Governor (Ahhh-Nuld) dreading decision on life or death

[jefferson_dem]

Governor dreading decision on life or death
Without clemency, Williams' execution is just weeks away
Mark Martin, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

Monday, November 21, 2005

Sacramento -- It was 1976, according to Stanley Tookie Williams, when he met a young Austrian bodybuilder along the Venice Beach boardwalk, then the epicenter of the Southern California muscle culture.

Williams, who was a hard-bodied weight lifter as well as a notorious gang member, recounted the brief encounter in a book published last year: Arnold Schwarzenegger was so impressed with Williams' physique, he noted that Williams' biceps were as big as thighs.

Nearly 30 years later, the two men are again crossing paths.

With the world watching, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must decide in the next few weeks whether Williams will live or die.

<SNIP>

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/21/MNGUFFRRP11.DTL

[still_one]

1. I bet Schwarzenegger will change it to a life sentence

and will block the execution

Just a feeling

and though I don't think it is the reason, it will buy him a little political capital

[Taverner]

20. God I hope so

[drb]

2. It's at least nice to see that Ah-nuld is giving it some serious....

...thought and deliberation. Contrast that with Bush and his famous "15 minute" reviews.

[still_one]

3. I don't care for the govenor, but

after his defeat in the special election, he said he would now have to give start working with the legislature in a concilitory relationship

* and his thugs would have never done that

[bunkerbuster1]

11. I can't imagine a more horrible responsibility as Gov.

I take plenty of shots (cheap and otherwise) at der Gropenator, but I don't envy him this decision one little bit.

Contrast this (as we all surely have) to the way that our "President" thought this was just part of the funny shit he got to do in Texas.

[NYC Liberal]

22. Well maybe he should have thought about the SERIOUS

side of being a governor when he ran, rather than thinking it was just another "role" to play or some kind of party where he'd get to boss everyone around.

[bunkerbuster1]

32. Yeah, that would've been nice.

A responsible appraisal of what would be required of him, and an acknowledgement that merely having been a popular actor wasn't a qualification to be a Governor?

If only Ronnie Raygun had done so as well.

Not that I think Ahnold is quite as cruel & heartless as Ronnie, mind you. Yes, I am actually typing that, I'm pretty sure I believe it, too. I tend to believe what he's said about the torture of reconciling the Austrian in him, who was raised to think the death penalty was wrong, and the American, where the death penalty is still acceptable (to a majority, anyway.) That bit had the ring of humble truth to it.

[yurbud]

19. Bush doesn't do it because he still has majorities in both houses

Arnold deserves no slack.

He gave us none.

I teach college and saw colleagues laid off and tuition for my students double under Arnold.

We are doing Arnold a favor by letting him stay in office instead of hauling him out and tar and feathering him.

[superconnected]

4. slippery slope there.

Isn't it nice you can start the cripts, incite violence for a decade while in prison, KILL 4 people, and then change and be a peace activist and not expect to be executed for executing people yourself. How nice. Too bad he didn't "wake" up before he murdered all those people.

Sorry guys, slippery slope. I think he does whats beneficial to him at the moment.

I don't want to see him die. But I'm still going to feel bad when he gets let off. I feel for the mothers of the people he killed, and the mothers of all the people the gang he started killed.

[Mandate My Ass]

5. I don't think he "expects" clemency, he' asking for it

and executing him, IMHO, is merely stooping to his former level of barbarity. I feel for the family members too, but I can't condone vengeance of this type in the hopes their pain might be alleviated somewhat.

[superconnected]

13. Yeah, I said I don't want to see him die.

I just don't like that the killers take a left after the fact like this. I'm not going to forget he's a murderer because he writes childrens books against it now.

[ET Awful]

9. He will do far more good alive than he will dead.

His activities over the past decade have saved many lives from travelling the same path he did.

Killing him won't bring anyone back, but keeping him alive may save others in the future.

[deadmessengers]

10. Not let off. Not even a little.

Life without the possibility of parole is not in any way being "let off". Despite what the Repugnicans try to tell us, the death penalty is NOT the worst thing you can do to a criminal.

Think of it this way - If "Tookie" is executed next month, he will get to die a swift, relatively painless (I know this is arguable, but let's just assume that it really is) death, after a good last meal, the opportunity to spend time with his family and the benefit of spiritual counsel.

I think it's important to note that his victims didn't get to say goodbye to their families - why the fuck should we allow a scumbag like Tookie Williams to?

If his sentence is commuted to life without parole, he'll get to spend years and years in General Population. You think there are a few Bloods in that group? He will either die alone in a cell, or as the result of some act of violence - and quite frankly, that's exactly what he deserves.

[goclark]

12. I see the slope from another angle

First, I am not a believer in the Death Penalty.

Killing him will NOT stop any gang banger from killing anyone.

I live in Los Angeles and know the horror of the Crips and the Bloods.

I spent years working in the inner city of LA and working with community groups to address the Gang Problems.

He is serving his time in jail(wish BushCo would serve time for their killings) and he needs to stay there.

For the first time in my memory, a leading gang member has tried to turn his life around. He has tried to motivate the gangs to stop the violence, not keep it going.

My understanding is that he has written a book for children that hopefully will allow hundreds of young kids to see a better way.

He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1025-06.htm

The gangs now see him as a hero and if he is selected by Arnold to be executed they will not blame Tookie, he will become even more of a hero and their frustrations will grow in a downward spiral.

It may not make sense to White America, but I can tell you,Black Americans,from all backgrounds,will be upset if King Arnold kills Tookie.

[RazzleDazzle]

24. I'll be very upset myself

I believe in redemption. I believe in rehabilittion. I believe in 2nd chances when someone, by whatever gift of grace has come his or her way, has made something good out of a rotten life and has shown remorse.

Just as there are no more credible anti-war spokespersons than veterans and active duty military, there aren't going to be any more credible spokespersons to dissuade youngsters from taking the wrong path into gangs than someone who did and got smart about it.

I deplore any attitude, such as the one expressed earlier, that would encourage anything but seizing on this opportunity to welcome someone who had been anti-social back into the family of mankind.

[RazzleDazzle]

26. I hope you will also add to your list the mothers

of the children he won't be able to keep out of gangs if he's killed.

Your position isn't just lacking compassion, it's also not very pragmatic. Or liberal.

[goclark]

29. Well said, and please don't forget

all of the teachers that have worked so hard to set these young people on the right path.

It is heart breaking to have a student that you have nurtured die in a senseless gang related crime.

I saw a Cable clip of a rally in Los Angeles in support of Tookie.

Snoop Dog (I know he is not a favorite) was speaking on behalf of Tookie.

I believe they said 1000,mostly young people, were there.

I was surprised to see so many faces of all colors represented.

The rally looked peaceful and Snoop Dog was on his best behavior.

Maybe he will see the light too.

If Arnold gives the approval to kill Tookie, it will not send the right message to any community.

[RazzleDazzle]

33. Exactly right

and well said yourself:

If Arnold gives the approval to kill Tookie, it will not send the right message to ANY community.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. I sure wouldn't want it on my soul, either.

[MidwestTransplant]

7. Personally I doubt he will run for reelection...not fun anymore

so I bet he will do what he wants to do without political consideration. I guess we will find out what that is.

[noonwitch]

8. I think the death penalty is always wrong

I hope that his sentence gets commuted to life without parole. I'm glad that Tookie has seen the error of his ways and has committed his life to nonviolence. He can set a good example from now on from behind bars, however, because he killed 4 people before coming to the realization that violence is a bad thing. He shouldn't ever get out.

Just because I oppose the death penalty, doesn't mean I'm soft on crime. Mandatory life without parole is justice for murder.

[goclark]

16. Well said noonwitch nt

[Minstrel Boy]

14. "Hasta la vista, baby."

I'm sure he's in agony. :eyes:

[Book Lover]

15. Bullshit - he has already sent others to their deaths

This one is different only for the number of cameras paying attention.

[Ian David]

17. The cheap thing would be to issue a stay until after the next election

Let the next governor make the decision.

Gawd knows it won't be Arnold in 2006.

[yurbud]

18. a simple letter to Arnold: don't further stain your reputation

You want to go back to Hollywood and make more movies.

The less you damage and kill from now until the end of your term in office, the sooner the public will forget the damage you did.

Don't touch anything, keep your fucking mouth shut, and turn out the lights when you leave.

Sincerely,

California

[natrat]

21. WHAT ABOUT THE DIEBOLD MACHINES coming to ca.

you fucking facist pos pig

[msongs]

25. the dems have allowed this, not arnold

because CA dems in the legislature do not care about e vote fraud.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/liberaltshirts.htm

[natrat]

30. you are so wrong---this is arnold's secretary of state

November 20, 2005
California Voting Machines Emergency?

Apparently the Republican Secretary of State in California may be stealthily REVERSING the previous Democratic Secretary of State's decertification of Diebold paperless voting machines! Raw Story and Brad Blog have stories about this (links below). Here's a summary: Democratic Secretary of State Shelley had decertified Diebold machines as dangerous to democracy. (He also sought to prosecute the company for lying to state officials.) Then, after the recall and Schwarzenegger's election Shelley was forced out of office on contrived charges, with a Republican appointed in his place. Now there is funny business going on and it looks like Diebold may be coming back. I tracked down a new document outlining requirements for voting machines, and the previous requirement that they produce paper ballot backups is NOT on the list.

THE BRAD BLOG: "California Sec. of State Disbands Voting Panel, Leans Toward Reversal of Previous Stance Against Diebold!"

Election reform advocates had hoped Diebold touch-screen voting machines would be permanently decertified in the country's largest "voting market" (as Diebold likes to refer to it) after a massive test of their AccuVote DRE machines earlier this year revealed a 20% failure rate. But a more recent test, secretly held at Diebold Election System's McKinney Texas headquarters, apparently in violation of California state law, has resulted in what appears to be a last minute about-face from California's Republican Sec. of State, Bruce McPhereson. The latest news has now thrown everything into doubt in the state concerning the future of electronic voting here.


http://www.seeingtheforest.com/archives/2005/11/california_voti.htm#more

[Orsino]

23. "Do not, when thou art king, hang a thief."

"No. Thou shalt."

[JohnLocke]

27. Henry V, Shakespeare (nt).

[secretmouse]

28. So, what did Tookie do?

I was overseas when all of this went down, so I'm not sure of the details..could someone clue me in?

Whoa! this guy killed four people...and now he's sorry? I wonder how the victims' families feel. I'm real queasy about the death penalty, but if the death sentence is lifted, this guy should do hard time, no possibilty of parole.

[leesa]

31. But you belong to the Culture of Death, Arnold...Enjoy!