Where do you stand on "Tookie" Williams ?

[Gritt23]

Gangland leader, co-founded the notorious Crips gang in Los Angeles. Died just after 8am our time by lethal injection for the murder of 4, in the late 70's - probably many more that we do not know of .... but since being inside he has worked very hard on an anti-gang campaign, and many would say he has done and was continuing to do good by discouraging others from following the path he led. Receive Noble Peace Prize nominations for his work.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I am not sure I agree with the death penalty anyway.

I followed a little of the case and don't think he was trying to use a "get out of jail free" card, by campaigning to destroy gangs. The whole American system scares me, that the religious right are so fanatical about the holy book, yet do not live up to the standards it requires.

I would have saved him, personally.

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

He killed four people (one white, three Taiwanese). Never admitted his guilt, never showed remorse. The appeals procedure goes through two different ladders of appeal courts, the evidence was overwhelming but he would never face it. He may have changed, but Arnie had no choice but to reject the appeal as there can be no change without remorse. Bit of a shame.

 

[Starry]

I voted live.

But not really because he was stopping others, moreso I do not believe in the death penalty. He's never admitted anything as far as I know, should just sit out the rest of his life in prison. I just can't get my head around a so called civilised country killing their citizens.

 

[Redhead]

Could've stuck him at left back, wingers would've thought twice about skinning him.

Seriously, i'm anti death penalty and think that he should have been left to rehabilitate more young offenders.

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

Could've stuck him at left back, wingers would've thought twice about skinning him.

Seriously, i'm anti death penalty and think that he should have been left to rehabilitate more young offenders.

As in "never admit, never grass"? If he had accepted his guilt, then he would have been commuted to a life sentence instead. I don't think the death penalty actually serves any purpose, but as the death penalty is already used in that state, and it was part of his sentencing, then the argument is not anti-death penalty, but whether he was right or wrong in not admitting guilt.

 

[perseus]

Will it come here? The Death Penalty or the gangs?

Ian Blair was educated in America.

 

[sullyupthewing]

I hope he died slowly and painfully, the same as the family he slaughtered.

 

[Eggmundo]

He was one huge Mother F*****r

 

[Da Man Clay]

I hope he died slowly and painfully, the same as the family he slaughtered.

I aggree.

 

[Lammy]

Arnie was jealous!

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

Is he the first Nobel Peace Prize nominee to be executed?

 

[Easy 10]

A jury found him guilty of the charges and so he was sentenced according to the laws of the state. I don't think it's for the state governer to then alter that sentence in light of whatever he has done with his time in jail since being sentenced. Was he sentenced to death, or was it a case of death "unless you show lots of remorse and give lots of advice to kids and stuff" ?

I'm not entirely comfortable with the death penalty myself, but the bottom line is that the guy murdered four people during a robbery, and over there, that crime was considered heinous enough to warrent the death penalty. Whatever he's done with his time since then cannot eradicate his guilt of that crime, so his sentence, rightly in my opinion, was upheld.

 

[Les Biehn]

Don't really agree with the death penalty, but I think it is important to remember what his crime was.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I don't agree with the death penalty but leaving that aside he was a nasty peice of work. Killed 4 people and evidently while in prison they discovered an escape plan he had written which involved blowing up parts of the prison and would certainly have killed more people. I don't know the ins and outs but on TV it was said that there were at least 15 different hearings reviewing the verdict and all of them came to the conclusion that he was guilty.

I know he changed and did some good work about dissuading others from joing gangs but he never did acknowledge his guilt. If he had, he would have stood more chance of a reprieve.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Arnie was jealous because he was told that he might star in the next Terminator movie. But i don't agree on lethal injections, i think he should of lived.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Arnie can't be seen as going soft. If it had been anyone else the guy may have got let off but we are talking about the man who took out over 100 bad guys in Commando so he had no chance.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

The state, any state, should not have the right to take a life, no matter who heinous the crimes. I am totally against the death penalty on moral and practical grounds ( many innocent people have ben put to death). In my opinion, the death penalty is an act of barbarism unworthy of a civilised society.

 

[METALMICKY]

A jury found him guilty of the charges and so he was sentenced according to the laws of the state. I don't think it's for the state governer to then alter that sentence in light of whatever he has done with his time in jail since being sentenced. Was he sentenced to death, or was it a case of death "unless you show lots of remorse and give lots of advice to kids and stuff" ?

I'm not entirely comfortable with the death penalty myself, but the bottom line is that the guy murdered four people during a robbery, and over there, that crime was considered heinous enough to warrent the death penalty. Whatever he's done with his time since then cannot eradicate his guilt of that crime, so his sentence, rightly in my opinion, was upheld.

Pretty much my sentiments. My unease about the death penalty is pretty much based on the theory of "what if the conviction is unsound?" In other words if it turns out somebody was in fact innocent "terribly sorry old chap we got it wrong" doesn't cut it if you on the mortuary slab. However, in this case this doesn't apply and his lacl of remorse and cooperation with the Police damn him.

What does piss me off is the media circus and the number of high profile celebs who like to attach themselves to such causes. Just like with the Kray twins it seems trendy to come out in support of such people. And the worse thing is that the rights of the actual victims seem to be forgotten.

 

[Les Biehn]

Pretty much my sentiments. My unease about the death penalty is pretty much based on the theory of "what if the conviction is unsound?" In other words if it turns out somebody was in fact innocent "terribly sorry old chap we got it wrong" doesn't cut it if you on the mortuary slab. However, in this case this doesn't apply and his lacl of remorse and cooperation with the Police damn him.

What does piss me off is the media circus and the number of high profile celebs who like to attach themselves to such causes. Just like with the Kray twins it seems trendy to come out in support of such people. And the worse thing is that the rights of the actual victims seem to be forgotten.

Bloody hell this is another well thought out, well reasoned post on here today. People will start talking if this carries on.