Save Stanley "Tookie" Williams from the death penalty (cross-posted)

[Che_Nuevara]

(I apologize if there is already a thread for this: I looked, but I am not a payed user, so I cannot use the search function.)

For those of you unfamiliar with Stanley "Tookie" Williams, he was a cofounder of the Crips (the West-Coast American gang) and is currently facing execution on December 13, 2005. He is asking Gov. Schwarzenegger for clemency.

Williams has been in jail for 26 1/2 years and, in that time, has written children's books and letters, and held (telephone) speeches with troubled youth in order to speak out against gang violence. He is the author of a fill-in-the-blanks gang peace treaty form. Williams' proceeds from his book sales go 100% to non-profit organizations against gang violence.

If anyone would like to know more about the case, see the quite extensive recent New York Times article about it at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/02/national/02prison.html (free registration required) or Williams' advocacy website at www.tookie.com.

I submit here a plea that all DUers, whether for or against the death penalty, realize the change this man has the power and the willingness to enact if he is allowed to live out the rest of his life. NOTE: This is not a plea for pardon, only for clemency. If granted this motion, Stanley Williams will spend the rest of his life in jail; he will not be released.


Resources to help Mr. Williams (and thereby the thousands of troubled youngsters that he reaches):

www.savetookie.org (contains an electronic petition)
E-mail Governor Schwarzenegger at http://www.govmail.ca.gov/

or contact him the old-fashioned way:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


I have enclosed below a sample letter/e-mail which you are free to sign yourself and send to the Governor.



The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger:


I write to you in regards to the inmate Mr. Stanley "Tookie" Williams. I have become aware of the circumstances of this case, including Mr. williams' upcoming scheduled execution, and would like to express my deepest, most earnest objections to this execution.

Despite questions surrounding his trial over 25 years ago, and despite protesting his innocence in regards to the crimes for which he is condemned, Mr. Williams readily admits he "was a criminal" and played a crucial role as a "co-founder of the Crips." He describes his life of crime as "nihilist" and "wretched" (New York Times interview, 30 Nov 2005).

In the last 25 years, however, Mr. Williams has been 'fighting' from the other side: against gang violence. The Tookie Peace Accord is a groundbreaking step in healing the wounds caused by gang violence. His series of books, "Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence", are geared especially towards children who are vulnerable to violent gang culture. He holds talks with troubled youth over the telephone and has "vow to spend the rest of life working toward solutions" to violence among youth (The Apology, www.tookie.com).

All legal and political issues aside, Mr. Williams is a perfect candidate for executive clemency. It is clear that Mr. Williams has something to offer our society: solutions to the problem of violence that threatens our youth. Stanley Williams is not an enemy of society. He is honestly and passionately working to make America and the world safer for everyone, especially children.

You have the power to stop this man's execution and allow him to continue to help the youth of today and the citizens of tomorrow. Saving this man's life has the potential to save the lives of thousands in the future. Granting clemency to Stanley Williams would be a bold, strong move to take a stand against gang violence and protect the interests of the youth of the nation and the world. Please consider these children and offer mercy to Mr. Stanley Williams.


Sincerely,
YOUR NAME

[kurth]

1. Don't terminate him - Let him live!

Abolish the death penalty. It's soooo freakin' PRIMITIVE.

[nofurylike]

2. absolutely, Che_Nuevara! we must stop that execution! will you

please put a link to your thread, and maybe an excerpt from your post, on this thread?:

12/5 ** URGENT**THREE DAYS to APPEAL to GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5519400


thank you!


peace and solidarity!

[okieinpain]

3. what about the people he shotgunned to death. what do they get.

[SaveElmer]

7. What do they gain by another murder being committed...?

That's all the death penalty is...stripped down, it is revenge murder...it won't bring anyone back, it doesn't prevent crime, and it doesn't serve a self-defense purpose.

[okieinpain]

9. It does deter a lot of people. It's even helping Mr. Tookie get his

act together.

[SaveElmer]

10. My understanding is...

From many studies I have read is that the death penalty has almost no deterrant effect whatsoever!

Not sure the threat of the death penalty is particularly meaningful to a gang member...odds are they will be killed long before they would be executed.

[okieinpain]

14. well I do know one thing most of them, sure do everything they can

to avoid receiving the penalty. I'm sorry and I can actuall feel sorry for the guy, but he did the crime, now he has to pay for it. I'm pretty sure that a lot of people will pray that his soul finds peace.

[SaveElmer]

15. Well IMO...it is state condoned murder...

And doesn't matter how bad the guy was....murder is murder no matter who commits it.

I hope a country that allows this to happen will find its soul!

[okieinpain]

16. Me too, but in the mean time. they should pay with their lives.

why should tookie get a square meal and a place to lay his head till he dies in his sleep. I say let him feel the same fear that those people felt when he ordered them to lay on the ground and hear him rack a round into that shotgun.

Can you imagine the fear those people felt, and then god only knows how long they suffered, or what it feels like to have half of your face blown off. Wow.. that is something that sends shivers through my body.

[SaveElmer]

17. So for you it is about revenge...?

Contrary to what most death penalty advocates argue...

Revenge murder is no more moral because the government is doing it. I have little sympathy for Mr. Williams, but that does not mean I want a murder on my hands either. He is not a danger to society locked up where he is, the people he brutally murdered will not come back, nor will their horror be lessened by another murder taking place.

[okieinpain]

18. a little bit, but mainly if you do the crime you should pay for it.

sitting on your ass, eating 3 meals a day, getting visits from your family, and friends. emails from women who enjoy writing prisoners just doesn't seem like enough punishment for blowing half of a womans face off.


Sorry for disagreeing with you, and I'm glad there are people like you in the world it creates a good balance. I'm just glad that they do carry out some revenge killings every now and then.

I've always told my kids that if I ever found out they had killed someone over something stupid like robbing them, or because you didn't like them. that I would be the first person to say they deserve to lose their lives for it. God willing I hope that I will never have to keep that promise, but I will if need be.

[SaveElmer]

20. I think you are overestimating the joys of prison...

I have some friends who have done time, and believe me...it isn't Shawshank Redemption.

I always wondered how I would react were one of my relatives to be murdered...I always hoped and expected I could hold to the ideal that capital punishment was murder, and could ask that the murderer of my family member be spared.

[okieinpain]

21. sorry partner. I've got two relatives in the joint and while it might not

be a barrel of joy. they would still prefer prison to getting the needle, don't let me forget to mention that this is the 3rd time for both. so prison must not be too bad.

[SaveElmer]

22. Doesn't matter in any case...

As far as I am concerned murder is murder and cannot be justified on any grounds...guess we will have to agree to disagree!!!

[okieinpain]

23. works for me.

[Poppyseedman]

19. Tookie victims will get to

watch Tookie do the two step jig in the last circle of Dante's inferno.
IMHO

[papau]

4. "I pray that one day my apology will be accepted" - but he says nothing

about his personal crime for which he is doing time/death - the deaths of 4 people.

He apologizes for gang crimes - but the killings had nothing to do with gangs.

Normally I'd be emailing by now - but has he ever expressed remorse for killing the 4 people? I sure as hell can not find it on the net.

[htuttle]

5. Thanks for your Christian insight on the matter

:eyes:

[papau]

8. So remorse is not important to the question? If the question is death

penalty yes or no, I'll vote no.

But if we have a death penalty, and this fellow seems to be someone that refuses to say "I'm sorry" for the 4 he killed, I do not get into emailing mode.

[okieinpain]

12. Wow, you are so kind and understanding.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I have done these things

and there have been threads on this today and over the weekend. There are some DUers who believe that he should be executed based upon the fact that he was convicted of murdering several people. Personally, I think the work he has done to convince youngsters not to join gangs is one good reason to allow him to live. He will not be set free; he will live out his life behind bars. We can never bring back the four people he was convicted of killing, but if his work can convince four youngsters not to enter this life of crime, I think that is reason enough to allow him to live.

[okieinpain]

13. Yeah, but he won't help police with inside information on the gang

he says that he doesn't want to be a snitch. I'm sorry and I'm not trying to pick a fight. but he needs to pay for his actions.

[chelsea0011]

11. 1. I just don't support the death penalty 2. I have no sympathy for

Williams. This guy has never fessed up to any crimes including the ones he is on death row for. He just says he was a "bad guy". Well, a lot of people have had their lives destroyed by Williams and a little empathy would go a long way to me even having a rats ass about this guy.

[Che_Nuevara]

28. So which is it, then?

You have no empathy for him, but you oppose the death penalty on principle. So should he live or die?

[chelsea0011]

29. He has to live if I don't support the death penalty under any conditions

However, he's not anyone I would go to bat for.

[Che_Nuevara]

24. re: "no remorse," etc.

In his website he expresses clear remorse for the crimes he admits committing. He denies, however, committing the crimes for which he is on death row; namely, 4 murders. If you read the appeal posted on his website, there is clear evidence of at least the possibility of judicial and police misconduct.

I avoided saying this in my sample letter to appear as nonpartisan as possible. The Gubernator is unlikely to be swayed by such arguments. But go ahead and include them if you like.

[aikoaiko]

30. I was sympathetic until I heard he won't give names of Crips to the police

who have committed crimes.

Seems like he wants to protect his fellow criminals.

[Che_Nuevara]

31. If you were personally familiar with the cop/gang wars

in California, you wouldn't either.

[aikoaiko]

32. I believe the word he used was dignity to refer to not naming names.

Not out of fear. Seems to me he is still protecting his organization and their activities.

Sorry, but not making amends by naming names shows little rehabilitation.

[nofurylike]

25. *

(pssst, C_N...
can't pm you yet. just to say thank you, peace and g'night!)

[Che_Nuevara]

26. yeah sorry 'bout that

I've been lurking the forum for years, but I rarely post.

Peace to you as well, and take care. Thanks for the link -- I hadn't seen that thread.

[nofurylike]

27. oh, no no! i was thanking YOU for stopping by the thread and your

great post, when we had already surrendered the thread to the blood-vengeance gang! i wanted to let you know. just couldn't pm you yet.

i was trying to sneak on here and whisper it: pssst...
:)


peace and solidarity!

[minavasht]

33. Sorry, not me!

I'm a simple man with simple rules - you eat, you pay for the food; you break something, you pay for it;
you hurt somebody, you get punished for it.
Why do you think that him staying alive will improve the world? What message this will send to the rest of the "mentally unstable" people out there? That no mather what you do, YOUR ass is safe? Kill 2, 3 5, 55 innocent people, claim "mental illness" and you get a free ride?
Just the minute chance that people like him can get out and reproduce should be enough to get rid of them.
OR, if you really want to keep them alive, let them help the society - mandatory organ "donating" if compatible, medical research, new medicine testing, etc.
But to keep them alive just for the heck of it is useless.
How can you trust a multiple murderer? When do you think it's going to be safe for the society to let him loose on the street again?
Everybody cam make mistakes, the problem is if he repeats them.