11/22/05
I’ve been hearing a lot about the travails of a fellow in San Quentin Prison out in California, which I’m sure you’ve heard Johnny Cash sing plaintively about. The prison, I mean, not the guy. I don’t think Johnny knew the guy.
The fellow’s name is Stanley “Tookie” Williams. Stan claims to be the founder of a particularly offensive street gang which is known as “The Crips”. They are famous for gunfights, stabbings, robber, graft, intimidation, drug dealing, rape, beatings, murder and general mayhem, all of which looms large in their collective legend.
Throughout his early career Stanley had built himself up an impressive “rap” sheet (pun fully intended) until finally in 1979 he was arrested, tried and found guilty of murdering 4 people and was sentenced to die for his crimes.
Gang violence, it should go without saying, is a form of domestic terrorism and the members of gangs are guilty by association of being terrorists. These are not the good guys. In other words, for those who need such things spelled out for them, being a member of a gang like the Crips is not like being in Kiwanis or the Lion’s Club.
As good ol’ Stan’s execution date draws nearer the ubiquitous “celebrities” are coming out of the woodwork demanding that he be spared the death penalty. They want the public to forget the fact that four people are dead because of Stan and his cohorts and/or that hundreds if not thousands of kids have been drawn into the crime and violence of the gang “culture” over the years because of Stanley Williams. (more…)