At what point are you unsavable?

That's a question that many in California have struggled with in the last week as celebrities and activists have joined Stanley Tookie Williams' fight for his own life. Tookie has been in jail for almost 25 years for murdering four people in 1979. While that may be what put him in jail, his biggest crime was giving birth to the Crips gang in Los Angeles, which is suspected to be responsible for hundreds of deaths and who has supplied drugs to countless people.

During his stay on death row, he seems to have tried to make amends. He has written children's books about the dangers of gangs, and he has even helped mediate gang peace agreements.

The California Supreme Court and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have refused to turn the man's death sentence into life imprisonment. I can't blame them. An original jury sentenced him to death. I think it should take something extraordinary to overturn that.

But, I can't help wondering - are they killing the man above, or this man. It seems to me that 25 years can make a difference (though I don't think the families of the people he killed would agree).

Comments

[Matthew Schooler]

Who cares he is dead lets move on. Liberals in Hollywood condemn the victims and celebrate the criminal. Lets not give anymore airtime to this man who had no remorse over the pain he caused 25 years ago. I feel no ill will towards him but I dont think we should celebrate him by discussing him anymore...although didnt his hair look better short. And what is up with that beard? I might go out and get a tookie book to read to my children one day. Hey did you see snoop on tv the other night? I guess we cant stop talking about him can we?

[Rik]

In 1981, Williams was caught beating up an other inmate with his fists, and ignored orders to stop. In 1982, Williams refused to an order to line up...and told a guard "you'll get yours boy, I can do anything now because I know what the gunmen will do...one of these days I'll trick you boy."

Twice that same year, Tookie attacked guards with chemical substances. In 1984, Tookie was back to beating up another inmate...and didn't stop until a guard fired a warning shot. Also in 1984, Williams was caught making out with a female visitor. He told the guard then "you are looking around too much and that's not your job. I have dusted many officers on the street, one more would not make any difference."

Sounds reformed to me. But there's more...1986...he beat up another inmate. 1988..he was stabbed in retaliation for a stabbing he ordered of another inmate. 1991...Tookie was again caught beating up another inmate. Same thing again in 1993.

[Eugene Weixel]

The Tookie they're killing is the old guy in the lower picture. The young guy with the muscles isn't there any more. Had they done him at the outset as an example you might have an argument (I wouldn't agree, but it would be something defensible.)