When Tookie Dies: Will LA burn again?

[win_in_06]

Let's hope not. No more Watts. No more Rodney King.


City leaders rally against violence
PENDING EXECUTION CAUSES CONCERN OVER REACTION
By Jeremiah Marquez
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Wary of public anger over Stanley Tookie Williams' pending execution, local leaders on Friday called for peace if the Crips gang co-founder is put to death next week for four shotgun murders in Los Angeles County.


http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/13376854.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[ananda]

1. Is anybody..

.. in the streets yet?

[The Magistrate]

2. No, Sir, It Will Not

The night will pass peaceably.

[leftstreet]

4. What makes you say this?

[The Magistrate]

11. My View Of Human Nature, Sir

And some experience with criminal associations.

[RagingInMiami]

3. The Rodney King riots weren't just black gang members

It was whites and Mexicans rioting as well.

[win_in_06]

6. Who said they were? I expect this will be no different.

But let's hope it is not violent.

[adarling]

5. It won't

the news media is trying to create a story and really just trying to rile up everyone. i think it is shameless journalism. sick bastards.

[Stand and Fight]

7. I hope not...

As unfortunate as this is that someone else is being handed "justice" (see revenge) by the state, I'm hoping that people's better judgment will appeal to them. No one rioted after the bullshit involved with Katrina, and unless this is the final nail in the coffin, they should not do so now. I don't want to see anyone hurt or killed. There's enough death the world over. We should not add to it here.

[catmother]

10. i totally agree with you. n/t

[VaYallaDawg]

18. Amen, you are so right. n/t

[MidwestTransplant]

22. After Katrina, people ate corpses, raped and murdered children and sniped

at rescue helocopters. :sarcasm:

[Stand and Fight]

34. Oh yes!

How in the world did I forget that... :freak:

[Poll_Blind]

8. There will be no burning of L.A. There is no real outrage. n/t

PB

[win_in_06]

9. The revolution will be televised, brother.

Nightly news will highlight a minority throwing a brick through a window.

Or use some stock footage if there is no new stuff available.

[bliss_eternal]

12. No, I personally don't believe

anyone will incite rioting.

One must understand what initially motivated the other riots mentioned. I wasn't around for Watts, but was for Rodney King.

I'm no expert by any means--nor am I a spokesperson for any involved in the Rodney King riots. My thoughts are based on my personal observations of the build up to the actual riots.

Sure, there were some that just ran out in the streets to attempt to 'get something for nothing' or because they saw others rioting, and they didn't really care about why--they just took the opportunity to act out.

But the initial strikes were against things, people, institutions, businesses that stood for people or businesses that were perceived to be unsupportive of or against blacks to a degree, their community, etc. The Rodney King incident created such a sense of outrage, anger and deep rootd pain.

It seemed that the entire thing, from the moment that tape aired to the moment those officers received a slap on the wrist for their involvement, was a gigantic slap in the face for blacks in Los Angeles. It was as if the entire incident was saying to them, 'The LAPD can go out and beat the hell out of anyone they want, whenver it wants and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.' More specifically, the LAPD can beat down black men in front of the entire world, and no one gives a damn. Fuck you!

I don't see people rioting about Tookie because this isn't something on that level. I could be wrong, of course. Tookie's impending death is sad and tragic, but he isn't a representative of the black community on a larger scale the way Rodney King came to be viewed as. Many, many black men in Los Angles were getting pulled over and getting the crap beat out of them regularly. The RK tape was the only time anyone had proof. So RK (despite his background and other transgressions) kind of came to be viewed as 'everyman--every black man in LA.'

Not every black man, or woman in LA is a convicted killer or former gang member. Many don't want to see him die, but this isn't really on the same scale as The Rodney King trial. It won't be the same slap in the face if they kill Tookie as setting those cops free was. Just my opinion.

Again, these are merely my thoughts--not facts.

[win_in_06]

19. I'd like to see Jesse Jackson and Jamie Foxx speak out now

to help prevent any violence from starting.

[bliss_eternal]

27. You seem to be of the opinion that violence is imminent,

if I am wrong, I will stand corrected--just curious why you feel this way?

Quite a few here don't share this sentiment. Some of us live and/or have lived in the
communities that had violence in the past and shared we don't feel it in the air...

So why do you? (if I'm correct that you do...)

I say this because Jamie nor Jessie would really need to speak out to a situation that does not exist...

[htuttle]

13. "I heard they killed Cyrus, man"

[MercutioATC]

16. I always liked that movie...

:)

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. No, it will not

Almost every African-American was outraged by the 1st Rodney King verdict. This is not the case with Mr. Williams.

[win_in_06]

17. But most blacks didn't riot for King. Just some in LA.

[bliss_eternal]

30. Excuse me, I am curious but were you involved in the riots?

...were you personally involved in the riots?

I mean no disrespect at all when I ask these questions.

Did you participate and gain some personal experience and first hand knowledge of rioting? Do you live in Los Angeles? Are you or have you ever been a member of a gang, or the gang Tookie founded?

I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or make you feel you need to reveal any personal information you don't want to but...

...if you don't have such personal experience, I daresay you are making discriminatory, blanketed statements about Los Angeles residents and the black community of LA... You seem to speak with such resignation that impending violence is a done deal--just wondering why that is?

Is this really fair? Or necessary?

[win_in_06]

47. My comments were made based on the article that I linked in

my first post.

[Freddie Stubbs]

49. Yes, but the near universal outrage created an atmosphere

which caused some to think that they could get away with carnage.

[Nimrod2005]

15. If violence breaks out, will Bush ask Rummy to handle?

[win_in_06]

20. He'll say Arnie is doing one hell of a job

[ieoeja]

21. Why?

Does LA burn every time there is an execution in California? If not, why would this be any different. I imagine the vast majority of Angelinos view Williams as a man responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of young black men. I don't believe in the death penalty, but has any man outside of Nuremburg ever been legally executed for worse than this man?

[Toots]

25. How many executions has California had recently?

It has been shown that Blacks are more than ten times as likely to be executed than whites are and I don't recall ever any unrest over an execution. In fact I don't recall California having any executions but that could be because I don't live there and they were not very publicized.

[rinsd]

26. CA has only executed 11 people since 1976. (nt)

[laugle]

36. Just to add a little to your post;

11 executions
8-white
2-asian
1-black

[bliss_eternal]

31. Well said--

you made good points here--thank you for making them. I'm also wondering about the original poster's motivation regarding this subject...

:hi:

[mitchum]

23. No despite all of the hysterical ninnies here who warn that it will

[bliss_eternal]

28. I don't get why anyone would think there would be...

I lived within the community that was ravaged by the Rodney King riots--so I kind of speak from a place of feeling that escalation.

I'm not getting why people are saying this at all...

Frankly--it saddens me a bit to see people have such a bleak view of Los Angeles residents and the African American community of the city.

[win_in_06]

35. Yeah, there's absolutely no precedent for it, is there?

[bliss_eternal]

39. Prisoners being executed inciting rioting?

No--none at all. :)

[Carla in Ca]

42. Hi, Bliss

I appreciate your posts. I have read most of the threads/posts regarding Williams and the death penalty for several days. Many times I was tempted to jump in and add my two cents. But, I have decided to stay out of it.

This subject has caused quite a tug of war, hasn't it? I wish I could express my opinions, but it would just get lost in the madness of all the threads. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of Los Angeles. My 72 year-old mom was born in the general hospital, and I was born in Compton in 1953.

So many people have incorrect information. You shouldn't judge it if you haven't lived it.

I love Los Angeles. That is all I'm going to say.

[bliss_eternal]

44. Hey Carla!

I hear you--and I appreciate your post too! :hug: Always glad to see you! :hi:

Where are people getting this stuff from?

I love my city, too--
Not about to allow people to make such gross generalizations without being direct, and inquiring as to where this stuff is coming from. Funny how most of those questions have gone unanswered. Guess that means, there was no basis for such blanketed statements.

Wow--you were born really near here!

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MrSlayer]

29. No.

And using the threat in an attempt to influence the decision was just another of the trick of the Tookie worshipers.

"He's reformed and deserves clemency on merit and if you don't give it we'll burn the town down."

No one is going to be rioting in favor of this dude. No one knows better the devastation he unleashed in the black community than those who live there. They won't destroy their neighborhoods in support of Williams.

[beaconess]

38. I wonder why people assume that riots are a possibility whenever

something happens that might upset black folks?

There were no riots after Florida 2000 or Election 2004. No riots after OJ. No riots after the executions of countless other black men (many of whom, unlike Williams, are innocent).

No one assumes that white folk will riot (at least not by looting and burning in the streets) when they don't get their way.

It's troubling that it is assumed that black people are likely to resort to violence in response to adverse circumstances.

[bliss_eternal]

43. Exactly. Like all black people have the same brain.

Ridiculous isn't it?

:hi:

[tirechewer]

46. Ridiculous and infuriating...

I am in LA. Mr. Williams was put to death and there are no riots. CNN, however resurrected a week old story on the possibility, all rife with breathless Freeper speculation that it was a sure thing.

Why is it that the media insists on presenting blacks as uncontrolled, mindless and violent individuals whose only answer to every problem is to try and tear the city down. I am not black and I am mortally offended by this assumption.

I am also sick at heart that Mr. Williams was executed. I hate the death penalty. It is nothing but state sanctioned murder and it is wrong.

The thing that made me gag was that Schwarzenegger gave as one of the reasons for denying clemency the fact that Williams had not said in the clemency petition that he was sorry for any of the murders committed by gang members who were "emulating" his way of life. What, I wonder does he think all those books that Mr. Williams wrote were about, and all those speeches trying to discourage kids from joining gangs? That wasn't remorse? This is like one of those really bad Republican catch 22s. Williams didn't say it in the clemency petition, so nothing else he did for years and years, over and over again to redeem himself matters.

It matters a lot. This wasn't about redemption. I think Williams had found redemption. This wasn't about him resuming a "dangerous lifestyle", he would have been commuted to life without parole and even if he had done a complete turnabout and forgotten everything he had learned about himself while he was in prison, he would never have walked the streets or been a danger to the community again. What it is about is Schwarzenegger's worry that he would be perceived as "soft" on crime if he didn't kill the man. And he wants to be governor again. Lovely reason to make a decision that can't be undone and end a man's life.

[ProudDad]

41. This sort of drivel

just marginalizes you. Is that what you want?

"And using the threat in an attempt to influence the decision was just another of the trick of the Tookie worshipers."

[MrSlayer]

51. What about that statement is wrong?

That's what was going on. I just call em as I see em.

[AntiFascist]

32. What's bad is when white supremecist types stir up rioting....

there was some rumor of CIA-types involved in the French riots. Look at what is being reported in Australia today, the white supremecists are more violent than the Arab people being targeted. What is the point to all the neo-Nazi demonstrations lately? Stirring up anger.... Mercenaries in Iraq shooting at any suspicious-looking Iraqies....

[Beelzebud]

33. Not if people respect the legacy he hoped to leave.

Hopefully people will THINK, and tell others to THINK about how they react to this.

[laugle]

37. It sounds to me like you would like there to be riots?

[bliss_eternal]

40. Same here--

Wonder why that is?

[win_in_06]

48. Then you didn't read my posts. I said I hope not and I also mentioned

that the MSM may play riot "footage" to give the indication that there is unrest when there really is not.

At any rate all is quiet at this hour, thankfully.

[bliss_eternal]

50. I wasn't the only one to read your posts

as somehow 'hopeful' of rioting. If *you* think so, you didn't read the comments on your thread. There's many on this thread that said no, yet you just continued to fuel the issue and further make empty 'presumptious' and rather bigoted, blanket statements.

One does not seem hopeful of no violence, when one continues to argue with people 'for' the possibility.

Oh and btw, you argued with people that actually live within the city/state involved--you were blatantly dismissive of those that stated such and continued to argue 'for' it.

It seems you are the one with the problem here...

[laugle]

53. Well you are more cynical than I am.

[bliss_eternal]

45. deleted per poster...

:hi:

[Freddie Stubbs]

52. It would appear that clearer heads have prevailed.