Animal's Blog

Williams to Die

Barring a last second stay by the Supreme Court, Stanley "Tookie" Williams will be put to death tonight at 12:01am (PST). Williams founded the legendary Crips gang in the 1970s, which unleashed a torrent of violence in LA and has spread nationwide. Williams was convicted of killing four people in two 1979 robberies and has never apologized for those killings, something Governor Schwarzenegger cited as a reason not to grant clemency.

Despite being indirectly responsible for many deaths, Williams has seemingly reformed on Death Row. He has authored numerous children's books about the dangers of gangs. He was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People ranging from the Presient of the NAACP, to Snoop Dogg, to Jamie Foxx (who played Williams in a TV movie), to MASH star Mike Farrell came to the defense of Williams. It really seems that the sticking point for Schwarzenegger and others was that Williams never apologized or showed remorse for the crimes that he was convicted of.

No matter what you think about the death penalty this case is remarkable. A man responsible for uncalculable death and mayhem, dramatically changing his tune and becoming a force for good. Anti-gang activists are severely worried about the setback in their mission that will come because of Williams' death. No matter what you think of the man, a man with a powerful voice that he has used for both good and bad will die tonight.

posted by JR @ 6:35 PM