Before I address any points of this question, I MUST point out that Tookie Williams was NOT a Nobel Prize winner, but a nominee. The difference is that ANYONE can be nominated for a Nobel Prize; if I influenced the right person, I could get one myself (hey, now THERE'S an idea!)

With that error corrected, let me continue. Tookie Williams created a negative legacy, a network of domestic terrorists that has left more people dead in our inner cities than have died on both sides of the Iraq/Afghani conflicts. Apologizing for that, and GHOST writing (he didn't actually write it, he just put his name to it) a children's book will not begin to pay the price of the children that his gangs put in the grave. The number of children killed by Tookie's legacy EXCEEDS the number of those who bought his book, incidentally.

Every child that thinks about joining a gang, that thinks that murder and violence are the answer should be escorted to Tookie Williams' grave. Perhaps when they see Williams' ultimate reward, they will understand why violence is never the answer. I am among those who hope Tookie Williams found redemption, but who feels the sentence was just. Tookie Williams is no different than the millions of thugs who go through our penal system and "find Jesus"; there were just bigger consequences for his actions than most.

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