Good Tookie, bad Arnold!
Europe is taking a short break from the ever so exhausting Bush bashing. They have just been reminded that there are so many other things worth despising America for. Capitol Punishment, for example. What a cruel way to treat a murderer like Stanley Tookie Williams! To many Germans and Austrians the person who is really guilty is Arnold Schwarzenegger. How dare he deny clemency to a misguided gang member who used to enjoy shooting innocent people in the back and, with an evil cackle, watch them die?!
After all, that man had changed his ways. After being sentenced to death Tookie never killed again. It’s well documented! Alright, occasionally he needed to vent his anger by throwing acid in the face of a guard, but who could blame him? Life in prison is tough. I know it is because I just watched the season finale of Prison Break.
Which reminds me, I heard that Tookie had tried to escape from San Quentin. I’m not sure if he was going to do that by digging a tunnel or growing wings, but his biceps made me wonder if he actually had planned to lift the whole building and simply walk away.
Anyway, Schwarzenegger failed to see the good in Mr. Williams. It’s not remorse or admission of guilt that counts. It’s the more important things such as writing children’s books during quiet times that show us the inner beauty of the most evil human beings. I’ve seen some lovely paintings by Hitler which completely changed my position on killing Jews, Blitzkrieg and megalomania. (Achtung: sarcasm!)
I find it strange when people are trying to point out that Williams could have been an asset to society for many more years to come. I’m not so sure about that. His victims used to be assets to society but now they haven’t been for over 26 years. How are we going to undo that loss?
To all the parents who are running out of literature for their kids, there are plenty of people who have written children’s books. Get Bill O’Reilly’s “Factor for Kids”. He claims to be looking out for you. I believe him, but you better check his past performance on killing innocent people. He might not be qualified.
Your ridiculous and inadequate usage of irony above shows you’ve got no f*cking respect of people’s lives and life in general. Even IF someone deserved being punished through death injection, he also does deserve some minimal respect.
Whenever you sentence someone to death, you make his or her INNOCENT relatives suffer more than the one who is being executed. Ever thought about that?
Please switch on your brain and stop defacing America’s image in the world. No wonder even small children here in Germany consider Americans stupid jerks, which is sad. Because I know not everyone there is like you.
Cheers
People like YOU aren’t ANY better than him. You kill people.
Comment by Capt. Fubar - December 14, 2005 @ 10:41 am
Finally, there is one good German blog comment concerning Tookie’s death penalty, beyond the common kvetchings (”inhuman!”; “cruelty!”; “barbarity!” and so on…): http://kapitalismus.blogg.de/eintrag.php?id=333
Comment by J. Krafzik - December 14, 2005 @ 3:12 pm
That blog entry states “vengeance = justice” and “criminals are recidivous”.
While the latter should always be taken into account when dealing with murderers, the former is simply false and irrational. Whenever you define justice through vengeance you implicitly agree: It’s ok to kill someone as long as the killer gives his own live.
But hey, they used to dispose “Eye For An Eye” kind of vengeance on criminals in the mediaevel times and are still doing so in some backward Arabic countries and… the USA! Hoooray
Comment by Capt. Fubar - December 14, 2005 @ 3:57 pm
“Your ridiculous and inadequate usage of irony above shows you’ve got no f*cking respect of people’s lives and life in general. Even IF someone deserved being punished through death injection, he also does deserve some minimal respect.”
RESPECT!? i always thought respect was earned not expected… I don’t really have respect for anyone that kills innocent people. Minimal respect? hmmm thats interesting. Shoot my family and expect “minimal respect”? granted, i would give a stranger some level of respect, but someone that kills innocent people? hmmm…
“Whenever you sentence someone to death, you make his or her INNOCENT relatives suffer more than the one who is being executed. Ever thought about that”
RELATIVES??? suffering more than than the one being executed? hmmmm. what about the relatives of the VICTIMS? i guess they are not entitled to “Minimal respect”? They are not suffering?
EVER THINK ABOUT THAT?
I don’t think that the realtives of the MURDERER are being disrespected, but if they are suffering, it’s NOT becuase of the death penalty… it’s because of the crime the MURDERER has DONE!!
EVER THINK ABOUT THAT?
EVER THINK ABOUT THAT?
Comment by Forbea - December 15, 2005 @ 12:42 am
Forbea, personal respect has to be earned, you’re absolutely right. But I was talking of respect for life and death, which you cannot take away from anyone, nor impose on anyone deliberately, whatever he’s done. Call it ethical respect if you want, or ethical responsibility.
And yes. I can absolutely understand relatives of victims who want to see the murderer dead. I would want the killer of someone I loved to be dead as well, and I’d be so angry that I’d take any chance to kill him with my own hands, slowly, painfully. But I’d regret it. There’s not one rational reason for this. You understand? Not one reason apart from the vengeance. Even if you think it saves the state money to get rid of nasty murderers, that’s not true: Capital punishment is more expensive than a life time sentence. And if you think vengeance is a better good than life, you may be free to support death penalty, taking lives for lives and be on the same ethical level as any murderers out there. And between 100 executed murderers there will always be one who is not guilty but a victim of the circumstances. It could be you, or even worse the one you love most. You’ll have to accept it. It won’t make you happy, I can promise you.
Comment by Capt. Fubar - December 15, 2005 @ 1:16 am
First of all, dear Capt. Fubar, the post linked by Juergen does not imply that vengeance equals justice. It clearly states that the death penalty isn’t vengeance BUT justice. You might disagree with it but please stick to the real issues and not to things you are imagining.
Also, in my post I haven’t voiced my opinon about Capitol Punishment with one single word. Sure, it suggests a pro-death-penalty stance but if that’s all you got out of it then I must have failed. It was more important to me to point out how much attention a serial killer gets for being put to death while hardly anybody knows the names of the victims. And many people actually believe they are cheering for a good cause.
I find that odd and I compare it with all those times peace activists went out on the streets with banners saying “No blood for oil!” but none of them read “Stop playing games, Saddam!”
Some people have it all backwards.
Comment by M. Meyn - December 15, 2005 @ 4:14 pm
Ok, I probably have overinterpreted Juergen’s post a bit.
Yes, you haven’t voiced your opinion directly but it was clear, and this is one thing that struck me, since it’s a crucial topic at which you shouldn’t be too generous with jokes.
I absolutely agree with you here, it’s sick murderers get more attention than the victims. But that’s one consequence of the death penalty you’ll have to face. Murderers wouldn’t get that kind of (supportive) attention, if they weren’t to be killed as well, officially and lawfully.
But that’s not a new phenomenon. The old Romans had popular sentenced murderers as well, among the gladiators.
Comment by Capt. Fubar - December 15, 2005 @ 7:16 pm
Beautifully clear! I love your blog.
I used to oppose capital punishment; I believed governments shouldn’t have the right to execute their citizens. Then 9/11. I couldn’t believe that justice, and order would deny execution to the leaders of Al Queida. Call me reactionary, I believe capital punishment is deterrence; it prevents recidivism, closure and its vengeance too.
Of course, Stanley “Tookie” Williams was no terrorist, he was a gang leader. He was convicted of murdering four people, not flying four planes into ground targets. He expressed innocence of the murders but claims remorse in general; Stanley “Tookie” Williams did not accept responsibility for his actions. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was right to deny clemency. He was elected to uphold law, not to play the nice guy. He is the kind of leader that makes democracy work.
Thanks for your great story.
Comment by General - December 17, 2005 @ 8:20 am
Phew! Thank you! I only wish I heard the same on the streets of Stutgart . Just found your blog and have subscribed to the RSS. Keep it up!
Comment by Chirol - December 17, 2005 @ 9:16 am
“I used to oppose capital punishment… Then 9/11.”
FEAR UNCERTAINTY DOUBT
Innocent people die every day. No one cares because no one sees.
9/11 caused governments to make up irrational Orwellian laws cutting civil rights, many of which didn’t even help and won’t help fighting terrorism and crime at all. Same with capital punishment.
FEAR UNCERTAINTY DOUBT.
Welcome to the real world, Neo.
Comment by Capt. Fubar - December 18, 2005 @ 12:40 pm