Throng mourns executed former gang leader at LA funeral [Tookie Williams]

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/20/05 | PETER PRENGAMAN

[TFFKAMM]

Mourners overflowed a church Tuesday for the funeral of executed murderer and Crips gang co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams, listening to eulogies by hip-hop star Snoop Dogg and Rev. Jesse Jackson and a recording of Williams urging peace.

As police watched, mourners including gang members flashing hand signs gathered at the 1,500-seat Bethel AME Church in South Los Angeles and in a parking lot where a TV showed the funeral for Williams, who was executed Dec. 13 despite a celebrity-studded campaign for clemency.

Snoop Dogg recited a poem, "Until We Meet Again," in which he referred to the execution.

"It's nine-fifteen on twelve-thirteen and another black king will be taken from the scene," he said. A stanza that stated, "I don't believe Stan did it," drew wild applause in the parking lot.

Jackson said that at the end Williams saw himself as a "healer, not a predator," and a message recorded by the condemned man in prison was played for the mourners.

"The war within me is over. I battled my demons and I was triumphant," Williams said on the tape, in which he asked listeners to spread a message to loved ones.

"Teach them how to avoid our destructive footsteps. Teach them to strive for higher education. Teach them to promote peace and teach them to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods that you, others and I helped to destroy," he said...

[neodad]

Snoop Dogg recited a poem, "Until We Meet Again,"

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll see each other again.

[Aussie Dasher]

Hard to beat a good gangland funeral...should be more of them, really.

[ncountylee]

"Until We Meet Again,"

I hope to take a different direction.

[SouthernFreebird]

Bottom line...one less murderer to feed.

[BenLurkin]

"I'm here to pay my respects to humanity, and that goes to Tookie and everyone else they do in. ... What if it was your son?" Birdsong said. "He's no different from any other human being. We all made mistakes."

Shotgunning four innocent people in cold blood is a "MISTAKE"?

[zipp_city]

So The AME church has a gang connection.

[Prime Choice]

As police watched, mourners including gang members flashing hand signs gathered at the 1,500-seat Bethel AME Church in South Los Angeles...

So the church can hold 1,500. Yet no mention of how many punk-ass gangbangers showed up...including Snoop Dogg.

"It's nine-fifteen on twelve-thirteen and another black king will be taken from the scene," he said.

The black community needs to be more selecting about their "kings." If they think Tookie was any kind of "king," then they are truly lost.

[BenLurkin]

"mourners including gang members flashing hand signs gathered at the 1,500-seat Bethel AME Church in South Central"

[The Lumster]

When Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown the British Army band played a well known tune of the day called The world turned upside down

That tune would be an appropriate dirge for this funeral

[evad]

Shotgunning four innocent people in cold blood is a "MISTAKE"?

Yep...he intended to kill 5.

[Prime Choice]

Dear Idiotic Leftists,

Just look on Tookie's execution as a Late-Late-LATE-term "abortion." Then it'll all be okay with you idiot punks.

Sincerely,

Joe American
"Just shut up and take that filthy murderer's ashes out of the country already!"

[Mears]

You're right.

Old Ray Patriarca's funeral was one of the best ever seen in RI.

[No Longer Free State]

Snoop Dogg and Tony Robbins? What happened to all his Hollywierd Gliberal pals? They didn't want to lower themselves to associate with the fellow-thugs that attended Tookie's long overdue funeral?

[Mike Darancette]

When have this many Black "luminaries" ever attended the funeral of a Black Soldier or a Black Police Officer?

[Petronski]

Just how many morons are there in a throng?

[IronJack]

Snoop Dogg recited a poem, "Until We Meet Again,"

The sooner that meeting can be arranged, the better.

"It's nine-fifteen on twelve-thirteen and another black king will be taken from the scene,"

"It's 9:20, the cocktail was plenty; don't care what he said cuz' now he's just dead."

Jackson said that at the end Williams saw himself as a "healer, not a predator,"

I'm sure he did. I knew a gal once who saw herself as the Empress Anastasia.

"The war within me is over.

"However, the maggots within me are tickling my innards."

I battled my demons and I was triumphant,"

"That's why I'm delivering this message to you from across the Great Divide." You misread the box score, Stan: Tookie 0, Needle 1.

[Enterprise]

Kinda like the Starwars scene where Jabba the Hut's monster was killed by Luke. Jabba's thugs cried when the monster was killed.

[LRS]

"Until We Meet Again"

aka

"Tookie, Tookie, Lend Me Your Tomb"...

[madprof98]

Yep...he intended to kill 5.

Perfect!

[Billthedrill]

Shotgunning four innocent people in cold blood is a "MISTAKE"?

Nope. Getting caught was the mistake.

We're all stakeholders here. So who's got the mallet?

[BipolarBob]

When have this many Black "luminaries" ever attended the funeral of a Black Soldier or a Black Police Officer?

Excellent question.

[paul51]

One, who identified himself as "Killowatt the Third," age 33, estimated there were 20 to 30 Crips "sets" there to honor Williams. "That's my role model, man. That's the CEO of the Crips," he said.

Sounds like a skit on SNL

[Capn TrVth]

Took-Took-Tookie Good-bye

[C210N]

Snoop Dogg recited a poem, "Until We Meet Again,"

Didn't anybody read selections from Tookie's published writings?

[R. Scott]

… mourners including gang members flashing hand signs…
…
"Teach them how to avoid our destructive footsteps. Teach them to strive for higher education. Teach them to promote peace and teach them to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods that you, others and I helped to destroy," he said...

But…but…I thought Tookie was anti-gang! What happened to his message? The gangbangers didn’t listen?

[Mike Darancette]

Excellent question.

I would add white "luminaries" as well.

[sgtbono2002]

Yeah thats one mistake most people never make.

AMF Tookie. I sure am glad to hear they will spread his ashes in Africa. I wouldnt want that bag of crap dumped over where I live.

[hattend]

I am STUNED that Bill Clinton didn't give a eulogy speech.

[ladyjane]

...including gang members flashing hand signs

because? are they too stupid to remember who else is in their gang?

[WatchYourself]

It's a good thing Terrell Owens didnt throw another B-day bash.

[Jigsaw John]

estimated there were 20 to 30 Crips

What a joke. They could barely fill a church and 20 gang members show up.

Sad......

[Baraonda]

The gates to eternal pain are awaiting for thee, tookie.

[Mr. Rational]

Chrysler execs must be bummin - fo sho.

[steelcurtain]

I am STUNED that Bill Clinton didn't give a eulogy speech.

He was too busy congratulating Elton John and David Furnish on their nuptials.

[TNCMAXQ]

Clinton wasnt there biting his lip and fooling the masses by preaching how racist Bush and the Republicans are? Surprising.

As far as the dead guy goes, it's pretty sad that he was only put to death because he was black! What an awful place America is!

Ha ha.

[hattend]

I know, but that was a video. He couldn't have made one for Tookie, too? He was our first black president, after all.

[OldSmaj]

Tookie dookie.

And again and again.

To hell with the POS and all who worship and supported him.

[BenLurkin]

[DeweyCA]

"The war within me is over. I battled my demons and I was triumphant," Williams said on the tape, in which he asked listeners to spread a message to loved ones. "Teach them how to avoid our destructive footsteps. Teach them to strive for higher education. Teach them to promote peace and teach them to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods that you, others and I helped to destroy," he said..

His execution, and that of many more on death row, will probably do more to avoid his destructive ways than anything else he did.

[Honor above all]

That is beautiful. What an excellent example of hypocrisy taken to the extreme. Clinton the master.

[traditional1]

THAT, for sure, is the Klintoon Legacy .... phoney, phoney, phoney....

[DeweyCA]

Jackson said that at the end Williams saw himself as a "healer, not a predator,"

Well, I guess that means that we shouldn't have executed him, since his own self-perception had changed. /sarc

Never mind, that the 4 people he killed are still dead. Hey Jesse, President Bush perceives himself as defending the USA. Are you going to now become a supporter of him?

[BunnySlippers]

I am STUNED that Bill Clinton didn't give a eulogy speech.

Something to top the gay video greeting at Elton's wedding.

[ken in texas]

Didn't anybody read selections from Tookie's published writings?

No, Tookie had help writing it and used some two syllable words. No one was there to help them read.

[infidel29]

"However, the maggots within me are tickling my innards."

Callous.... but very, VERY FUNNY!

[bigj00]

They were afraid they'd be robbed and shot afterwards.

[popdonnelly]

Jerks.

[Enchante]

Unfortunately, people like them consider the only 'mistake' to be leaving any witnesses alive to testify, and that includes fellow gang-banger thug killers. Tookie wished he'd left no one around him alive, I'm sure......