have done to Show 'Redemption'
and save His Life
1) Admit to the killings - Give the family peace and closure. Hey, if he didn't do it why'd he need redemption? Forthermore if he didn't,, who did? He was the 'man' on the street he, would have heard who did a triple homicide.
2) Denounce the "CRIPS", very vocally as a violent, dead-end criminal organization.
3) Submit to "debriefing": In debriefing, a prisoner has to divulge everything he knows about the gang, and even agree to testify against other members. (and thus saving lives)
These simple acts of true redemption would have made it easy for me to at least write a letter on the side of saving his life maybe even sending money, but I found his crimes way to disturbing to do anything more than just on sit my hands and let the states machine grind him under.
In the end he never took these steps, (a few ghost written books don't get it done) so I'm incline of agree with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about why not to grant to executive clemency... (See full trans. script below)
(Acrobat file)
C.C./RB
One Last Point; Why do you think the media didn't show the victims faces?
posted by Race Bannon at 3:35 AM
4 Comments:
Geez--you wrote almost exactly the same posting I did, only you communicated it better.
The focus of my posting was the Orwellian power of the media to create a "redemption"--when none actually happened.
The Model Penal Code definition of "renunciation" is surrender to the police before completion, not based on fear of capture, and total cooperation to thwart the conspiracy.
To say we did not have "renunciation" in this case is an understatement. I don't know the true definition of "redemption," but denying you ever did anything wrong would not seem to fit.
How many lives could Mr. Williams have saved by testifying against co-conspirators in the ongoing criminal drug enterprise? We will never know--a few dozen, maybe?
What about all of the peripheral victims--the law-abiding citizens in South Central Los Angeles, who are forced to live in a war zone?
If we placed HALF the focus and publicity on THEM that we did on this event--which, I admit, was highly newsworthy, but--we could dramatically improve the quality of life for a large number of minority citizens, and increase the property value of their homes dramatically.
Thank you for your kind comments, I wish I wrote with the "clarity" these issues have in my mind.
---
ZW-How many lives could Mr. Williams have saved by testifying against co-conspirators in the ongoing criminal drug enterprise? We will never know--a few dozen, maybe?
--–
RB- Try over a thousand (including his own)... do you remember the blood drenched streets often reported in the 80's & 90's? To me, he's been partly responsible for every body that's hit the ground, due to "CRIP activity", since he's been in jail these last 26 years, not just since his death became a strong probability, and he "choose" to get redeemed.
The kicker for me was the photos of his victims and the stories of how they died. I laugh at those who say that capital punishment isn't a deterrent. OF COURSE IT IS!!! Tookie will never kill another human being, in or out of jail. Honestly that is whom I wish are justice system to deter THOSE WHO KILL, not those who might.
(Remember: 1) "they" gave Arafat a nobel prize... and 2) they're "CRIP's" in places like Idaho & Mississippi )
Thank you!
[url=http://meelsrgl.com/ohzd/yqzt.html]My homepage[/url] | [url=http://opkswnhx.com/fhem/btot.html]Cool site[/url]
Great work!
http://meelsrgl.com/ohzd/yqzt.html | http://oddochzr.com/zogo/swep.html
Post a Comment
<< Home