DEATH PENALTY: Stanley “Tookie” Williams – Sympathy for the Devil?

He was tried, convicted and sentenced to death in 1979. He has languished on death row; burning up his appeals through the Supreme Court level for more than 20 years since; at the cost of thousands of dollars in legal man hours.

He is the darling of the Hollywood anti-death-penalty crowd. His defenders were everywhere except the courtroom in which he was tried. That makes them all experts in assigning sainthood to “Tookie”.

The man founded a street gang that is responsible for the deaths of thousands. There are cells of this group nationwide and one of his sons is in jail in a “like-father-like-son” scenario that would sadden the most compassionate heart.

He continually asserts his innocence. Every appeal failed. His original trial failed. His final appeal to the Supreme Court failed; because; he did it. He personally killed four people; brutally shooting one in the back. It does not matter what he says. Murderers always say they did not do what it is they did.

It is said that he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is true even though anyone can be nominated for that prize. Yasser Arafat was a known murderer and he actually won the prize. I believe that sort of diminishes that part of the argument.

It is said that “Tookie” has written books that are messages to gang-bangers to stop their dealings in drugs and death. Thank you, Mr. Williams. I believe your execution will be more of a deterrent to such types though. If they see all the support you receive; being a murderer; and yet the Governor of the state agrees with the results of the appeals and the decisions of the Supreme Court and allows the execution anyway, the gang-bangers will see there is no chance should they remain in their lives of crime. Perhaps then they will put down their guns and knives and decide to be productive members of society.

It is understood that there are those against the death penalty. Were they against “Tookie” shooting a poor innocent person in the back? Have they shown any concern for the families of the four who were killed by this man or the families of the hundreds of others who have had children killed in the cold-blooded gang wars sanctioned by this man’s founded group?

I have little sympathy for a man who says he has changed, yet says he will not “rat” on anyone. He knows of others who have murdered but will not name names. He will not allow any closure for any of the killed he personally has been involved with. He was convicted in 1979 and according to prison officials led his own prison gang and kept up matters with the “Crips” through 1994. We are left to wonder how many of the deaths between 1979 and 1994 can be attributed directly to “Tookie’s” group.

At any time during that time did Mr. Williams disown his gang? As a co-founding father of the Crips, do you think he could have convinced them to disband or turn themselves in?

It is said that if he is permitted to live, his continued writing could save thousands of lives. I believe if he renounced the Crips and turned in the murderers he could save even more lives. Mr. Williams says he will not do that though. So it is important that his execution be an example to all those now standing on that gang-banger fence; preparing to jump on the side of death.

The defenders of Mr. Williams need some perspective. They stand on the side of one man who killed 4 innocent people. Last years there were more than 16,000 murders in the United States and fewer than 10 of the murderers were put to death for those crimes. More than 15,000 people did not receive justice. They were killed, but they were innocent. The defenders of Mr. Williams see “Tookie” as the innocent one while his victims rot in their graves for no other reason than having gotten in the man’s way.

The sympathy for Stanley “Tookie” Williams seems to be misplaced.

Author's Note: This was the first of two columns I posted about “Tookie” Williams under my pseudonym Samuel Sandbaugh. It appeared in www.useless-knowledge.com in September 2005 I believe. The only edit is to the title reference “DEATH PENALTY”