Arnold Schwarzenegger likes to describe his political stance as "moderate". Yet there's nothing moderate about his refusal to commute the death sentence of Stanley "Tookie" Williams.
During his 20+ years in prison, Williams has redeemed himself over and over again with his writing and activism about the dangers of gangs. He was nominated multiple times for Nobel prizes for peace and literature.
But that makes no difference to the Governator.
And Arnold today has shown the world that there is no redemption in the state of California, no matter how many good works you might do.
Unless, of course, you consider that a person can have a long history of sexual harrassment and still be elected governor.
This is a very sad day. Unless the Justice Department chooses to intervene in this case (I'm not holding my breath), tomorrow will be even sadder.
From MSNBC:
-----
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday refused to spare the life of Stanley Tookie Williams, the founder of the murderous Crips gang who awaited execution after midnight in a case that stirred debate over capital punishment and the possibility of redemption on death row.
Schwarzenegger was unswayed by pleas from Hollywood stars and petitions from more than 50,000 people who said that Williams had made amends during more than two decades in prison by writing a memoir and children’s books about the dangers of gangs.
"After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency," Schwarzenegger said, less than 12 hours before the execution. "The facts do not justify overturning the jury’s verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case."
Schwarzenegger could have commuted the death sentence to life in prison without parole.
With a reprieve from the federal courts considered unlikely, Williams, 51, was set to die by injection at San Quentin State Prison early Tuesday for murdering four people in two 1979 holdups.
Williams' fate became one of the nation's biggest death-row cause celebres in decades.
-----
[Read more.]
No comments:
Post a Comment