Have any of you followed this story, read about it, or seen the movie based on this man's life? Here is some info: He is to be executed December 13, 2005. Do you think given the circumstances he should be executed or given the opportunity to continue his positive work? He has spent 26 1/2 years behind bars and has used that time not only to rehabilitate himself but also to influence others.
His accomplishments: If you have time (and the interest) to read it, here's a story about him: http://www.lairdcarlson.com/celldoor/00502/Sevcik00502HasStanleyWilliamsLeftTheGang.htm
Thats a compelling article, obviously written by one of his supporters and is NOT objective at all. Congrats to him for wanting to do the right thing now that he's on death row with nowhere to turn. It's great that he's trying to undo some of his wrongs (like trying to make peace with rival gangs etc), but the bottom line is he was one of the main reasons theirs gangs and violence in the first place. This dude is probably directly or indirectly responsible for thousands of crimes and hundreds of deaths on the streets because of gang wars. Just because he "turns over a new leaf" now thats he's about to be brought to justice doesn't erase all the pain he caused back in his prime. The man's a piece of crap. Sure, what he was convicted of was kinda shady but theirs dozens more cases where he couldn't get convicted or tried because lack of evidense. Don't feel bad for him. Now, lets the reds begin because I know I'm gonna get em, but someobody has to say it instead of just patting this guy on the back.
This is true, it is not very objective. I tried finding another aticle that was 'unbiased' but because of the movie release It was hard to really find anything. Gangs were around long befor him or the crips, the crips were tiny and only in California when he went to prison. While he may be partly responsible for the creation of the "crips" gang itself, surely you can't blame all gangs on him. He admitted to being a bad person and to have committed crimes, but not those murders. If he didn't commit the murders he surely doesn't deserve the death penalty, he's already sacrificed 26 years in prison. The real question is, is redemption real and possible? Has he genuinely changed or is he doing it for his own less noble motives? Thanks for sharing your opinion.
The capital punishment in this "civilized country?" has to be abolished. I want to see this during this govt administration. That would increase Americas credibility. Also criminals would have a chance to turn from Saul to Paul!!!
Wow! I'm not going to comment on the death penalty but if this man is helping to convince kids not to get involved with gangs, violence and prison, then he is saving numerous lives across the US. This raises the question on what is just and what is revenge.
I was sceptical, but visit the guys website and read his letters to inmates and public apology. They are well thought out and very persuasive. I can understand why there are quite a few intellectuals supporting him now. www.tookie.com does not read like an attempt to be free, or for life, but as an honest, informed campaign to educate youths as to why gangs and a number of other criminal life paths are not good. I'd encourage dp members to take a few minutes to vist and read a few articles on the website
Very good point. . Even though it's still "just a movie" I'd recommend everyone watched it, Jamie Foxx did a hell of a job - Redemption.
Charity work is a good punishment for a speeding ticket. Not so good for multiple homicides. If you want to take issue with the facts and claim he might not be guilty, fine. If you want to take issue with the death penalty as a punishment for murder, fine. But I don't think a reduction in penalty because of charity work makes sense. Call me a cynic, but someone who was a co-founder of the Crips probably was not a choirboy. Let him use his good deeds over these years to help him make peace with himself, his god or both, as the case may be. It need not be used as a means to mitigate his penalty. As it stands he was convicted and is serving his punishment. I would expect a genuine change of direction would indicate that there is no intent for his new path to influence his actual penalty anyways. So while he may proclaim his innocence, he could not with conscious serve up his own acts since then as evidence of not being further punished.
I love it. No matter what I do, I can escape fair punishment just by saying "I'm sorry." Next week, I am going to yo-yo's house and I'm going to burn it to the ground. Then, I'm going to say "I'm sorry" and it will all be good. When I'm doing burning down the house, I am going to suddenly switch to acting politely and innocently so that everyone can see that I have turned over a whole new leaf. Then I'll write a book about it and make millions on royalties. This is so sweet, I'm actually embarassed that I didn't think of it before. Hey yo-yo, I can't seem to find where I wrote down your address. What was it again?
But executing a man that's helping stop youths from becoming gang members and ruin their lives does make sense? Even if he is guilty of the murders (which he may not be) he has already served 26 years in jail (half of his life). The only thing they're trying to do right now is stop him from being killed, not from being punished, not a get out of jail card. What sense does it possibly make to take a man's life 26 years after he (possibly) committed a crime but has sense helped to save thousands more? Will's comments will be ignored, he no validity to stand on.
I'm curious. How many people were killed because of this crips gang? If he is, in part, responsible for its creation, doesn't that make him partially responsible for those murders as well?
I'm not real familiar with the case, however if their is enough evidence he may not be guilty then yes I would support him not being executed. I would rather see a person spend the rest of their life in prison being not guilty than having our government become murders by putting an innocent man down. 'before the righty's attack' as you're well aware -I hope- I support the death penalty, but I also do wish their was a higher standard for it's use. I am not saying get out of jail, or anything of the sort. As far as the good he has done since, if and when he dies if he realy wants to do some good he could do more with his death for the young of this country than he could have ever done alive. Others keeping his message alive and showing 'even our founder' caught up in gangs was sent to prison for most of his life where he was put to death. I don't see it as getting out of penalty at all, maybe for porale but that's about it. I do get where you're coming from on this, does the good outweigh the punishment, it's almost hard for me to say it but what he's done since should have realy no bearing on his punishment.
I'd see that movie!!! Yeah this does pose the question of at what point does a man have to stop paying for his crimes. I mean he killed some people. He set up an organized crime group that went on to destroy a huge amount of personal property, rape innocent women, kill people, push drugs into numerous communities. Now he's telling people everything is ok. Let's give him candy instead of an execution.
We did see that movie It was Star Wars III. In episode III, we saw Darth Vader slaughter a roomful of innocent kids and countless others; then in Star Wars VI, he kills the bad guy (who he should have killed a long time ago) and somehow that makes him a good guy again LOL
How many people were killed because George Bush went to war with Iraq? Does this make George Bush responsible for all the deaths? Maybe if you'd read about him, you'd know he was abondoned on the streets of south central with no family or home. So instead of letting the streets kill him, he banded together with other teens and that is what became the beginning of the crips. Did he know the crips would ever become what it did? Is that what he was trying to make when he co-founded it?? He says not.