Reply #15: I don't have to be FOR someone to be against the DP

[Protagoras]

And I don't have to "Support" Tookie to push for Clemency. Again and again we aren't talking about letting this man out. We are talking about letting him live the rest of his life in a max security prison.

Aside from all the racial, economic, evidence, etc. arguments against the DP there are deeper issues in this case.

I think Tookie brings up a unique opportunity for us all to examine what it is we desire from our "Justice" system. And it should prompt us to discuss what, if anything, qualifies as meaningful change/redemption in an individual. Can people change? IF they do, should we recognize it? Or if you do something now should you be forever guilty of it regardless of the time and change that has occurred?

Assume he did everything we imagine he could and may have done...assume he was a 100% bastard 20 years ago. Are we executing THAT bastard? Or is he who he is today? Does who he is today matter at all? IF not, then what is the role for grace, forgiveness etc in our culture? I suspect there is a lot to this that most people have never really answered for themselves.

And because I think there are so many un-answered, un-debated, un-clear issues surrounding not only the DP...but how we want to treat people who have CHANGED...I think we can be big enough to push the giant PAUSE button on this one so that we can spend some time thinking about it. We've waited 20 years to KILL someone...that fact in itself makes me scratch my head...the only thing more absurd is that after waiting 20 years we are now in a desperate RUSH to do it as if he's going somewhere.

Once he dies who is responsible for all the deaths keeping him alive might have avoided?

None of these questions necessitate thinking he is innocent...but they might cause us to question this rush to do what it is that's being done.