R.I.P "tookie" Williams.

[lil_bayly]

Williams, 51, died around 12:35 a.m. after receiving a lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison, officials said.

The case became the state's highest-profile execution in decades. Hollywood stars and capital punishment foes argued that Williams' sentence should be commuted to life in prison because he had made amends by writing children's books about the dangers of gangs and violence.

In the days leading up to the execution, state and federal courts refused to reopen his case. Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denied Williams' request for clemency, suggesting that his supposed change of heart was not genuine because he had not shown any real remorse for the countless killings committed by the Crips

[Coccoa]

The definition of a slut ^

He was innocent!!! He was fighting for clemency to that last moment!!! He accepted his crimes all the time. Why he didnt accept the death of those 4 ppl? He didnt kill them. You puta should think twice before you speak this man is a legend in the streets and every gang is mourning his dead, even Bloods do.

[walend]

Somebody know why he was innocent?

[Knicky]

Deserved Death, He shot a bloke twice in the back, not just once, twice,how can you say that he desevered to live, what if he had shot 1 of your loved ones?

Cannot see how people say he should have lived

[Coccoa]

Cuz he said so. 21 years in prison, he wasnt afraid of death but he said he was innocent from the first time and at the same time he accepted every other "crime" he did. Why he denied this shootout? Becuz he was innocent.

BUT

Even if he was guilty, we see a u-turn in his attitude. Yeah he made the Crips, yet he fought so much against violence. He wanted PEACE FOR THE STREETS. Too bad he got exactly the opposite.

If i was the governator, i would grant him clemency. Regardless of the fact that he would NEVER commit a crime again, this man should be a role model. In fact he is. Not becuz of his actions tho, but cuz of his ideals. He a gangsta yep. But a revolutionary one. He is the black Guevara.

[Ivy]

He did and didn't deserve death. It's a debatable issue. He's already spent "life" in prison. He's been there since 1979. He wrote children's books and spoke out about gang violence. However, no once did he ever apologize for his crimes and he still denied every last accusation. So R.I.P.

[Curious]

I don't agree that Tookie didn't deserve death because he turned his life around and wrote children's books and worked for peace in the streets - lives were still taken, and you can't bring them back even if you do make a u-turn in your life afterwards. A u-turn doesn't rectify the crime. I also think that the argument that he denied involvement in the crimes and therefore must have been innocent is highly questionable - if he denied involvement he would still have a chance of getting his conviction overturned, if he admitted his guilt, that option would have been gone for good.
However, I still don't think the guy should've received the death penalty: the evidence that convicted him was by no means bullet proof, and the thought that maybe an innocent man was murdered by the state is reason enough to oppose capital punishment as a justified means of punishing ppl in a democratic and civilised society such as the US claims to be. Another thing is that it's morally questionable for at state to tell it's citizens that murder is wrong and then go on to murder it's own ppl even if they've committed unforgiveable crimes. I seriously believe that the death penalty has absolutely no place in civilised society - and ppl like Bush who pride themselves of being good moral Christians should take a look at the 10 commandments and Jesus' sermon on the mountain again and tell me how they can possibly justify capital punishment and still call themselves Christians...

[vinci_pab]

thast was wrong rip tookie