R.I.P. Stanley "Tookie" Williams

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger denied clemency to Stanley "Tookie" Williams today resulting in lethal injection for the co-founder of the Crips gang. Tookie wrote the Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence children's book series opposing the gang lifestyle. It is unfortunate that a man who has demonstrated that the system is able to rehabilitate its most violent criminals has been murdered rather than revered. Whether or not he committed the crimes is irrelevant in the case for his life. If granted clemency, Tookie would have spent the remainder of his life in prison. This seems a fitting punishment out of justice and not out of revenge or retaliation. The fact that Tookie was murdered, and more importantly the fact that Capital Punishment is only banned in 12 states, undermines the system all together. With regards to why Schwarzenegger denied him clemency, he wrote "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption." If Arnold would have spent 3 minutes on Tookie's website he would have found this:

The Apology

Twenty-five years ago when I created the Crips youth gang with Raymond Lee Washington in South Central Los Angeles, I never imagined Crips membership would one day spread throughout California, would spread to much of the rest of the nation and to cities in South Africa, where Crips copycat gangs have formed. I also didn't expect the Crips to end up ruining the lives of so many young people, especially young black men who have hurt other young black men.
Raymond was murdered in 1979. But if he were here, I believe he would be as troubled as I am by the Crips legacy.

So today I apologize to you all -- the children of America and South Africa -- who must cope every day with dangerous street gangs. I no longer participate in the so-called gangster lifestyle, and I deeply regret that I ever did.

As a contribution to the struggle to end child-on-child brutality and black-on-black brutality, I have written the Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence children's book series. My goal is to reach as many young minds as possible to warn you about the perils of a gang lifestyle.

I am no longer "dys-educated" (disease educated). I am no longer part of the problem. Thanks to the Almighty, I am no longer sleepwalking through life.

I pray that one day my apology will be accepted. I also pray that your suffering, caused by gang violence, will soon come to an end as more gang members wake up and stop hurting themselves and others.

I vow to spend the rest of my life working toward solutions.

Amani (Peace),

Stanley "Tookie" Williams, Surviving Crips Co-Founder,
April 13, 1997

Tookie Executed by Lethal Injection

Peace and Love,
The Rebellion Magazine