Terminating Tookie (Stanley "Tookie" Williams, Death penalty)

CPF ^ | 12/14/2005 | William John Hagan

[WJHII]

Terminating Tookie

By William John Hagan

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The recent execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams in California serves as a perfect case study for when the death penalty is acceptable, even under the stringent standards of the Catholic Church. In almost no circumstance will the Vatican find the death penalty acceptable, however, there is an exception: The circumstances of the life and crimes of Stanley Williams is one of them.

The Church’s current teachings on the Death Penalty and its use stem from Pope John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical "Evangelium Vitae". In this papal letter addressed to the church’s hierarchy, Pope Paul wrote that a government may only execute an individual "in cases of absolute necessity, in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today, however, as a result of steady improvement in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically nonexistent." Tookie Williams however, despite the hollow propaganda of the left, is just such a case. Violent gang member, Williams, posed a continuing danger to society both in and out of the California correctional system. This was an execution even the Pope could endorse.

[al baby]

The Tookie story is like so yesterday

[opbuzz]

Scwarznegger is the Governor of CA now, but he is also the ex Terminator!

[sionnsar]

ping

[Paleo Conservative]

It should have been so 20 years ago.

[dynachrome]

Waiting for the riots.......

[E Rocc]

Waiting for the riots.......

It's too cold outside.

-Eric

[DogBarkTree]

Tookie who?

[Mariposaman]

According to actor Mike Farrell: Mr. Stanley Williams.

[joesnuffy]

As 'Bones' McCoy put so well...

He's dead Jim.....

[Sans-Culotte]

You mean the MSM-inspired riots never happened? Hmmm.....suppose the MSM covered a vigil...and nobody watched it?

[goldstategop]

The Pope and the Church have caved into the Left by going against the Bible on the death penalty. No wonder the Church is dying in Europe.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[adiaireton8]

Pope Paul wrote that a government may only execute an individual "in cases of absolute necessity, in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today, however, as a result of steady improvement in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically nonexistent." Tookie Williams however, despite the hollow propaganda of the left, is just such a case. Violent gang member, Williams, posed a continuing danger to society both in and out of the California correctional system.

Hagan fails to show that someone in solitary confinement can be a continuing danger to society. For that reason, he fails to show that the Catholic Church could or would approve of TW's execution.

-A8

[IronJack]

Man, sounds like even the principled death penalty opponents forsook the Took. Aside from Mike Farrell and a few inconsequential loons, that guy had NO friends!

[Paradox]

Tookie apparently had influence in the outside world, where the Crips would still do his bidding. As noted in the article, the families of the victims are all but in hiding because of it.

[adiaireton8]

I understand that, and I agree. But that does not show that Hagan's argument (that the Catholic Church would have approved of TW's execution) is sound.

-A8

[Paradox]

Agree, I suspect the Church would have been against it.

[alrea]

To save crime victims, criminals must know that they face the death penalty if they kill the witness.

[Reform4Bush]

Now the anti-capital punishment crowd is saying a Texas inmate has suddenly become mentally retarded, and cannot be executed under federal law. Marvin Lee Williams is the new poster boy.