Had Tookie Passed Us Before His Passing?
All opportunities for pardon being exhausted, Tookie Williams, notorious for the creation of the Crips gang, was executed this morning (time of death, 12:35 AM).
Given, the Crips gang, and ensuing gang tensions, have claimed countless lives either as murders or just being turned to garbage through drug use, to kill Tookie for the murder of four people almost three decades ago just seems like an emotional reaction to his role in founding the Crips. Yeah, bad shit to establish what is now a major gang, but if he’s in jail though most of their career (where he was rehabilitated, wrote children’s books, and became and advocate AGAINST gang violence) how much can he be blamed for the organization and leadership to turn a few thugs into such a major gang?
By denying clemency for Tookie, the only thing we express is how quickly our burn-him-at-the-stake, eye-for-an-eye, Christian vengeance emotions can take over our minds. Of course, I’m using ‘our’ in the general sense. Does not religion teach mercy and forgiveness as the highest ideal? First, if Tookie is reformed and actually advocating for a positive change in society, doesn’t that make him better than those with hate and contempt in their hearts for him? Second, do we punish the crime or the person who committed it? If the person has changed and his past action is what being punished at what point do we forgive?
Perhaps that level of benevolence is beyond most of us. Should that be true, the State of California may have executed a man who attained a superior spiritual posture through his incarceration.
