Stanley "Tookie" Williams will be executed in California in less than three hours from now. He murdered four people in 1979 and was found guilty for their murders and sentenced to death. He shot at least one of the victims in the back, twice. He didn't give any of them a chance, and they didn't even resist him. They didn't get to have their last meal and say their farewells before Williams killed them. He lived in jail for 25 years; his victims didn't have 25 more years. California doesn't rush the death penalty. There have been 12 executions since it was reinstated in 1977. Most inmates die in prison before being executed. Williams doesn't seem to have any remorse for what he did, didn't apologize. He only apologized for starting the Crips gang (and that claim of starting the gang is debateable). Better late than never, eh? How can a person redeem themselves if they don't realize what they've done and say they are sorry for what they did - to the victim and the families left? If they feel nothing, they aren't redeemed. Williams continued to use his gang name and he refused to help law authorities crack down on gang members saying he didn't want to be a snitch. Writing books (and maybe it was an attempt to have life in prison instead of death) doesn't automatically make one redeemed of being a four-time killer. It is possible to be redeemed, I do believe that and I have seen it in a few people who came out of prison, but I am not convinced Williams is one of them. The fact is he has not made such a positive impact on the youth to give up gang life. Crime rate continue to soar from gangs. All of this appeal-seeking from Wiliams seems so last minute - why did he wait until so near the end to ask for clemency? There is a lot of talk about Williams being nominated for the peace prize, but it's very easy to get a nomination, all you need is a letter from a lawyer. In Williams' case the focus was more on the death penalty rather than the man, himself. I am hoping that people will not overreact to this in terms of playing the "race card." This isn't about what race Williams is. It's about the death penalty and whether or not he should receive it. Should the death penalty be done away with altogether? States have executed some people who did not commit the crimes they were found guilty of committing. Even though that's not the standard, it's worth considering if we are to keep the death sentence.

I have empathy for Williams, but I can't get past one thing: he knew what he was doing when he brutally murdered four people. He knew the law and what his odds were going for murder AND HE STILL DID IT. In one way I don't think the law deters those who truly want to murder. But in another way, I do wonder if there would be more killing if there wasn't a death penalty. In terms of the costs - both are expensive. We have to support the killers until they die in prison (if they get life), and somehow that isn't right, either. I would be more inclined to be more accepting of the high costs if the criminals would really DO something, WORK, to pay back their community and get real help - rehab. Very few get any rehab. Many of them just learn how to be better criminals in prison or find out how to make money and fame off of their crimes.

Should we televise executions? Watching these people die on television might not be the way to go. The entire process is discussed and there are films that show what it's like if people really want to see how it's done: "Dead Man Walking," "The Executioner's Song," "Medium," or "The Green Mile." I think those showed quite clearly what it's like to be executed. I can still hear the sound of the drug containers going through the machine to the person - click, inject, and so on. It does stay with you and damn, that should be enough to want to keep anyone from commiting murder or crimes that have the death penalty as a consequence. Maybe show these films in a high school and then talk about it with the kids. I am concerned that if we televise executions we could be further exploiting everything, and making another reality show - fear factor in the extreme. I don't know if people can really know what it's like to watch a life leave a body unless they are there in person. I have and it's hard to describe what one feels. We see footage from wars, from crimes, and it seems to turn on some people. Do we need to be like Iran or Syria or China and televise people having their limbs cut off, or being hung or shot or in the gas chamber? I don't think we need to come to that kind of sick joy in torture and death. People become immune to the reality by overviewing. Look at the video games kids play - look at what films they are creating for themselves. It's ugly and there is no compassion there at all, death is a game, a game to win. I don't support that.

I have been thinking about Williams as I have thought about the others who were executed, and what they must be feeling and thinking as the clock ticks. As time passes they countdown how many hours left to their lives. Makes one want to enjoy every minute, eh? My only hope is that they have some kind of understanding why they ended up where they did and somehow find some peace.

Here are some general questions about the death penalty that I ponder and wonder what the answers are...what do you think, reader? Do you hope that viewing an execution once will be enough for everyone and then we will outlaw the death sentence? Do you think there is anything, legally, that will deter people from committing murder and having to face the consequences - and should there be other consequences? If so, what do you think those would be if we had only life in prison would it be enough? How many people would think that would be a doable existence? Get free food, medical care, learn a trade or two, get some exercise, and so what that you're in a cell, it's all for free? It sure wouldn't attract me, but who knows how it would appeal to some people who have nothing to live for, nothing to lose? How do we reach people before they commit murder and tell them that when they kill someone they are killing a family and its future, they are harming friends, they are harming their own family and friends, they are killing an entire universe, they are killing themselves?