The state of California is still trying to rid itself of Crips gang founder Stanley Tookie Williams. Perhaps you followed this case 5 years ago, or 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, and figured it was resolved. Not so. This is a death penalty case; the legal profession’s equivalent of the Hundred Years War. For the last 26 years Tookie has been eating institution food, and since that has yet to kill him, the state of California is planning to finish the job in December.
That is, unless Governor Schwarzenegger turns into a girlie-man. The Governator is currently reviewing Tookie’s case, with an eye towards granting clemency to the quadruple murderer.
Plenty of the usual suspects are trying to cloud the waters in this case.
Along with asking Schwarzenegger to commute Williams’ death sentence, his lawyers submitted what they said were signatures of 32,000 people supporting his petition for clemency.
I’m sure these people, most of whom have never met Tookie or the business end of his gun, think he’s a swell guy. If the punishment for murder scales based upon your popularity, we might as well issue Michael Jordan, Mariah Carey and Jerry Seinfeld licenses to kill. How about setting Clay Aiken loose, Bernhard Goetz-like, on the New York subways to rampage until he bags his limit?
In prison, however, Williams gained international acclaim for co-writing children’s books about the dangers of gang life.
I’m sure Tookie has written wonderful books for kids. If that excuses killing people with a 12-gauge, then I suppose J.K. Rowling is free to slaughter an entire day care, if they’re wearing rival gang colors. Shel Silverstein and his posse can roll into the offices at Bantam and pop a cap in the ass of any exec who steals his rhymes.
This isn’t about what Tookie was. (Scum)
This isn’t about what Tookie is. (Reformed?)
This is about what Tookie did. (Murder four unarmed people)
Do some justice. Stick a needle in this guy.