SAN QUENTIN, Calif., Dec. 13 — Stanley “Tookie” WilliamsTookie Williams, a gang leader-turned-peace advocate whose cause drew worldwide attention, was executed in San Quentin’s death chamber Tuesday morning after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denied his last-ditch plea for clemency and the Supreme Court refused to block the execution.

I’ve tried to stay as far away from this issue as possible, considering all of the conservative vs. liberal bullshit that swirls around it. It really wasn’t a suprise to wake up to the news that he was executed, considering Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent political troubles, it wasn’t really expected for him to commute Tookie’s death sentence into a life sentence. Those of the conservative way, called for his head and it was in Arnold’s best interests to listen and comply.

Back to the issue at hand and less on the politics, unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you should know all about this story. People all over the blogosphere have been debating back and forth on whether he should or shouldn’t be killed because he found redemption in prison. The far right wanted his head (or vein, whatever you prefer), and the far left wanted his sentence commuted (there seems to be no middle ground whatsoever these days).

Throughout the night, growing numbers of Williams supporters, and a much smaller group of pro-death penalty advocates, had gathered in front of the prison to chant, wave signs, sing and light candles.

Celebrities, politicians, everybody who could showed up to show support on his final night, and of course the other side of the tracks showed up too. I’ve always found these high profile executions to be a tad bit ghoulish, but I think this one might take the cake.

They said he shook his head as if saying “for shame” and complained to those administering the injection when they took 12 minutes to find a vein in his left arm.

Here’s hoping this won’t bring about more bloodshed in the area’s where the Bloods and Crips are already on high tension. I’m sure I could say a whole lot more (I actually did, but due to a browser problem, all that was lost), but I’ll just leave you with this:

Among the evidence against Williams was a shotgun shell discovered at the crime scene that was linked to a gun he had bought five years earlier. That weapon was found under the bed of two associates accused of killing their business partner. The murder charges against them were dropped after they testified that Williams had confessed to them.

What in the hell kind of evidence is that? Looks like some guys just trying to save their own asses to me and using the first high profile person’s name they could think of. Oh well, not much more I really want to say. There’s already near 2800 news articles about this now, and I’m sure there will be countless other blog postings about this over the next few days. Personally I don’t want to read anymore about it.