Tookie's Last Words

They played a recording from Tookie Williams at his LA memorial service today, and I can't find much to criticize in them:

"The war within me is over. I battled my demons and I was triumphant. ... Teach them how to avoid our destructive footsteps. Teach them to strive for higher education. Teach them to promote peace and teach them to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods that you, others and I helped to destroy."

Too bad the same can't be said for those still breathing.

Snoop Dog:

"It's nine-fifteen on twelve-thirteen and another black king will be taken from the scene," he said. A stanza that stated, "I don't believe Stan did it," drew wild applause in the parking lot.

Yeah. Whitey's court system made up all the evidence.

Jesse Jackson:

"Tookie is dead. We're not safer, we're not more secure, we're not more humane."

I feel safer and more secure -- if Tookie's whole defense against execution had a whit of truth to it, because it would mean there are fewer gangsters out there wanting to hurt me.

Hmm. Let me reconsider that. The LATimes article I'm quoting from includes this:

Several dozen gang members wearing blue attire associated with Crips gangs watched the funeral in the parking lot. One, who identified himself as "Killowatt the Third," age 33, estimated there were 20 to 30 Crips "sets" there to honor Williams.

"That's my role model, man. That's the CEO of the Crips," he said.

So, his career as a gang-starter appears to have been more successful than his later literary career.