SF Chronicle on Tookie Vigil: Candle-Holding Hymn Singers vs."Hang the Bastard" Types

December 13th, 2005 6:31 AM

Judging from this article by SF Chronicle staff writer Leslie Fulbright, which Drudge posted, perhaps Tookie Williams should have been canonized and supporters of the death penalty punished in his stead.

The headline set the tone: "Tears, anger, silence at protesters' candlelight vigil; Speakers read from Williams' anti-gang children's books."

The article depicted candle-holding Tookie supporters bravely fighting the cold and singing hymns along with Joan Baez.

The article also offered a quote from the director of a program for 'troubled youths', who reportedly uses Williams' anti-gang book in his program.

Then there was this gem from a man who had brought his two daughters to the protest:

"The message is that no matter how good you become, they still crush you. This guy couldn't have got any better." The article didn't mention that Williams refused to admit to or apologize for his crimes.

On the other side? A couple of shock jocks screaming 'kill Tookie', a professional pro-death penalty demonstrator, and a guy with a "Hang the Bastard" sign.

The article continued: "A minute after midnight today, as the crowd realized that the execution would go forward, scores of people in the crowd began to weep uncontrollably."

There was no indication that the protesters shed a tear for the four people Williams murdered in cold blood. For that matter, the Chronicle didn't bother to describe any of Williams' crimes or mention the name of any of his victims.