Williams was long gone from the scene by the time the Crips devolved and morphed into the hundreds of factions nationally, and internationally, that have since become major players in the gun and drug plague.
The Tookie that thousands are fighting to keep from a December 13 date with the executioner is not the same Tookie that decades ago wanted to smash everyone. Yet there are still thousands like him that do. A very much alive Tookie who understands their anger and alienation could help lesson their numbers.
NAACP steps up efforts to save Tookie Williams.
The NAACP will lead a multi-city two-week crusade to convince Schwarzenegger that Williams should live to continue his work in helping young people make positive choices and avoid the gang life that he once lived. Williams, a co-founder of the Crips gang, has won international and national recognition for the 10 books he wrote urging youths to stay away from gangs.
Tookie was convicted of killing four people. So sad that it took decades of sitting on death row before he realized murdering people is wrong. If he helps fight gangs so much, why are they still spreading? How are the sales of these children’s books? Who’s buying them? I’m a parent, and I don’t plan on buying any of his books. In fact, his book ranks in the 35,000s on Amazon.com, so I doubt a serious number of his books are being read. Bottom line though, he’s a convicted murderer, sentenced to death, writing books doesn’t bring anyone back to life.
Snoop Doog credits Tookie with helping turn his life around, and one thing that Snoop did after that was broker a gang truce in LA.
The Swiss parlimentarians who nominated him for a Nobel Prize credited his book with helping to avoid major gang violence there.
While nothing can bring anyone back to life, Tookie says he can not confess to a crime he didn’t do, and allowing him to live will undoubtably help stop future deaths.
It’s kind of like Alcoholics Anonymous, sometimes the only person who can help you back from the brink is someone who has been there themselves.