novice-blogger

In recent months, the Terminator aka Mr. Schwarzenegger, has had a some embarrassing political defeats and disastrous showings in the polls. Tomorrow, he has an insurmountable decision on his hands, the greatest decision any human being can make - the decision over a humans right to live.

Personally, I don't think any human on this earth should ever be put in the position of God, let alone a Hollywood actor turned comical politician. Stanley 'Tookie' Williams, former gang leader and convicted murderers life now hangs in the balance. Stanley is the founder of the infamous crips gang and is convicted of murdering a newsagent worker, a father, a mother and a baby. He is due to be executed through lethal injection 0n December 13. A lot of people - especially on the other side of the Atlantic - will see this as perfectly rational and just, however, there is more to this case than meets the eye.

The US circuit court of appeals refused to overturn Williams conviction, but it highlighted numerous concerns over the way it was secured. Williams conviction was based on circumstantial evidence - all of the prosecutions witnesses were criminals and their testimony had been granted in exchange for reductions in their sentences or dropping charges altogether. Williams was also tried by an all-white jury, while the the prosecuting lawyer referred to Williams as a 'wild animal in the jungle'.

Williams' story has already been made into a Hollywood Oscar-winning film, but now we have the irony of an actual Hollywood star, turned politician, deciding the man's fate.

See, Arnold is now a politician first and foremost, he can't take a break in his on-set trailer, or cut a scene, he's in a seriously powerful position and there are no trailers. To have any chance of regaining some standings in the polls and win next years election, he must surely appease his conservative, right-wing, Republican base, the sort of base that doesn't flinch at sending convicted criminals to Death Row - especially black gang leaders who murder innocent white people. It's a tough call for the 'Barbarian' because California has a large black and Hispanic population, many of whom voted for Arnold because he himself is a migrant.

Williams spent more than six-years in the hole, but rather than break him, it was the catalyst for a monumental change in him. He read and read continuously, concluding that the only way to break the stronghold of the gangs he created was through education. He has been nominated for 4 Noble Peace Prizes and his anti-violence, gang literature has been nominated for the Nobel prize of literature. His principal conclusion is that the core of the problem is self-hate. Young black men begin to believe the negative stereotypes within society about them and this results in unbridled aggression. His books are now staple diet in schools and he is a leading anti-crime advocate.

Obviously you have to understand and feel for the victims family's. But, the evidence is not concise enough to kill a powerful, respected and reformed character who now initiates peace. If he stops even one young black male from joining a gang, or he get a member to leave, is even this not enough to reprieve the man and keep him on the earth for positive reasons. He will be no use to anyone six-feet under.

The US supreme court decided not to intervene in October so its now only the Predator that's stands between Williams and death. Schwarzenegger has refused to grant a reprieve in two recent cases, noting that their actions after their conviction does not delete the heinous crimes they committed. An election next year, that he wont win without strong support from his conservative hardcore..................................Stanley Williams R.I.P.