Tookie Williams Executed

Tookie Williams was executed this Tuesday.

Tookie was one of the founders of the infamous Crips gang in LA, and accused of murdering 4 people. While he certainly couldn't be considered a nice guy at the time, he was heavily drugged by the police throughout his trial. To add fuel to the controversial fire, the prosecutor craftily removed 3 potential african-americans from the jury.

I'm not a fan of capital punishment. It's hypocritical to denounce murder, yet commit another - particularly in this case where the person seems to have reformed.

Tookie, during his tenure in prison wrote books warning youths of the danger of gangs, came up with a functional street protocol to end gang violence, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize multiple times. Man, if there was EVER someone who spent their time in the can well, Tookie would be it. Despite a whole wack of big names rallying around the cause, such as Joan Baez, Jesse Jackson, and Jamie Foxx (who played Tookie in a biographical film, "Redemption" last year), it was all for naught.

For more insightful reporting on the situation, (and current photo of Tookie) check out npr (national public radio).

I wonder how Old Arnie (Governor Schwarzengger) is sleeping tonight...

j