Tookie

Stanley Tookie Williams is going to die in about 10 hours, after the governor of California denied him clemency. People around the country and across the globe have been following this case pretty closely, and there are a lot of passionate feelings on both sides of this debate. But I don't think the two sides are listening to one another.

To me, the Williams case was about the concepts of redemption and mercy. If you look at Governor Schwarzenegger's statement, he talks about studying the evidence and overturning the verdict of the jury. There is no discussion of the value Tookie Williams has provided to the community since he has been incarcerated, the series of children's books, the fight to keep young people out of gangs, the Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Nobody was arguing for him to be set free; it just seemed that life without the possibility of parole would have been an acknowledgement that the criminal justice system can work to change behavior and reform lost souls. By killing Tookie Williams we are basically saying that there is no such thing as prison reform.

Similarly, those who advocated for clemency did seem to forget that there were four lives lost, and, according to a jury, at the hands of this man. Now, why one murderer is singled out for the death penalty while another gets life in prison is a different discussion. Additionally, the fact that the death penalty disproportionately affects minorities needs to be discussed. But the fact remains that Stanley Williams is in jail for a reason.

I didn't understand why it would have been easier for Williams to get clemency if he admitted to the killings. He believes himself innocent of those charges, though he has admitted the wrongness of separate, concomittal actions. I think redemption means more than saying "I'm sorry." He's shown his with his life. I believe life without the possibility of parole is enough of a deterrent to crime, I don't think killing a murderer will bring a victim back or any of the other arguments about retributive justice. Furthermore, without execution, governments have a chance to right their wrongs when they mistakenly send someone to prison, which we know happens over and over again. There is no remedy when the law executes an innocent man.

If nothing else, the end of the Tookie Williams story has at least shined a light on the death penalty debate in this country. Slimmer majorities support the practice than did 20 years ago. We need to think about the role of redemption and mercy in these cases, and acknowledge that giving life without the possibility of parole to someone on Death Row does not mean they are exonerated. It's important to have a civil discussion around this and recognize both sides.