Stan

Early this morning, Stanley Tookie Williams was executed in California. Convicted of murder, Mr. Williams died by lethal injection amid a flurry of protest and last-minute appeals to our legal and governmental systems. Petitions for stays of execution were made based on newfound evidence and Mr. Williams’ post-incarceration turnaround. After founding the notorious gang known as the Crips, Mr. Williams became an outspoken advocate against gang violence while behind bars. Debate raged in the recent weeks before the execution that clemency should be granted to Mr. Williams based upon his ability to prevent gang membership among today’s youth.

The above paragraph could have appeared in any news outlet this morning. Tookie’s march toward the death chamber lasted much longer than the final paces he took shortly after midnight. The reality of the situation is overwhelming. Stan was convicted in a court of law, several appeals had been denied, and after more than two decades in prison, the judicial system of our day ran its course.

Should Stanley have been executed? Were those at the nightly vigils wasting their time? Was Jesse Jackson making a pointless visit? While I do not support the death penalty because of my Christian convictions, I do not think Tookie should have been released. The man should have been kept where he was most effective: behind bars. The lives he changed and the gang membership he prevented were admirable tasks. Let him keep doing it from the confines of his cell.

Those who are playing the race card during this time are merely crying wolf. If we want to focus on the barbarism of the death penalty system, let’s talk. If we want to bring to light the injustices the court system in America sometimes can cause, then I’m listening. But to bring up allegations of race or unfairness at the eleventh hour clearly had no benefit. Like Democrats, Stan’s supporters needed to learn how to frame debates to focus on the issues that really need changing.

Williams’ legacy will be mixed, like that of a man named Alfred. The inventor of dynamite, a rumor surfaced that Alfred had died, and a local paper ran his obituary the next day. Alfred awoke to find that his life’s crowning achievement was as the inventor of an item used for so much destruction. After correcting the authorities, Alfred Nobel began to work for peace and eventually had an international prize named after him.

Stan will always be known for founding a gang that has destroyed countless lives. He also spent his last years telling young people not to make the same mistakes he did. Hopefully, his legacy will not be ultimately tainted by others who wish to overlay their own political agendas. A double-edged sword, Stan’s legacy will be remembered differently by victims and victors. May he rest in peace.