Posted on 12/03/2005 7:01:37 PM PST by bloggodocio
LOS ANGELES — The fight to save death row inmate Stanley “Tookie” Smith turned confrontational last week after his supporters clashed with a right-wing shock-jock on the streets of Crenshaw.
Radio personality, John Ziegler, a talk radio host with KFI 640 AM, got into a shoving match with community leaders and activists who were protesting that station’s alleged “racism and bigotry” and had gathered outside the Lucy Florence Coffeehouse in Leimert Park to announce a formal complaint to the Federal Communication Commission.
Ziegler, actually comes on at 7 p.m. weekdays after infamous KFI 640 AM hosts John and Ken of the John and Ken Show. They have designated the hour of 5 p.m. as the “Tookie Must Die/Kill Tookie” hour Monday through Friday until and if Williams, a co-founder of the notorious Los Angeles Crips gang, is executed in San Quentin on Dec. 13.
The station has also listed the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of Williams’ supporters who have subsequently received hate messages and violent threats.
To jeers and shouts of “racist,” Ziegler, who had ridiculed the death of attorney Johnny Cochrane by claiming he was going straight to hell for defending O.J. Simpson, tried to ask a question after the press conference had formally ended and was surrounded by angry Williams’ supporters.
“I didn’t come down here to provoke anyone,” he claimed when asked point blank.
“I came down here to find out why they were calling me a racist. What I’m doing on the show is not racist. In the Tookie Williams case, we’re informing the public as to the facts.
“Even his supporters have acknowledged that he wasn’t tried by an all-white jury, as has been claimed. And even if it was, that does not inherently mean that he didn’t get a fair trial.”
He added: “The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the most liberal court in the land, a court that despises the death penalty, a court that sees racism everywhere, has upheld his conviction and said it is only clemency from the governor that can save this man. That tells you that he got a fair trial.”
Earlier, Jasmyne Cannick of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, had lambasted the station, which is owned by Texas-based Clear Channel Communications.
“It is clear that John and Ken and host John Ziegler are trying to play on the emotions of blacks in Los Angeles as it relates to the Williams execution,” she said.
“The core and manner of the on-air remarks, which were extremely distasteful towards Williams and his plight, were extraordinarily disturbing and offensive. I urge the FCC to examine these incidents and take any and all actions consistent with their rules and regulations.”
Her comments were echoed by Lita Herron, a spokeswoman for a Victim Mothers Support group.
“This smacks of the party mentality that went on when American whites were lynching blacks,” she fumed.
“We feel that Stanley Williams has a right as any other citizen to a fair trial, a fair sentence and a fair justice. Not indecency or salaciousness so a radio personality can achieve ratings. We’re outraged at KFI and we want the community and world to know that we object to this kind of behavior.”
At press time, neither KFI nor Clear Channel had returned calls for comment.
Williams, who was found guilty of murdering four people in two separate robberies in 1979, has become a cause celebré after renouncing his violent past and penning a series of books aimed at dissuading youths from gangs and the drug culture. His work and message of redemption have led to multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has scheduled a private hearing on Dec. 8 with Williams’ lawyers, Los Angeles County prosecutors and other interested parties. The governor has the authority to commute a death sentence to life in prison without the possibilty of parole, but is not obligated to hold a hearing.
Schwarzenegger has denied his first two clemency appeals, stating that an inmate’s model behavior was not enough to sway him to grant mercy.
I completely agree.
Tom McClintock looks like he might be able to topple Arnold.
Maybe Arnold is taking himself out to make room for McClintock.
I know plenty of people who voted for Arnold cause they
thought he would win, but really wanted and thought that
McClintock was the better man for the job.
Yes,Heh Heh
Yes, I voted for Arnold because I thought he was the only one who could win. McClintock will get much more support from the base this time.
John Ziegler is a "shock jock"?
That's just silly. He's like the preppie white guys in the white guy version of the "Whazzzaaapp..." commercials.
"How are YOU doing??"
LOL
Doug from Upland, I hope you remember we met last year at Rabid Dog's house. I was driving north on 15 from Maryland to PA yesterday (I now live in PA) and of all people to hear on Sean Hannity - there you were, plugging FR! It made me smile and also brought back the memory of visiting Reagan Library with my freeper friends.
right side
Yes, indeed. We had a wonderful party and a great time at the Reagan Library. By the way, it was about 75 degrees here today. :)
Who are you yelling at?
snow tomorrow! I'll be in CA week after next for work and visiting the 17 year old I let finish HS there! Hope to "hear" you again soon. I'm getting XM for my commute so I will be able to listen to John and Ken, I hope!
I don't care about the sideshow, but this guy has earned himself a trip to the gas chamber.
He should not run and instead make True Lies 2.
IMO, he is a "third-way" "new-democrat", in the mold of Clinton. The only message he has delivered that has any ring of conservatism is his often expressed interest in repairing and preserving the business climate in California. New-age socialists have all but concede that it is necessary to feed and care for the capitalist beast in order to provide the funding for the socialist agenda (which has long ago been proven to be incapable of self-sustaining productivity).
California is a socialist state, and will be so for the next 20-50 years. After socialist policy has eroded incomes and property values by 25-50%, and after the productive class has departed for greener pastures, California may rebound. But I won't be alive to see it first hand.
Because of his star power, he is the only one who had any chance to stand up to the insance leftist DemocRATS in this state. He couldn't, so this state is screwed, blued, and tatooed.
John and Ken brought their confrontational style from NJ in about 1992. They really to after people.
Spell-checking aside...............nice rant, and dead on.
LOL!
No one... just passionately yelling in general... lol-- okay maybe I am yelling at the freaking BLACK PANTHERS.. and their racist hate...
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