Stop the Execution!

when he will be executed for his murder?

Of course Swastika-negger is a cold-blooded murderer and will hopefully meet his redemtion (yeah, right). But it's worth remembering that while Schwarzenazi made a political decision, so did the Democratic candidates for Governor who were strangely silent on the issue of clemency for Stan Williams.

Does anyone remember Steve Westly or Phil Angelides speaking up to demand that Arnold grant clemency? Did either Democrat politico have the courage to make this a campaign issue and call for a moratorium on the barbaric death penalty?

While we know there are at least one or two decent Democrats like Mark Leno and Barbara Lee, the statewide officeholders, like AG Lockyer and others, are as cowardly and guilty as the Terminator.

Dump the Democrats in 2006. Vote for Janice Jordan for Governor!
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

Statement by Maria Telesco, Death Penalty Focus, Dec. 12, 2005
Vigil prior to the scheduled execution of Stanley “Tookie” Williams

William Shakespeare said of Julius Caesar “The evil men do lives after them; the good is oft[en] interred with their bones.”

The death penalty is evil and inhumane. And it’s hypocritical. If a condemned prisoner has not rehabilitated himself, the Powers-That-Be say “We are not judging you by your crime, but by your lack of rehabilitation. Maybe we would have granted clemency if only you had repented and been rehabilitated and turned your life around.”

When a condemned prisoner indeed has been rehabilitated, has cleaned up his act, the same Powers-That-Be say “Too bad, rehabilitation doesn’t matter, we are judging you by your crime, not by your rehabilitation.” This is a Catch-22 that no prisoner can overcome.

The United States is the only western industrialized democracy that still practices the death penalty – still practices killing those who are deemed to be “throwaway people.” We are in the good company of Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and China in our use of capital punishment. All the other developed countries have eliminated this abomination – even Russia, Turkey and South Africa.

No wealthy person will ever be found on death row! The death penalty is a “privilege” reserved for the poor, for people of color, and for those who had a lousy lawyer. The wealthy defendant who can afford the best lawyers will not go to death row – whether or not he is guilty of the crime. The impoverished defendant who cannot finance the “dream team” almost certainly WILL go to death row – regardless of innocence or guilt.

The United States has executed just over 1,000 people since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. Eleven of those have been in California. Soon it may be twelve. What good has been achieved? What has this accomplished?

Every death penalty case costs between $3 and $7 million dollars. That’s between $3 and $7 Billion – that’s Billion with a “B” - to kill about 1,000 people – an average of 38 per year nationwide – an average of less than one per year in California – and I challenge anyone to demonstrate what good has been achieved.

Is the country safer? More secure? Will you be able to go to bed tonight without locking your door because you feel safer now that another human being has been killed? I won’t!

Over 120 persons sentenced to death since 1977 have been found innocent, exonerated and freed because of DNA evidence. Many others have also been freed whose cases did not depend on DNA. Many of these innocent people were convicted by the testimony of the actual perpetrator – the person who really did the crime – and lied to save their own life. It’s now being shown that several factually innocent people have actually been executed in this country. When I brought this to the attention of a prominent clergyman – not in Fresno! – he told me “This is the price we have to pay for liberty and justice.”

The death penalty is a hypocrisy, a travesty, an obscenity and an abomination. The elimination of capital punishment – first by moratorium, then by total abolition – is what will REALLY make us safe and will promote justice.

A Statement from Rev. Floyd Harris

The National Action Network Rev. Floyd D Harris Jr, California State President under the
leadership of the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York with different clergy and community leaders
form all walks of life came to denounce the execution of Mr. Stanley " Tookie " Williams. Rev.
Harris asked the question is Brother " Tookie " Williams better off "Dead or Alive." Mr. Williams rehabilitated him self while he was incarcerated since 1979 brother " Tookie " has published children’s books and educated young men and women on the importance of why not to go into a gang. Harris say's from the East coast to the West coast he is calling the execution a wake up call for the nation. Rev. Harris said “Mr. Williams who is a positive Black leader who could have make a big difference in the world.” Rev. Harris added “no elected official has come up with an effective way of dealing with the gang problems other than throwing our young men and women in prison! Mr. Williams could be an asset to our community and says he is innocent man.” Mr. " Tookie " Williams died around 12:35 a.m. by lethal injection at the San Quentin State Prison. Rev. Harris aggressively criticized the media for depicting Mr. Williams as he appeared in his early prison days with bulging muscles and a defiant stare. Harris say's this is an attack by the media defined as public assassination. Rev. Harris say's by the state of California killing " brother "Tookie " tonight is a wake up call for black people. African American need to understand that no matter if you have on blue jeans or a blue suit you are still a Negro in America eye sight. Harris say's he know for a fact that polices and district attorneys can make up and plant things on people to get an easy convection.