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Dec. 13th, 2005 03:45 amThis commentary belongs to someone else. I fail to credit because I lost the site where I found it. I thought it was insightful enought to save.
Ugh, this makes me feel sick.
Now, usually when I'm asked for my opinion on capitol-punishment I say that I'm vehemently against it. I think capitol-punishment is an archaic, barbaric, fallible practice that puts our supposedly civilized government on the same level of the people they're executing. I believe it's long since due to be abolished.
However, when I talk to people about the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, and I'm asked whether or not I think he deserves clemency, I vehemently tell them no. While I don't agree with capitol-punishment, as the law stands today I do not think he deserves clemency.
I'm really sorry, but I am not moved nor influenced by his reformation. I grew up in the areas that he terrorized in the 70s, and while hardly any of the youth (especially the youth who are the targets of his anti-violence messages) knows who he is, you can ask any older person who grew up around South Central LA/Inglewood (most of my family) about Tookie Williams, and they will know who he is. Not only that, but you'll be hard pressed to find someone who not only knew him, but wasn't afraid of him. There's no proof that such a person even existed.
Fuck the "product of the environment" excuses, Tookie Williams was pure evil. I've heard stories from the men in my family of how he would hang around with his group in Centinela Park and beat the shit out of anyone he felt like. How he would "curb" guys. For those who don't know, "curbing" is when you make someone lie down on the side-walk, have them wrap their mouth around the curb and then kick their heads into it. You can survive it…if you're pretty damn lucky. The man was the reason why parents in LA no longer felt safe letting their kids play outside at night. The man is convicted of killing four innocent people-but you'd be a damn fool to think those are the only people he's guilty of killing. He founded a gang that's responsible for the deaths of many African American gang members and African American innocents. He is responsible for a great amount of fear that still prevails in my city since the early 70s. That man is a cold blooded killer who still won't own up to his crimes.
Don't be fooled by how he looks now. This is how he looked then:
No amount of children's books will wash him clean.
Ugh, this makes me feel sick.
Now, usually when I'm asked for my opinion on capitol-punishment I say that I'm vehemently against it. I think capitol-punishment is an archaic, barbaric, fallible practice that puts our supposedly civilized government on the same level of the people they're executing. I believe it's long since due to be abolished.
However, when I talk to people about the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, and I'm asked whether or not I think he deserves clemency, I vehemently tell them no. While I don't agree with capitol-punishment, as the law stands today I do not think he deserves clemency.
I'm really sorry, but I am not moved nor influenced by his reformation. I grew up in the areas that he terrorized in the 70s, and while hardly any of the youth (especially the youth who are the targets of his anti-violence messages) knows who he is, you can ask any older person who grew up around South Central LA/Inglewood (most of my family) about Tookie Williams, and they will know who he is. Not only that, but you'll be hard pressed to find someone who not only knew him, but wasn't afraid of him. There's no proof that such a person even existed.
Fuck the "product of the environment" excuses, Tookie Williams was pure evil. I've heard stories from the men in my family of how he would hang around with his group in Centinela Park and beat the shit out of anyone he felt like. How he would "curb" guys. For those who don't know, "curbing" is when you make someone lie down on the side-walk, have them wrap their mouth around the curb and then kick their heads into it. You can survive it…if you're pretty damn lucky. The man was the reason why parents in LA no longer felt safe letting their kids play outside at night. The man is convicted of killing four innocent people-but you'd be a damn fool to think those are the only people he's guilty of killing. He founded a gang that's responsible for the deaths of many African American gang members and African American innocents. He is responsible for a great amount of fear that still prevails in my city since the early 70s. That man is a cold blooded killer who still won't own up to his crimes.
Don't be fooled by how he looks now. This is how he looked then:
No amount of children's books will wash him clean.
