Tookie and the Death Penalty


Some children's books were published under his name, but written by someone else, and he has gone on record as being opposed to gang violence. From a Christian perspective, of course, we understand that interior change is easily demonstrated by exterior behavior.... Yes, he wrote some books, but when asked to provide information to the authorities that would allow them to dismantle the gang, he stated that he didn't want to be a "snitch".

...12:10 a.m. After surveying the room with the head movement he is allowed, Williams turns his head to his right.

...Of course, one of his biggest supporters has been Snoop Loser Dog, another crip who has at least stopped directly killing, but who now peddles trash - noise pretending to be music with grand lyrics like "Don't f***with Snoop too much cause he goes off when niggaz mouth too much."... At the end of all of this, if by some bizarre chance Williams didn't directly kill the people in question (roughly as likely as Aliens having landed in my backyard last night), he still bears responsibility for every killing ever perpetrated by a crip, if you ask me.

...Government (not individuals) do possess that right - although it needs to be administered with great integrity and fairness.... Frankly, we would have been better off if Williams had been dropped in a dark cell somewhere never to be heard from again in the public arena.

So, Tookie Williams was put to death today. Surely it is a shame whenever any life is lost, but this event once again raises some interesting questions:
⁃ Do states, from a Biblical perspective, have the right to enact the death penalty?
⁃ Should we use the death penalty in California?
⁃ Should Tookie have been granted clemency?

Of course, by now the last question is immaterial, but probably worth exploring. I'll start there and argue that based on the current law I think he should not have been. The arguments for him having undergone some significant change seem a bit hollow. Some children's books were published under his name, but written by someone else, and he has gone on record as being opposed to gang violence. From a Christian perspective, of course, we understand that interior change is easily demonstrated by exterior behavior. Did Tookie apologize for the killings? No, he still denies that they happened. Did he take serious steps to undue the unbelievable carnage that he unleashed on Los Angeles by the founding of the crips? No. Yes, he wrote some books, but when asked to provide information to the authorities that would allow them to dismantle the gang, he stated that he didn't want to be a "snitch". So, how much personal responsibility does he assume for this group? Apparently very little. There doesn't appear to be much interior change here. I think the Governor probably got this one right. There is an interesting account of the execution here. Note the following quote:
12:10 a.m. After surveying the room with the head movement he is allowed, Williams turns his head to his right. He stares at the media. It is a long look and one that attempts to pierce our being in the room. There is no mistaking, even as this man awaits death, he is attempting to be in control, he wants to intimidate. He stops after about 10 seconds or so. His breathing is still deep and nervously quick. His massive chest continues to fluctuate distinctly.

He wants to intimidate? Gee, why is that not surprising. A crip to the end. Of course, one of his biggest supporters has been Snoop Loser Dog, another crip who has at least stopped directly killing, but who now peddles trash - noise pretending to be music with grand lyrics like "Don't f***with Snoop too much cause he goes off when niggaz mouth too much." Why doesn't Jesse Jackson speak out against him? Is he really a great help to the Black Community? At the end of all of this, if by some bizarre chance Williams didn't directly kill the people in question (roughly as likely as Aliens having landed in my backyard last night), he still bears responsibility for every killing ever perpetrated by a crip, if you ask me.

As to the other two questions, the first has been well answered elsewhere. Government (not individuals) do possess that right - although it needs to be administered with great integrity and fairness. On the other hand, I'm beginning to think that California should do away with it. Why? Well, the process takes so long, that all that ends up happening is that these criminals become famous. If summary executions happened within a year or so of conviction, it would be fine. But instead, we get a long runup with lots of publicity. Frankly, we would have been better off if Williams had been dropped in a dark cell somewhere never to be heard from again in the public arena.




Posted: Tue - December 13, 2005 at 10:22 AM        

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