the execution of Tookie Williams<\/a>, which was the focus of news in the airport and here in California. Except among the most hardcore supporters, there seemed little serious concern that he was actually innocent of brutally murdering four people during two different robberies in 1979, or that the trial had the egregious faults that have stained so many death sentences.<\/p>\nInstead, it focused on the whether Williams had “reformed” or been “redeemed.” Had Williams “turned his life around” by becoming a peace activist, an anti-gang spokesman, a writer of children’s books?<\/p>\n
Um … so what if he had?<\/p>\n
I don’t recall anything in the law books that says, “It’s okay to murder, as long as you become a children’s author afterward,” or “Murder can be redeemed if you thereafter dedicate your life to peace.” Redemption is a subject better treated in religion and metaphysics, and if there is some moral calculus, some weighing game as to what sort of person Williams was and had been and had become, it would be as much “playing God” (as anti-death penalty activist Mike Farrell put it) for the penal system, the governor, or the Supreme Court, to do so as for, after a determination of facts by a jury (and subsequent appeals courts), the legal penalty to be exacted.<\/p>\n
If Williams has turned into such a nice guy, should he have been set free? Or should he still only be punished somewhat, and let off of some punishment, because he writes children’s books? <\/p>\n
What does the death penalty, in this case, accomplish? Aside from ensuring that Williams will never repeat crimes of violence against anyone, it accomplishments the fulfilment of the law, despite the efforts of Hollywood stars and activists to argue for an attractive exemption. Jamie Foxx carries no more credibility to pass moral judgment in the matter than the stepmother of one of the victims (nor less). The crimes occurred, the case appears to have been properly proceeded, and — 26 years after those crimes — the punishment exacted.<\/p>\n
Case closed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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Art Non-comics reader? \u00a0Williams' FFN strip -- available online and reprinted in...","rel":"","context":"In "Blogathon"","block_context":{"text":"Blogathon","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/blogathon"},"img":{"alt_text":"ffn-bboef","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/ffn-bboef.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45082,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/09\/10\/robin-williams-a-man-in-motion.html","url_meta":{"origin":8335,"position":1},"title":"Robin Williams, a Man in Motion","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 10-Sep-14 11:46am","format":false,"excerpt":"People associate Robin Williams a lot for what he said in movies, and how he said it. This clip suggests that how he moved (or didn't move) was just as important. Originally shared by +Les Jenkins: View on Google+","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44301,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/08\/11\/rip-robin-williams.html","url_meta":{"origin":8335,"position":2},"title":"RIP, Robin Williams","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 11-Aug-14 5:40pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, heck. \u00a0I was never the biggest Williams fan, but I often enjoyed his work in a variety of projects, from Dead Poets Society to Popeye, Aladdin, \u00a0and, of course, \"Mork & MIndy.\"Thank you, sir, for your entertainment.Reshared post from +Mark MeansR.I.POne of the true, comic, legends. Godspeed and Nanu-nanu.\ufeff\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24979,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2011\/12\/31\/roger-williams-and-the-separation-of-church-and-state.html","url_meta":{"origin":8335,"position":3},"title":"Roger Williams and the Separation of Church and State","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 31-Dec-11 5:20pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Some wise (and religiously driven) sentiments from a true \"founding father.\" #ddtb Embedded Link God, Government and Roger Williams' Big Idea The Puritan minister originated a principle that remains contentious to this day\u2014separation of church and state","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44342,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/08\/13\/on-being-episcopalian-robin-williams-style.html","url_meta":{"origin":8335,"position":4},"title":"On being Episcopalian (Robin Williams-style)","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 13-Aug-14 6:44pm","format":false,"excerpt":"I had no idea (confirmed on Wikipedia) that Robin Williams was (raised at least) an Episcopalian.\u00a0Good list, too.(If the picture isn't readable enough, the list can also be found here:\u00a0http:\/\/www.saint-augustine.org\/_sep02\/ef0902b.htm)(h\/t +Mary Oswell)\ufeff View this post on Google+","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Robin%2BWilliams%2BEpiscopalian%2BReasons.jpg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":135850,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2018\/01\/13\/robin-williams-whose-line-anyway.html","url_meta":{"origin":8335,"position":5},"title":"When Robin Williams did “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 13-Jan-18 11:32pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Our family is all in love with this improv show. 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