Governor Schwarzenegger has spent an hour hearing arguments for and against granting Stanley Tookie Williams clemency. I have a few thoughts on the subject.Williams murdered four people: Albert Owens. Yen-Yi Yang, Tsai-Shai Yang, and Ye-Chen Lin in the coarse of two armed robberies. The take from both robberies was about $220.
- Albert Owens was shot twice in the back at point blank range with a shotgun while he lay on the ground. Williams did not want a witness to his $120 dollar robbery.
- Yen-Yi Yang, a 76 year old man, was killed by a shotgun with shots to his arm and chest.
- Tsai-Shai, a 63 year old woman, was killed by a shotgun blast to her face.
- Ye-Chen Lin, a 43 year old woman, was killed by a shotgun blast to her naval and again to her tailbone.
- All shots were from a few inches away. His victims never had a chance. They were all executed. Williams got $100 for his efforts.
Stanley Tookie Williams has never accepted responsibility for his crime. He still claims his innocence. Is this a redeemable quality? I’ve heard people describe his predicament as not being able to admit responsibility because it will lessen his chance of appealing his conviction. Of course, this is the stance of a coward, A man you could shoot a woman in the face and then decline to take responsible, for whatever reason, is a coward and therefore unredeemable.
Stanley Tookie Williams has apologized – for creating the Crips street gang. However one should consider the death toll linked to the Crips – an average of about 500 gang related deaths a year in Los Angeles over the last 20 years. That’s at least 10,000 people who have died as part of his street gang legacy. Surely he bears some responsibility for this evil legacy.
What is clemency anyway? It is the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime itself. Should the death penalty be removed from Tookie’s future because he has made an effort to redeem himself? I don’t think so – many people convert when faced with execution. It is a game, where those convicted must come up with something in order to extend their lives.
Some may think that Tookie’s death will serve as a better deterrent to gang members than his various books published while on death row. But I have never seen the death penalty as a deterrent – only as a punishment. The State is punishing Tookie with the ultimate sentence – taking his life. Tookie wants to live.
Tookie has a website – A quick perusal will show that he and his supporters feel Tookie is innocent of his crimes. It seems unlikely; in fact, the evidence is overwhelming against his innocence. Tookie is a murder of worse sort, his website is a weak apologetic meant to mislead the public.
His supporters have exhausted every appeal. He has lived on death row for 25 years while his various appeals have worked their way though our legal system. Tookie holds out hope that he will live free again. After all, he is a cause celeb, with supporters from around the world. He has even been nominated for a Noble Peace Prize. Should a man of his character have hope?
Where do I stand? I am not a supporter of the death penalty, not for humanitarian reasons as one might think, but because I think punishment should be about deigning criminals their freedom. Tookie Williams should spend the rest of his life in jail with no chance at rehabilitation or release. If I had been on the jury, I would have pressed for Tookie spending the rest of his life in hole in Pelican Bay. However, I am also a strong supported of the rule of law. Tookie Williams has been convicted and sentenced to death for heinous crimes. He is a mass murderer. His efforts towards stopping gang violence are commendable, but without accepting responsibility for his role in four murders, his actions are insincere. They represent a token repayment only. Tookie Williams should die.
If you don't agree with me, drop a comment and then sign the online petition to grant Tookie clemency.
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