So, when Tookie dies, will there be a celebration on DU?

Just wondering.

I hope not.

because of the tenor of so many posts I've seen this week.

surely no one--even those who favor the death penalty would celebrate... in Freeperland, yes, but surely not here....:shrug:

but some of the things I've read here lately would do the Freepers proud.

But they do that everyday.

Everyone has a right to their opinion but to celebrate the death of anyone always makes me sad. I simply can't support the death penalty for anyone, just can't go there and I grieve everytime I hear about someone being executed.

along with wishes to piss on their graves. It always makes me wonder if I'm in the right place.

The last one I remember was Michael Kelly - that was right went the invasion started. I have memory problems and wish when broad statements like this are made about DU - the OP would remind us our bad behavior with examples.

Even if he's guilty. Isn't there enough killing in the world? How does one more death make the world a better place?

...if the tenor of their posts is any indication.

link, please.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5527516

"PErsonally, I think lethal injection is too good for most who deserve the DP."

"Stanley Pigshit Lower Than Whaleshit Williams WASN'T framed
He killed FOUR people, including three members of one family.

So he's going to die AND he deserves it. In seven days Williams will be wormfood. And good riddance."

"Won't the poison Kill the innocent worms?"

"Lethal Injection is too damned humane if you ask me
Impalement for mass murderers is probably too good for them."

"Jesus H. Christ...I'll be glad when the motherfucker is dead on December 13th...and then the threads will also stop....But it's all there is, so put the SOB down first thing on December 13th."

"Jaysus, we've already had at LEAST twenty threads about poor 'ole Stanley soon to be wormfood haven't we?"

"!....The earth is better off without this scum.."

"We are better off with out this ANIMAL!!"

another:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5563203#5574582

"I'll send him (the governor) an email, telling him to cook the bastard."

"This scumbag needs to go to the netherworld asap."

"I don't think the death penalty is a good thing.
But I won't raise a finger for this psychopath.
I won't shed a tear for Tookie."

many threads with such comments through them.


peace

Are we losing our decency as people by showing absolutely no compassion toward another human being?

godawful shit you've had to put up with. If you've kept a name of everyone who posted all that vile crap, I'd be grateful if you'd PM me with the list so I'd know to take their views with a huge grain of salt in the future.

Thanks again.

posts on those threads.

a list would be challenging for me, at this point. sooooo much to do!!!!

aaaaargh!!

they be piling it on us all, ah.


peace!

I won't forget this, believe me.

. . . there won't be rioting in the streets.

Middle of the night photoshop idea.

from seeing it implemented.

To support choice, and wish there was never another abortion.

To believe war can be necessary, and know that it is still hell.

But, there has not been that much understated dignity around here.

I have actually been involved in a thread here that makes me think that at least a few of our members will never understand that every life has value.

matter. From everything I have seen, this is not a unifier issue for this forum, at all. Some oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, some can make exceptions, and others favor it.

Why you would suggest that anyone would be celebrating is beyond my comprehension. If it was sarcasm aimed at people who do not agree with your particular viewpoint, IMO, it missed its mark.

and I certainly respect that and realize that DU is not of one mind on ANY subject. The tenor of my post was aimed at the level of bloodlust and vengefulness that I have seen exhibited, certainly not by all DP supporters, but far too many for my tastes.

On edit: FWIW, I didn't say all of DU would be celebrating. I guess I sould have been clearer in saying with there be a celebration thread on DU?

I generallly oppose the death penalty. Every so often that mindset is tested, when there is an especially heinous crime against someone who is very young, or very old--then it becomes a bit more difficult to supress the urge towards thinking that the criminal "needs killing." But if the goal is deterrence, and not punishment, they've pretty much figured out that it ain't working as stated.

I've refrained from weighing in on this particular issue, because I really do not know the details and am disinclined to read up on them to achieve sufficient knowledge to go on about it. I do think a lot of people are convinced that he did the crime, yet he does not express remorse, and seems to state in coy fashion that he might not have done it. That remorse thing goes over well with a good segment of the population...

We'll have to wait and see what Ah-nuld does. If I had to bet, I would say he will commute the sentence to life, no parole. But who knows? He'll have to put up with endless "Terminator" references if he goes the other way...

No human worthy of the title celebrates death. If the inmate in question dies, justice will have been done. He had 20+ years of appeals-his victims didn't. I don't give a rat's ass how much good he may or may not have done since, the fact is he murdered 4 people in cold blood. Flame away.

Why would I start now? I still don't get how it's "justice," and no one has made a very convincing argument why justice cannot be served just as well by keeping him locked up for the rest of his life.

Perhaps life WO parole is worse than death. But IMHO, murder such as he committed deserves the ultimate punishment. Just an old fart, I guess.

I believe justice is done when people finally admit what they've done, take responsibility for it and spend every moment of their lives dealing with the horror of what they have committed (because, believe me, I have absolutely no love for Tookie). Some people never reach that stage, but others do.

There was a case near where I live where a man was convicted of killing a woman, but her body was never found. After about seven years of clergy patiently working with him, he came to accept responsibility and finally told officials where the body was buried. The family was able to recover her remains and give her a proper burial. This is what I would consider a victory for justice.

As another example, I wouldn't even have been in favor of executing McVeigh. His actions were beyond horrific, but he actually wanted the state to execute him. For him, that brought him relief from his conscience. If you really wanted to punish him, he should have been forced to live the rest of his life in prison. For added value, I would have hung pictures of all those dead children, mothers, fathers, wives, etc. in his jail cell to haunt him.

In addition, I simply can't ignore the number of people who have been released after DNA evidence exonerated them and the statistical analysis of the way executions are carried out, which clearly shows a racial bias in handing out the sentence. Plus, those with money (hence, good lawyers) don't normally get the DP, which shows a class bias. We are quickly becoming a minority in the world community. And of those country's that abolished it, there has been no resulting increase in crime.

...if they didn't celebrate.

The death penalty is part of the eye for an eye old testamant mentality.You cant bring back the people he killed by killing him.!!!!
Killing goes against everything I believe in

that the RW'ers (even among the DUers here) simply do not believe in any form of redemption. Odd considering that the religion that they
would pick for all of us is built on the belief of redemption (to be "born again", etc, etc).

In very non-progressive terms.

Anybody know?

...every time I hear about the death penalty and see one of these vigils, I wonder what it would be like to be in that room they move the condemned to--away from the few things that they've managed to collect while in prison--waiting for the time to pass. I wonder what they think about...

The fact that my country despises my existence SO much that they want to take my life--and will--is a horrible thought. My blood runs cold just thinking about it... I think I'd sit there in that last 'death cell' and think about my walk down the hall for the last time, my getting on the table, them putting in an IV--and then all those people watching as I lay there and am put to death.

It's really quite a ghastly thought... In my life, I've gone back and forth about the death penalty but, even on the days I am for it and feel I could support it, being put to death like that by the state is STILL a ghastly, ghastly thought.

that will probably happen.

I, for one, will not be celebrating the murder by state of anyone.

if a poll I saw here was correct.

So I don't care one way or the other.

I hope not. I for one think It Is a sad time to execute people. It does nothing but lowers us to the
level of murderers. And If his death sentence were to be communicated he won't be getting out of jail. Why Isn't Life In Prison enough

Although I support imposition of the death penalty in this case, I cannot rejoice about it.

I look forward to the day when there is no debate about the death penalty because nobody commits crimes heinous enough to call for imposition of the death penalty.

the whole picture, not just one sliver of pie.

When we allow the imposition of death for guilty people, we allow the imposition of death for innocent people.

If you want to make that trade off, go ahead, but not me.


edit spelling

... personally, I have no sympathy for him, and I don't care if he gets the juice or not (based on the heinous crimes he commited). But no, that's not the type of thing I'd celebrate.

just like Miami and Iraq.

I haven't kept up with all the threads, but when the deed is done I can't imagine anyone who would celebrate.

I was in a LA bar last night and I couldn't find much Tookie love.

While there is a difference of opinion here about the DP on DU, i think lots of the posters in those disucussions are like me. I reject the DP completely, but i'm very uncomfortable raising a thug and multiple murderer (who admits to ordering crimes from prison at one point during his incarceration) to the status of martyr and celebrity.

I don't want him executed, but i certainly don't like the "nobility" ascribed to his post-correctional period. He owes and he owes society big. He shouldn't get extra points for learning not be a murderous thug. Just like he doesn't deserve to be killed for a crime, even if we know 100% for sure he's guilty.
The Professor

Look, we all get it, from your brazillion brain dumps, your anti-death penalty stance.

But, for you to pose a question like this, to nearly imply that people will celebrate, is just ridiculous. What, are you going to throw a party if he's granted clemency? What are you trying to gain from asking such a lame-brained question - do you just want to incite and start a shitstorm?

It's nice that we can all post our opinions here, but one opinion is no better or more right than another. Great, we know you're anti DP, you've stated your case emphatically and often. But stop with the hystrionics and all that go along with this subject. Or get your ass to Ahnold's office and rally in person if it means so damn much to you. Pontificating in messages here doesn't do a damn thing to help our your 'cause' for Tookie.

Damn I'm tired of hearing about this fucking non-story.

but don't seem to have anything substantial to say.

I didn't make any of the posts to which you are referring - so wanting me to read those isn't necessarily valid; I read them as I made my way through the thread. I don't agree with the evil content of those posts - but, as I said in my post, each here is entitled to their own opinions. No one has any right or wrong post - there's obvious disagreement on the DP here. But to question whether people will be throwing a party - what the hell kind of comment is that?!

Go ahead and use your already work out - "See Post #26" comment - it seems that that is the only comment you have in this discussion.

I think stunned silence followed by outpourings of anger is more likely.

:eyes:

Freepers are so racist they'll get out their meth and party till morning over the death of Tookie.

celebrations. How anyone can rejoice in another person's death is beyond me.

I'm thinking about putting people on ignore for the first time since I joined this website.

by killing more.

they showed their elation at the decision to execute Williams.

Many Democrats expressed similar elation at the passing of homophobic constitutional amendments.

Many Democrats expressed similar elation at the passing of CAFTA.

Many Democrats expressed similar elation at the passing of limits on reproductive freedoms.

Many Democrats expressed similar elation at the passing of limits on consumer protections.

Many Democrats expressed similar elation at the repeal of hand gun regulations.

Many Democrats expressed similar elation at the weakening of environmental protections.

Some of these issues are very important to me; others are less important, but my Democratic friends support me in the issues that are most important to me and I support them in the issues most important to them -- even if I don't feel as strongly as they do about the issue -- simply because those issues are important to them and I respect them and I stand with them. That's what a political community is about.

This attitude of elation at our allies' defeats is a big part of why we lose elections. The Christian Jihadists and the Neo-Con Imperialists and the No-Tax-No-Regulation-No-Healthcare Corporatist don't share in many views but they stick together as a political community. It's sad when we need to learn a political lesson from them.

I'm pleading that this decision not be celebrated with glee on this progressive site.

He is a human being - are we not becoming the very thing we despise in others by taking pleasure in this ruling?

Bizarre.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

But no shedding of tears either. He lived a life of violence before he was convicted and his legacy of gang violence remains to this day. How much pain and suffering has been perpetuated in the name of the gang that he helped to create?