Gov. Schwarzaneggar (?) just denied Stanley Tookie Williams clemency from death by lethal injection tonight. I'm very sad. I've been waiting for his decision and I am very disappointed.
What Williams did was wrong but they should have put him to death back in the seventies when he was convicted and everyone hated him, not now after giving the man twenty plus years to make something of himself and send out a positive message and repent. I hate the justice system.
My heart just aches too because he was quoted by his lawyer as saying that he still feels there will be some sort of intervention. They'll strap him down tonight and he'll be praying for a miracle and in those last seconds he will question his faith and he will die. I cry and shake sometimes at night just thinking about dying and I'm in a nice warm bed. I wouldn't wish the death penalty on anyone. Of course, no one has ever murdered or raped my child or someone I love. We could go back and forth on this. But damnit, the man has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize six times! I know he'll never get it, but damn, let the man be a positive role model and set an example. Our justice system is setting a horrible example by murdering a positive example and it's just a big fucked up circle.
Also, I'm no expert here, but aren't there people who have killed a hell of a lot more than four people and who get sentenced to life and even get parole sometimes in their old age. I know every state's laws are different and every situation is different but I can't help thinking there should just be guidelines.
Murder one person = sentence
Two = sentence
Rape one person = sentence
Two = sentence
And so on and so forth. I know that sounds narrow minded but I'm sick of all the extenuating circumstances. The criminals who get away with murder, the murderers out on parole, the sex offenders who offend again and who are at large, the man who murders three or four people (hasn't even been confirmed) and gets sentenced to a sentence that won't be carried out for over TWENTY years. Someone else would be up for parole by then!
I'm just sad. Years ago I read many books on gang life, gang history, memoirs from incarcerated gang members turned Muslim activists. It fascinated me. This isn't the time or the place, but even though Tookie committed awful crimes and he pulled the trigger and no one else, he was still a product of his environment. I could argue that with myself all day too because he could have risen to the occassion and fought all that was around him and went on to be a Scholar, but let's face it, he wasn't given much of a chance. Shouldn't that qualify as an extenuating circumstance?
I'm a horrible writer about this stuff because all I do is go back and forth and rarely can I take a stand on one direction. But I just consider myself open-minded enough to see both sides. However, Tookie should not be put to death tonight. It makes me sick.
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