Posted on 12/14/2005 9:48:21 AM PST by doug from upland
World News
Supporters of executed man want statesmans funeral
By The Associated Press
Dec 14, 2005, 00:07
SAN FRANCISCO The argument over whether convicted killer Stanley (Tookie) Williams was a man of peace or a death-row con artist raged on after his execution Tuesday, with supporters announcing they would give him a funeral befitting a statesman.
The 51-year-old founder of the bloody Crips gang died by injection at San Quentin Prison just after midnight for the murders of four people in two 1979 holdups, professing his innocence to the very end, even when an admission of guilt might have helped save his life. His last, best hope was an act of mercy by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the governor was unconvinced by Williams supporters, several Hollywood stars among them, who argued that he had redeemed himself behind bars with memoirs, childrens books and lectures against the dangers of gang life.
After the execution, Williams supporters vowed to continue his work to discourage youngsters from following in his footsteps, and promised another book from writings he left behind.
If they think they succeeded by killing him in getting people to forget about him, they have done just the opposite, said Barbara Becnel, his collaborator and most vocal supporter.
Williams declined to make a final statement as he went to his death.
He seemed frustrated by the time it took officials to insert the intravenous lines into the former bodybuilders muscular arms. At one point, Williams uttered something to the nurse and offered to help, said Steve Ornoski, the warden. About 15 minutes after the process began, he appeared to ask: You doing that right?
Williams refused a sedative, said Becnel, one of the witnesses. She said he was brave and strong and he was everything we believed him to be.
Other witnesses included Rudy Langlais, executive producer of Redemption: The Stanley Tookie Williams Story, a TV movie starring Jamie Foxx.
Joan Baez, who sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot outside the prison, called the execution planned, efficient, calculated, antiseptic, cold-blooded murder.
"with supporters announcing they would give him a funeral befitting a statesman."
They meant a "statesman wannabe". These people are sick.
It's so good that the left cares so much about crooks in our society.
Here's MY "salute to Tookie!
...............
That's the proper salute to a Muredering Gang Thug!
You know, that old Steppenwolf song from about 1968-69, "Tookie-Tookie"
If I were running the FBI, I would be really carefully watching and wiretapping anyone who would hold or attend a "statesman's" funeral for this guy, because there's a high likelihood that they're racketeers and organized criminals.
"...a funeral befitting a statesman.
I'm sure that's what the Yang's, Yang Lin, and Owens want him to have. Oh, that's right, he blew them away. Never mind.
Then the supporters should pay for all of it, and reimburse the state of California for the jail and trial costs.
I propose a 21 gun salute. Preferably pointed at snoop dogg, mike farrel, jesse jackson, and the rest of those racist criminal enablers.
I'll remember him. I just won't remember him the way his supporters want me to remember him.
I'll remember him as a murder who callously took the lives of at least four others. I'll remember him as someone who chose his own fate and had to face the consequences of that choice.
I hope he truely did repent of his sins. I hope God forgave him of those sins and that Tookie is now in heaven.
God is all knowing. God is merciful. God is forgiving.
However, we are not all knowing. We cannot simply let someone that committed multiple murders on more than one occasion walk free.
We also don't have the responsibility to support him in a life of incarceration when he willingly took the lives of others.
We cannot have a society without punishing crimes.
Our society did not rush to punich Tookie. He was found guilty in a court of law where the burden of proof was on the prosecution.
He was given ample opportunities to show that he was not given a fair trial.
He was given ample oppertunities to repent his sins to God.
In the end justice was served.
Then there was that song that spun off from the old TV series "Seventy Seven Sunset Strip"
"Tookie, Tookie, lend me your comb"
That was my first thought. What an opportunity for arrests. It is like those police stings in which they tell criminals they've won and prize, and they should come to a certain location to collect it.
I knew it.. lol
see post 1017 - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1538914/posts?page=1017#1017
They can do whatever they want as long as the American taxpayers don't pay for it. Enough stench is enough!
I propose that from now on, instead of saying "I need to take a crap", people should say "I'm going to drop tookie off at the pool." Now, that is a fitting legacy.
I supported the execution, because justice must be done on vicious murderers. But I don't think the law says anything about dishonoring the body of an executed criminal. I believe the usual procedure is to turn the dead body over to the next to kin, to give it whatever kind of funeral ceremony they see fit. If there are no next of kin, then it depends on his last will and testament, statements he made before the execution, or the best judgment of the authorities as to who represents him or is closest to him.
Let Hollywood and the Crips give him a fancy funeral if they like. I think it will be about as useful for their propaganda purposes as Paul Wellstone's funeral. In other words, most people will see it as grotesque, and it will backfire against any stars who participate in it.
the media has pretty much forgetten him already...
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