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.
The mainstream media has ignored the realities of the Williams’ case in order to promote an anti-death penalty agenda. To present this mass murderer as a martyr is an insult to victims everywhere. True, the left has made a valiant attempt at misleading most people into thinking of the reborn Williams as a benign "children’s book author" who was nominated for the Nobel prize but the reality is a far cry from this pretty picture. Yes, he did write a couple of books and, along with such luminaries as Hitler and Stalin, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. None of this, however, excuses his unrepentant crimes for which he was originally placed in prison, nor does it prove that he was no longer a threat to society even from his cloistered location behind steel bars. In fact, as the founder of the Crips, "Tookie" Williams had the power to order the murder of anyone he desired and many lived in fear that he would. In fact, "Tookie" is his original gang name, a moniker that many observers, including this author, couldn’t help but notice that Williams’ failed to renounce.
So feared was Tookie Williams from behind bars that the majority of the relatives of Williams’ victims were afraid to even speak to the media about the clemency issue which confronted Governor arnold Schwarzenegger. Those watching either the FOX or CNN news networks would have noticed that, among the numerous guests arguing for or against the execution of Williams, nowhere to be found were the relatives of Yen-I Yang, Tsai-Shai Yang or Yee-Chin Lin, whom Williams executed in cold blood. Their absence highlighted the justifiable fear of retaliation from the Crips, the notorious gang that Williams founded that is responsible for the murders of thousands of individuals. How did the Crips get their name? Founding member, Williams’, mandated that you had to cripple a person in order to qualify for membership. This is a man who is beyond redemption.
Only the very brave Lora Owens, mother of Williams’ victim albert Owens, appeared regularly on television in a successful appeal in favor of Williams’ execution. albert Owens was murdered by Tookie Williams when he robbed the convenience store where albert was employed. Rather than just being satisfied with the stolen money, Williams forced Owens to the floor and executed him. Williams further entertained himself by cracking jokes about the noises the dying Owens made after being shot in the back. By any standard, Tookie Williams can be defined as a serial killer and there is no doubt that he killed many more people then those for whom he was convicted.
Once in prison, Williams remained a danger to society despite the claims of his left-wing supporters. The following are just a few examples of Tookie Williams conduct once behind bars, taken directly from a report prepared by Los angeles District attorney's office regarding the subject of Williams’ bid for clemency:
Finally, this report fails to mention Williams’ failed escape attempt. "Tookie" had planned to blow up a vehicle transporting him to court, killing his guards. His plot was uncovered and Williams failed to escape. Time and again, Mr. Williams had demonstrated that in prison, despite his incarceration, it was not possible to defend society from his criminal tendencies. Even from behind bars this sociopath was a menace to any innocent person who came into his orbit: Unless, of course, you were a gullible liberal there to help him plead for his life and tout his "amazing accomplishments". "Tookie was a defiant, anti-social menace to the end. Refusing to denounce his gang membership, repent or apologize for the killing of 4 innocent people; even snubbing the prison’s offer of a last meal and spiritual advisor.
. The time has come for society to abandon any sympathy it may feel for the treacherous "Tookie" and his appalling legacy, and embrace the thousands of people who have died as a direct and indirect result of his life’s work.
a much higher power will now serve as Williams’ final arbitrator and, as a result, society has finally, and righteously, been protected by the courageous actions of Governor Schwarzenegger.
William John Hagan is a columnist for the Canada Free Press. His work has appeared in the Providence Journal, the Houston Home Journal, Freedom Today Magazine (UK), and World Net Daily. He can be reached at: William_Hagan@excite.com.
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