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December 12, 2005
Another Evening To Be Saddened....
What's the point of having prisons at all if society doesn't believe that prisoners inside them can be reformed and redeemed while being there?Stanley Williams was a testament to the fact that, even inside prison, people can gain wisdom and go on to influence others in a way that changes their lives for the better.
We don't often use this website to express our personal views, but the execution later tonight of Tookie Williams is a blow to all of us who beleive that governments should not be empowered to take the lives of others.
It's a shame that the Governor of California did not have the courage to allow Tookie Williams to continue to do good, even while in prison. Instead he chose the easy way out - the politically correct decision - by submitting to the sentiments of a vengeful society that believes that "an eye-for-an-eye" is appropriate in modern society.
After learning about this case over many years, we believe that Williams did not do the crimes he was accused of, and that he deserves to be spared the ultimate sacrifice. If there is any doubt about whether he was at the scene, Williams should be kept for the rest of his life in prison, where he can continue to do good, rather than be killed for a crime he may not have committed.
We say this not because this is the place to discuss this issue, but because the level of civility in society needs to be raised. More people need to be speaking out each and every time our government takes a life.
Nobody, ever, should celebrate the death of a human being. And to see people celebrate the execution of another being is disgusting. Executions become specticles. The shame of this is that people lose sight of the facts. And the facts here are that redemption should have value, that trials are often flawed, and this one very well may be flawed as well.
We don't have to do the death penalty. We choose to do it. If there ever was a case where the death penalty should be debated, this is the one.
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