Stanley “Tookie” Williams, pictured, awaits death in California.
This past weekend, rap star Snoop Dogg took part in a rally to save the life of Stanley “Tookie” Williams, the founder of the notorious, murderous Crips gang. Since his incarceration on California’s death row, Williams has turned his life around, writing children’s’ books, advocating against gang violence and even earning five nominations for the Nobel prize. Williams is scheduled to be executed on December 13th. Williams has denied involvement in the murders that lead to his conviction, and he has steadfastly refused to show remorse, angering prosecutors and the families of the victims. Williams, his lawyers, Snoop Dogg and a broad cross-section of Californians have appealed for clemency to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger has taken the matter under consideration, saying that he is truly agonizing over the toughest decision a governor has to make. I have no position on Williams’ guilt or innocence.
I am opposed to the death penalty because I do not believe the State can ever have the authority to take the life of a human being. In nearly every state, death penalty appeals inevitably run through the Office of the Governor, leaving this monumental, God-like, life or death decision in the hands of a politician caught in a myriad of conflicts of interests. If the Governor grants clemency, he will lose the support of law enforcement, prosecutors and the right wing. If we denies clemency and the execution goes forward, he has ended the life of another human being. The prospects of re-election, campaign contributions, endorsements and other conflicts of interests are inherent in the governor’s decision. Clearly, those factors should play absolutely no role in the decision on whether a human being is executed.
One of the reasons murder is such a heinous crime is that it represents the transfer of power over the victim’s life from the victim to the killer. People generally feel that one person should not have such a power over another, apparently, unless that “killer” is the governor of a state. Even though Williams was convicted by a jury of 12, in the next few weeks, the Governor of California, alone, will decide whether Williams will live or die. That’s far too much power for one person to have.
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