“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” – Mohandas Gandhi
So it’s a little after 2AM and I’ve just returned from San Quentin State Prison. I briefly thought about trying to attend earlier this evening and pushed the thought away as I studied for finals. A few hours later, my friend Peter called, asking if I wanted to go. I decided to check it out and support those against the death penalty. Roughly 1,500 people (the largest crowd to ever gather for an execution at San Quentin) gathered to hold vigil and protest the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams.
Whether he is guilty or innocent, reformed or not, a role model to young troubled children or a forgotten idol is not of importance to me. What’s important to me is the continued hypocritical policy of carrying out state sponsored murder in the name of justice (or injustice).
Who exactly does this benefit? And what is the point? It isn’t a deterrance. Whatever happened to redemption and not revenge? Ugh. I’m too angry/sad/tired to say much more.
