He died for what?

I was watching 'She Hate Me' the other day and came across the Watergate portion where so called celebs in 2005 (in only a way Spike Lee could cinematically elaborate) were bragging on how they going to get away with said crime and shoot to notoriety in the given future. Frank Wills, the gentleman who discovered the Watergate Hotel break in and reported the crime and was one of the arresting officers was arrested himself in this scene. He was told that he actually committed the crime in catching these so called white gentlemen scholars and that he would suffer for the crime and not them. Exaggerated moment, but true. Frank Wills did indeed suffer for doing his duties, and as the movie points out died alone and penniless while the men arrested at the scene stealing information for the Nixon administration did go on to prominence and celebrity.

I was just a shorty when it happened, but I remember dude on the front cover of Ebony and Jet in that infamous picture of him pointing at the rigged door he discovered which led to the biggest scandal in American political history and the resignation of an American president. No book deal, no massive TV blitz and no hero worship for Frank. We saved that for these gentlemen I will refuse to name and their books, radio shows and TV programs. When living overseas I remember a shopowner asking me why my black ass chose to join the 'bass ackwards' American military when support for those that look just like me was damn near null and void. I didn't have an answer then, and I still stumble for words now.

I normally go to bed on or around 3:30 or 4 am. It was difficult to go to sleep knowing that I would, God willing wake up a few hours later to get my day started. You see, at 2:01 central standard time, brother Tookie was executed, all appeals to stay the execution were exhausted. Gov. Schwarzenegger denied a request for clemency, stating:


"Is Williams' redemption complete and sincere, or is it just a hollow promise?" Schwarzenegger also wrote: "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings, there can be no redemption."


This from a man who never atoned for his past transgressions. His father was a known, notorious Nazi responsible for thousands of deaths. He never atoned for his so-called crimes either. Father and son denied any wrongdoing. Just like Tookie.

It's funny how a white housewife can individually drown her children and end up the darling of CNN. Also funny is how certain people can be received by society. We can accused Saddam of mass murder and right in the middle of his trial our President can make the announcement that our military caused over 30,000 casualties since the occupation of both Afghanistan and Iraq. Just like when Rumsfeld beat his chest and yelled "shock and awe" as we watched bombs drop and folks die on CNN and FOX. Now I have always stated that Bush cannot be blamed for starting the war, seeing as he was so slow in getting his plan of action to congress that them and the senate just voted for war without his ass a few days after September 11. He didn't veto that shit either, and since then he's been riding the war wave ever since, causing a ton of folks to actually blame him for starting the current wars when he actually didn't do shit.

Funny, I remember Clinton actually rallying capitol hill to take Afghanistan in his last days when he was granting clemency to all of his friends in jail. I watched a scared bunch of senators and congressmen vowing revenge on September 14th and George Bush was no where in sight. He was going through the terrorist reports he ignored on his golf trip days prior to the terrorist attacks that warned him that someone might just fly a plane in a building or two soon. Yes G Dub has taken full credit for the war like any president should, but who are we to blame him for this, he's outnumbered by over 500 people, most still holding office that actually took out tax dollars and ran our soldiers overseas with it. America. Always blaming the wrong people.

If we focused on the real shit starters and not some figurehead that obviously doesn't run Washington, we could have voted two thirds of congress and senate out already. Hint: damn near all of congress and the senate (the real war starters) are up for election in 2006 and
2007. I dare you... Do something.

Which brings me back to Tookie. Shoddy evidence that never made it to retrial, witnesses that admitted that they either lied or were coerced to bend truths. No real forensic evidence. Hearsay and rumor. There is even an AP report that surfaced an hour after Tookie's death that states that he didn't even found the Crips. What exactly did he die for? How come we couldn't stop all of this? Tookie was indeed a criminal. I know he did some shit that he never got caught up for. For all of the shit he started and caused in his young life, he probably deserved to die. But legally and morally, who are we to exact justice based on unproven bias? Here this figurehead was taken out over hearsay, legend and possible lies, but for some strange reason we still have a ton of folks we have evidence against that's out there still. Steady mobbing. Eating and living on our dime. Nice, huh?

Same as it ever was. Just like Katrina, we'll forget about Tookie, his life and his works in a few weeks. There will be no year end tribute about his life and legacy. This man rehabilitated himself and did some good things while in prison, possibly balancing out all of the bullshit he did in his youth. He has saved a few lives and has made some impact in this world, who thinks the world is better with him gone?