Donations are essential to keep Write Out Loud going    

Tookie Williams Died Today

entry picture

A strong and angry black man

from a ghetto, rough and poor,

may have killed some people,

but nobody can be sure.

 

Shaky witness evidence

and racist LA cops,

got their desired sentence

and its politics that counts.

 

As Arnie weighed up carefully,

the votes in life and death,

redemption and a fight for peace

did not concern him much.

 

The rich and mighty governor

with ego twice as great,

led youths to terminate themselves

with steroid self abuse.

 

Williams led the young Crip thugs

to terrorise the streets,

but then preached non aggression

and saved countless kids from death.

 

When we come to weigh the balance

of lives taken and lives saved,

Tookie will be positive,

the Governator shamed.

 

It was the rich who made the ghetto

And the racists made the gangs.

The terminator killed by pride

now kills again for gain.

 

But never mind the rights of it.

Justice can go hang.

Tookie Williams died today

and Schwarzenegger reigns.

 

Stanley (Tookie) Williams was executed 2 years ago.

 

Authorities began the process to administer the lethal injection at 12:01 a.m. in the execution chamber at San Quentin. His death was announced 34 minutes later.

"He did seem frustrated that it didn't go as quickly as he thought it might," said San Quentin State Prison Warden Steven Ornoski.

Williams, 51, acknowledged a violent past but maintained he was innocent of the slayings. He became an anti-gang crusader while on death row.

◄ Dead Dog

Transition ►

Comments

Malcolm Saunders

Mon 26th Nov 2007 12:05

I don't disagree with anything you say Clarissa. The public must be protected from violent criminals. I would not necessarily believe Williams in his claims of innocence of the murders or his conversion to the promotion of peace, but I am sure that killing him will not have helped anything.

I also think that the decision to execute was a cynical piece of politicking.

I don't claim to have solutions to these appalling situations. I just comment.

Profile image

clarissa mckone

Sun 25th Nov 2007 18:12

great poem,I am against the death sentance, however these street thugs need to be stopped. Dont most of them "find god" after the fact. I feel mainly to save their hides.The history of gangs is very interesting. The crips and the bloods were some of the most violent american gangs of our time.I was once a wittnes to a mini riot between the Latin Kings ( the leader lived next door to me) and other gangs. These people had no respect for others or themselves, they ran drugs, prostitution,beat up and raped girls, smoked crack in broad daylight,exposed themselves etc...cops had no way of controling them, most of the time gangs have better guns then the cops.I once worked the night shift @ a 7-11, I have been robbed by gang members, I can assure you that the true scum come out at night to reign terror on inocent people. I quit that job as I never felt safe again and felt as if I needed to lock myself in the cooler, its a joke to say that you can call the cops here and feel safe. By the time you dial you are in a pool of blood on the ground.I lived in the "hood" as that was all I could afford at the time, I made my mind up to make friends with the rival gangs as I could not fight them, so for a time I was called (MOM) by the bloods and crips of my area.I think some can be saved from a life of crime. I feed them, let them stay with me when it was obviouse that their parents had no love or care for them. I engaged them in conversations and made them think, showed them that their were other ways to live. I saved 2 kids that I know of , took them off the streets and showed them love and that adults did care about them. some are beyond help tookie was one of them.The justice system is no good here, and the prisons are like a motel 6.Thi system needs reform, but as long as our government is in the business of making money from crime it will not. As long as the media continues to glorify crimes, it will not change.As long as the guilty can write books and make movies that glorify their wild wicked lives it will not change. As long as it takes 2 parents working at times 2 full times jobs, thus not being able to spend time with their children, this type of thug mentality will continue as the kids of these are looking at first for family, a place to belong. Its true that a power group of rich are behind most of this, caos and terror, begets bigger government, more laws, less rights, and nets the big boys more power /control/money. great job on the poem!

If you wish to post a comment you must login.

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Find out more Hide this message