Tookie. Tookie. Lend me your tome.

Ouch. That was bad. Most people wouldn't recognize the parody anyway.
I am not a supporter of the death penalty. While in theory I believe there is a moral justification for an ethical, educated and rational society handing out this type of punishment, in reality it comes down to imperfect people working in a flawed system to meet out this final justice. The summation is that societies or governments shouldn't take away those things that it cannot fully restore if found in error.

The state of California executed Stanley 'Tookie' Williams' this morning at about 12:35 a.m. Am I gonna shed a tear for this man and his death? Nope. I think he was fairly tried and convicted. He had 24 years to remake his case through the appeals process and he was shot down (no pun) at every turn. Even the wacky ninth circuit court didn't think there was enough new evidence to halt the lethal proceedings. I didn't cry for his murdered victims either when they were shot gunned down by him 26 years ago even though they didn't have an appeals process.
And I don't recall the celebrity, 'tolerance at all costs' advocates pleading for the life of Donald Beardslee this past January either.
Who?
He was a convicted murderer executed by the state of California.
There were no last minute witnesses or stays from the governor. You see, Donald just wasn't hanging with the right crowd. He didn't write any books, have a cool nickname or attract the attention of that eternal media whore, Jesse Jackson. And I don't believe that Clarence Allan Roy will get much newsprint ink or hollywood sympathy either. Allen, who is 75 years old and confined to a wheel chair is the next scheduled execution for the state of California. My bet is that he will not be charismatic or celebrity hip enough to garner the kind of attention that accompanied the debate about 'Tookie'.
His gang didn't make the papers.

The population on California's death row now stands at 647 and for the celebrity, 'tolerance at all costs' advocates, I believe their main motivation is not about working methodically and judiciously inside a legislative system to affect a positive change on an unjust process. No, I believe their main motivation is flexing their own self aggrandizing celebrity muscle and glowing in the lime light of their own 'bohemian' bonfire against the backdrop of a society populated by imperfect, uncelebrated people working in a flawed system to meet out a legislated justice against individuals commiting horrible wrongs.
Those are the people where the real advocacy should belong.