Discussion
Go to p. 224 in your text and read the textbox titled,
"Thinking Critically: Deciding Whether or Not a Man Should Die."
In December 2005, Arnold Schwarzenegger, then Governor of California, was
faced with a difficult decision. Should he grant clemency to a high-profile
inmate on death row, Mr. Stanley 'Tookie' Williams? The death penalty, as a
social policy, had come under considerable criticism. Many well-known
Californians called for Governor Schwarzenegger to commute Mr. Williams'
sentence to life without possibility of parole. Many Californians believed that
Mr. Williams had demonstrated for several years that he was a 'changed man.' As
a convicted murderer he deserved life in prison, but he was not the same person
he had been decades earlier and he did not, in their view, deserve at this time
to be punished with death. Some saw him as a symbol of why the death penalty
should be abolished. After deliberating on the matter, Governor Schwarzenegger
decided against clemency. Mr. Williams was executed. The Governor posted a
document on the Internet describing his decision process.
Read Governor Schwarzenegger's decision at:
Review the map
of the Governor's decision on pp. 310-311. Answer the following questions:
Do you agree or disagree with
Governor Schwarzenegger's decision?
Exactly what part of his reasoning
is most important to you?
Why?
