R.I.P. Stanley "Tookie" Williams
Whether you believe he is innocent or not of four murders, or even if he has "redeemed" himself by time spent in prison and writing anti-gang books for youth, it's all moot now. Stanley "Tookie" Williams was executed by the State of California at San Quentin Prison early this morning, a minute after midnight. Years ago I used to be ambivalent about the death penalty. But with more evidence in the books showing others who have been exonerated from their death sentences (luckily!) as well as realizing that when a state executes a prisoner they do so on behalf of all the people who live in it, i've come to realize that i don't want to be responsible for putting another person to death, no matter if they are guilty or not. i think it's important to really let this point sink in: that death sentences are done on behalf of and with full complicity of the public citizenry who make up the state in which it is done. It's done for the good of society, in retribution, and that society is composed of folks like you and me.
So for me, it was a sad day.
3 Comments:
Stephanie:
I enjoy visiting your site daily - as I am typically at a computer during work, and normally don't leave a comment on your blogs...but this one, I had to. It was a sad day for me as well. I totally feel you on this one. I won't be surprised if there are people rioting somewhere as we speak.
F$*K the Governor for not doing anything...the evil system I tell you...
i wrote a whole blog on this subject. i was disturbed by the whole thing. i don't think that he should go unpunished, but i feel the death sentence is just a "quick fix" for a societal problem that can't be solved just by killing off a human being. ok, i'm going to stop cuz i can go on and on...i'm sad, too.
hi all. thanks for the notes of support on this one. now that it's been a week after the execution, i'm surprised at how quickly things have faded regarding it (in the news, etc.). it makes it even more sad, really...
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