Death Penalty

Early this morning, Crips founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams was executed in the execution chamber of the San Quentin prison. While I have no personal connection to Williams or his world, his execution does raise some interesting questions.

As a founder of the Crips street gang in Los Angeles, Williams was instrumental in creating and perpetuating an African-American gang culture in America that caused thousands, if not millions, of deaths. This gang culture has also laid the groundwork in distributing crack and other drugs throughout the country. Williams was in prison for murdering four people.

While in prison, Williams published several books encouraging kids to reject the gang lifestyle and seemed to become an activist for peace. He seems to have undergone a real change for the better.

Now the questions. What is the purpose of incarceration? Is it to punish offenders, or to rehabilitate and release? Is it to protect society from criminals? What is the purpose of the death penalty? Does it deter further violent crimes? It doesn't seem to. If an inmate shows what seems to be a real change of heart, as in the cases of Williams or Karla Faye Tucker, is death justified? Why not commute to life sentences and hope the inmates can continue to have a positive influence on those around them? What of those who are wrongly convicted? Is it okay to kill one innocent person if it means you kill a hundred guilty? Maybe there's a line of severity to be considered. Hitler, killer of millions - fry him; John Doe, killer of one - prison time? I don't know.

I do feel that criminals should have to pay for their crimes, and that a government has a duty to protect its citizens. I just don't know if killing achieves that goal.

Now: My soapbox moment.



I would rather prevent crime than punish criminals. I believe that if our government would invest in education and economic initiatives that eventually we wouldn't need to invest so heavily in prisons. We need early childhood programs, more teachers, smaller classrooms, more materials, more field trips, less standardized tests, strong vocational education programs, and adult education programs. And as much as I love my summers, I think we need to go to year-round school programs. I think we need to completely overhaul the way we do education in this country.

Anyway, as you can see, I have lots of questions, but no real answers. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts or questions as well.

Out of the Whooping Cough, Into the Fire

First of all, I am recovering from whooping cough. Did ya know that the vaccine you get as an infant wears of when you're a teenager? Yeah, neither did I. We caught it early, so I'm recovering really quickly. Thank God for antibiotics!

My first day back from being sick, I got the wonderful news that I am out of a job. I can't say more until all the legal matters are settled. I'm both relieved and upset. Oh well, whatever's next around the corner HAS to be better. Baby Joel is obviously working hard to think of a solution for me. Isn't he the cutest thing?!?