Stanley Tookie Williams is scheduled to be executed at 12am....Tuesday...Dec. 13
i'm not a big supporter of the death penalty.
although Tookie claims innocence in the crimes that he was convicted for, we know he was indeed one of the founders of an LA gang. The fact some refuse to see is that Tookie has reformed. He has written books to discourage youths from the gang lifestyle he led. He has worked towards bringing peace among the California gangs.
But Arnold denying clemency sends another message.
When i heard someone commenting about it on NPR tonight, i couldn't help but nod my head in agreement.
Governor Arnold is denying clemency partly because he needs to protect his political ass. In the recent California elections, he lost BIG. Many of his resolutions were rejected by voters. Granting clemency would be disasterous for his political career.
To save his political career, a man must die when the clock strikes midnight.
Furthermore, this gesture tells us that we really don't want people in prison to reform.
It is a slap in the face to convicts who try to find redemption and try to turn their lives around.
There are former gang members who reform and go on to help the communities they once terrorized. There are people in prisons for drug possesion or drug dealing. Some of these people want drug rehab but many are denied that option in prison. Apparently these people don't get second chances.....only politicians or people with power.
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4 comments:
Here's hoping Arnold won't get a second chance at his job either.
AT....i'm with you on that!
sorry dr. v, i'm not the most objective person on the subject of gangs. but what about the innocent lives lost to gang violence--do they get second chances? do families that lose a member get a second chance to have that loved one back?
CC,
i hate gangs as much as you do
i'm not saying to forgive the bad things Tookie DID commit...because you know he did bad things.
i'm just not a supporter of the death penalty.....because it would have been better to give Tookie life in prison.
but our society does give alot of lip service to "reforming" prisoners.......and in this recent case many were saying "who gives a crap that u are trying to change"
i have seen former gang members come back to my neighborhood and other barrios.....truly trying to keep others out of gangs by telling their stories.
taking another human life is hard to forgive....and i know our community has lost alot of youth...innocent people to gang violence. I also had to dodge bullets when i was growing up...and i mean actual bullets.
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