December 01, 2005

Tookie at LAPL CEN

Yesterday, several loads of students were bused to the central branch of the Los Angeles Public Library where they were held spellbound as various celebrities read the works of... Tookie Williams. This was part of a worldwide effort against the death penalty, and similar pro-Tookie events were held in other U.S. states.

Celebrities attending the LAPL event included Jamie Foxx and - of course! - Mike Farrell. Whether Martin Sheen and Ed Asner showed up is not known. And:

The Los Angeles rally attracted about 40 people, including clergy, death penalty opponents and the Black Riders, a group of youths in black clothing and camouflage outfits who raised the clenched-fist black power salute and chanted "Let Tookie live!"

Unfortunately, I did not attend this event, but I'd certainly be interested in learning who provided the money for the buses and any charges for the use of the room at the library. Perhaps some little birdie will come forward with that information. It'd be a shame if public money is used to support clemency for someone whose previous actions have caused so much long-term damage to the city.

Posted to Los_Angeles at December 1, 2005 12:16 AM

Comments

"Unfortunately"

Or not.

I don't have a problem with the appeals for clemency, including the rally-like orchestrated ones (since we're not voting on it, numbers really don't count; in fact, I would say attracting enough unsavory types to the cause would probably hurt more than help), since IMO the death penalty is immoral. But the reasons being given are less than convincing, since all his contrition and supposed do-gooding have come in time for him, but rather too late for the four people he murdered.

"whose previous actions have caused so much long-term damage to the city"

Amen to that. Not coincidentally, this aspect is pretty much always conveniently overlooked by the average report and commentary on this.

Posted by: eh at December 1, 2005 09:30 AM