ALRIGHT. IF YOU READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS ON THE SUBJECT, YOU WILL SEE THAT I WAS TRULY TORN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I BELIEVE TOOKIE SHOULD BE GRANTED CLEMENCY. AND UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE TOOKIE SHOULD BE GRANTED CLEMENCY, I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO SIGN THE PETITION AND WRITE ARNOLD. (I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE TOOKIE SHOULD RECIEVE CLEMENCY AND ARE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT)
UNLIKE OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD, I DON'T CARE TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE ABOUT TOOKIE'S FATE. BUT, FOR SOME REASON, I BADLY WANTED TO REACH MY OWN CONCLUSION. I READ NEARLY EVERYTHING ON TOOKIE.COM AND SAVETOOKIE.ORG (INCLUDING HIS CLEMENCY PETITION), AS WELL AS HIS CLEMENCY DENIAL AND ONE CBS REPORT. I WENT BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT I BELIEVE SHOULD HAPPEN, AND I HAVE FINALLY COME TO MY CONCLUSION.
DO I THINK TOOKIE COMMITED THE CRIMES HE IS ACCUSED OF? YES, I DO. AT LEAST THE ASIAN FAMILY AT THE MOTEL WHERE THEY SAID, "AT TRIAL, A FIREARMS EXPERT TESTIFIED THAT THE EXPENDED TWELVE-GAUGE SHOTGUN SHELL THAT WAS RECOVERED BY INVESTIGATORS AT THE BROOKHAVEN MOTEL TRIAL EXHIBIT 9E, WAS FIRED FROM WILLIAMS' SHOTGUN, TRIAL EXHIBIT 8, TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER FIREARMS."
BEFORE, MY MAIN REASON FOR BEING IN FAVOR OF GRANTING TOOKIE CLEMENCY (GUILTY OR NOT), WAS HIS INFLUENCE ON THE YOUTH. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE NOMINEE OR NOT, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH TOOKIE HAS HAD A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON SOME YOUTH. BUT, WITH THAT SAID, I DO NOT SEE MUCH MORE TOOKIE (AND I KNOW THIS IS DEBATEABLE, BUT IT IS MY OPINION) COULD DO TO STOP/PREVENT GANG VIOLENCE. HE HAS ALREADY STATED (GENUINELY OR MANIPULATIVELY?) THAT HE IS NO LONGER PARTICIAPTING IN THE "GANGSTER" LIFESTYLE, AND IS AVIDLY AGAINST IT. BESIDES THIS, HE PUT FORTH HIS PROTOCOL FOR PEACE, PSA'S, APOLOGY FOR GANG VIOLENCE HE MAY HAVE INFLUENCED, TWO LETTERS TO YOUTHS AND NEARLY A DOZEN BOOKS EXPRESSING HIS "NEW" FEELINGS ON GANGS. THIS ANTI-VIOLENCE/ ANTI-GANG CAMPAIGN WAS ON ITS WAY BY AT LEAST 1997, WHEN HIS FIRST BOOKS WERE PUBLISHED. TODAY, IT IS KNOWN, THAT STANLEY "TOOKIE" WILLIAMS, THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE INFAMOUS CRIPS NO LONGER CONDONES GANGS OR THE "GANGSTER" LIFESTYLE. SO, WITH THE PUBLIC KNOWING OF TOOKIE'S NEWLY ADOPTED ATTITUDE TOWARDS GANGS FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS, I WOULD THINK THAT HIS MESSAGE IS OUT THERE, AND IT IS TO THE POINT WHERE IF GANGSTERS REALLY WANT TO QUIT BANGING, IT IS NOW UP TO THEM (I BELIEVE TOOKIE HAS USED UP ALL HIS POSSIBLE INFLUENCE-WHICH MAY BE DEBATEABLE).
SO, IF HE IS GRANTED CLEMENCY, WHICH I'VE ALWAYS DOUBTED WOULD HAPPEN, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE ONLY PURPOSE IT WOULD SERVE, IS TO ACCOMODATE A MURDERER (NOT SO DEBATEABLE IN MY OPINION-THE WHOLE SHOTGUN SHELL BEING FROM HIS SHOTGUN ORDEAL). FOR ME, THE CONCEPT OF LETTING A MURDERER OF "EASY" BECAUSE HE IS A CHANGED MAN (WHICH I DESPERATELY WANT TO BELIEVE), DOES NOT GO WELL. I'M SURE THERE WERE OTHER DEATH ROW INMATES WHO CHANGED BY THE TIME THEY WERE DUE FOR DEATH, AND IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR NOR SEND A GOOD MESSAGE TO LET TOOKIE OFF "EASY". BY MESSAGE, I MEAN IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD TO TELL PEOPLE, "WE ARE NOT GOING TO HOLD YOU LIABLE TO THE PUNISHMENT WE INITIALLY PROSCRIBE."
BESIDES ALL THE PRECEEDING, THERE IS SUSPUCION (I READ ABOUT IN A CBS REPORT) THAT TOOKIE IS "ORCHESTRATING GANGLAND CRIMES FROM WITHIN HIS CELL." S0, THATS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SAY HE WILL NOT BE A THREAT BECASUE HE IS BEHING BARS (NAIVE IN MY POINT OF VIEW). I REALIZE IT'S ONLY SUSPICION, BUT I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST HIM, BESIDES THIS IS SECONDARY TO THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH.
LASTLY, I CAN IMAGINE TOOKIE FIGHTING HIS INNOCENCE, WITH THE MONEY HE MAKES FROM HIS BOOK (MAYBE BOOKS-FOR SURE SOME OF THE MONEY FROM BLUE RAGE BLACK REDEMPTION IS GOING TO THIS CAUSE), AND ACTUALLY WINNING. ONE MIGHT SAY, HOW COULD YOU SAY HE MIGHT WIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU BELIEVE HE IS GUILTY. IF THERE WERE ANOTHER TRIAL, THERE COULD BE FEAR OF ANOTHER RIOT, JUST LIKE THE ONE AFTER THE RODNEY KING BEATING...
ANYWAYS, THIS IS MY OPINION, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE NOT TO BE A BANDWAGON HOPPER ON EITHER SIDE, AND FORM A KNOWLEDGEABLE OPINION OF THEIR OWN. WHATEVER YOU BELIEVE, I THINK TOOKIE WILL BE EXECUTED ON THE 13TH. REMEMBER, THE LAST TIME CLEMENCY WAS GRANTED WAS IN '67, SO ITS NOT LIKE THEY HAND CLEMENCY OUT EASILY. RIGHT ABOUT NOW, I WISH I COULD SAY SOMETHING NICE LIKE, IF TOOKIE IS TRULY A CHANGED MAN, LET THE LORD HAVE MERCY ON HIM (BUT I DONT EVEN KNOW IF I BELIEVE IN GOD, HEAVEN, HELL ETC.)