Friday, October 28, 2005

Redemption?

On Dec. 13, 2005, Stanley "Tookie" Williams is scheduled to be executed in California at San Quentin's Death Row. His attorneys have applied & been denied a 9 day delay in his execution, in hopes of giving them more time to apply to the governor for clemency. Their request was denied.
Tookie has been convicted of murdering 4 people in 1979 and he's a co-founder of the Crips, one of the largest, if not the largest, gangs in the country. He's also a 5 time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 4 time Nobel Prize nominee, recipient of a President's Call to Service Award, author of several children's books & the subject of a made-for-TV movie starring Jamie Foxx called, "Redemption."

In 1979, Tookie was a 25 year old member of the Crips gang. He's been convicted of killing a convenience store worker, a married couple that owned a motel in Los Angeles, and their daughter. In 1981, Williams was sentenced to death. Williams has always maintained his innocence.
Since his incarceration, Williams has turned his life around in what can only be deemed as rehabilitation. He's denounced his gang life and from his cell, has helped educate kids about the dangers of gangs. As a result of the movie, "Redemption", thousands of gang members wrote & said his life story helped them turn their lives around. In August, when he received the President's Award, he also got a letter from President Bush praising him for demonstrating "The outstanding character of America."
I find myself wanting this man to receive clemency. With clemency he would remain incarcerated for life, but he'd still be able to reach kids. This man's life since incarceration is a testament of what rehabilitation should be. I realize he was never a candidate to be rehabilitated, but he has been. If he's granted clemency, he's continually benefiting society, while remaining incarcerated for life.
Can anything but execution constitute redemption? Isn't he worth more alive than dead?
What are your thoughts about this?

You can read more about him at: http://www.tookie.com/

Technorati tags: stanley tookie williams, san quentin prison, death penalty, gangs, nobel prize, president bush, clemency, author, murder

posted by jane at 10:11 PM