"I hope that this brief message will provoke thoughts of change among you."
December 29th 1953 ~ December 13th 2005
Executed by lethal injection by the State of California in San Quentin Prison.
The Apology
Twenty-five years ago when I created the Crips youth gang with Raymond Lee Washington in South Central Los Angeles, I never imagined Crips membership would one day spread throughout California, would spread to much of the rest of the nation and to cities in South Africa, where Crips copycat gangs have formed. I also didn't expect the Crips to end up ruining the lives of so many young people, especially young black men who have hurt other young black men.
Raymond was murdered in 1979. But if he were here, I believe he would be as troubled as I am by the Crips legacy.
So today I apologize to you all -- the children of America and South Africa -- who must cope every day with dangerous street gangs. I no longer participate in the so-called gangster lifestyle, and I deeply regret that I ever did.
As a contribution to the struggle to end child-on-child brutality and black-on-black brutality, I have written the Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence children's book series. My goal is to reach as many young minds as possible to warn you about the perils of a gang lifestyle.
I am no longer "dys-educated" (disease educated). I am no longer part of the problem. Thanks to the Almighty, I am no longer sleepwalking through life.
I pray that one day my apology will be accepted. I also pray that your suffering, caused by gang violence, will soon come to an end as more gang members wake up and stop hurting themselves and others.
I vow to spend the rest of my life working toward solutions.
Amani (Peace),
Stanley "Tookie" Williams, Surviving Crips Co-Founder, April 13, 1997
Raymond was murdered in 1979. But if he were here, I believe he would be as troubled as I am by the Crips legacy.
So today I apologize to you all -- the children of America and South Africa -- who must cope every day with dangerous street gangs. I no longer participate in the so-called gangster lifestyle, and I deeply regret that I ever did.
As a contribution to the struggle to end child-on-child brutality and black-on-black brutality, I have written the Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence children's book series. My goal is to reach as many young minds as possible to warn you about the perils of a gang lifestyle.
I am no longer "dys-educated" (disease educated). I am no longer part of the problem. Thanks to the Almighty, I am no longer sleepwalking through life.
I pray that one day my apology will be accepted. I also pray that your suffering, caused by gang violence, will soon come to an end as more gang members wake up and stop hurting themselves and others.
I vow to spend the rest of my life working toward solutions.
Amani (Peace),
Stanley "Tookie" Williams, Surviving Crips Co-Founder, April 13, 1997
posted by jenni~ru at 12:01 AM
5 Comments:
It is a shame that we have killed a man, who although may have given birth to many atrocities, has been a man, admitted his wrongs, and set out to right them. He has genuinely apologized and worked to undo the wrongs he has done...
I hope he has found peace and was in right standing with God before he was killed...
a punishment of such extreme, despite our opinions or ideas is never without some doubt. Yet, we hope that people find God, and that He forgives them, but simultaneously, there has to be an accounting for seeds sown.
It's like this: IF you have sex before you're married, it's considered fornication, right? If you get pregnant, is there a justification for the obliteration (abortion)of your past sin? There is a fruition of the sowing.
God will judge "Tookie's" soul. We must judge his actions... for better or worse.
Ah, but if the life is taken while the man is attoning for his past sin, is it right to stop him?
yeah, like i always tell people, "If osama would just appologize and repent for all of his actions toward the U.S., then we could forgive him and we could just all be brothers."
gee that's not cynical at all!
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