THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA www.cagreens.org
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Contact(s): Susan King 415.823-5524 funking@mindspring.com
Pat Driscoll 916.320-6430 pat@sonicfrog.com
Beth Moore Haines 530.277-0610 beth@ncws.com
SACRAMENTO (December 6, 2005) - As the only major political party opposed
to the death penalty, the Green Party of California - in a letter hand-delivered to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today - asked the state's
chief executive to spare the life of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, now scheduled to be executed Dec. 13.
The GPCA, in its letter, thanked Gov. Schwarzenegger for scheduling a Dec.
8 clemency hearing to "review the death penalty case," and requested the
governor consider "the importance of the life of Stanley 'Tookie' Williams,
the negative social and economic impact of the death penalty, and spare Mr.
Williams' life."
"The Green Party rejects the notion of capital punishment as a viable crime
deterrent, and we urge you to grant clemency in this case," said the letter, which was also e-mailed and sent by facsimile to the governor.
"The campaign to save Stan Williams is particularly urgent, and the Green
Party platform is clear on this issue: the death penalty is wrong, under
any circumstances," said Susan King, a GPCA spokesperson. "We know innocent
people have been executed. The death penalty does not deter crime, and has
disproportionately affected the poor and people-of-color."
The Greens noted that, among other issues in Mr. Williams' case, there is
compelling evidence that racism was a major contributing factor to his
conviction. The prosecutor was able to secure a conviction by effectively
barring all African mericans from the jury.
Mr. Williams has become a leader in speaking out against gangs and
violence, and written nine childrens books about the dangers of gang life
which have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people all
over the world. He has developed a Protocol for Street Peace which has
been used by rival gangs around the country and the world to broker gang
truces. In recognition of his work, Stanley Williams has been nominated for
the Nobel Peace Prize five times and has been nominated for the Nobel
Prize for Literature four times.
