The Terminator and Cyborg Ethics

I'm curious about the fate of Tookie Williams. Will Schwarzenegger pardon him or not? I'm not going to get into a big thing about the death penalty. Trying to have a rational discussion about that is about as difficult as finding one regarding abortion. I know our justice system has serious flaws but I think that any system administered by man will. I don't believe that Tookie's good works since he's been in prison should necessarily grant him leniency. I think for certain crimes, once you cross a line, you simply can't make up for it. I'm not sure where that line is but I'm pretty sure that the leader of the Crips would find himself on the far side of it. So the issue here is not whether Tookie deserves the gas chamber or whether the State has the right to take his life- at least not to me.

The issue is the Governor's constituency. He lives in LA. His social circle is full of well-meaning but essentially vapid Hollywood types. If he fails to grant Tookie clemency, he will be persona non grata in many Hollywood circles. He may never make another movie. Now when his political career was going great guns, that wasn't so much of a concern. But with the recent schlacking he took with the initiatives, he has to be thinking about what his future plans will be if he loses the Governor's seat. My gut feel is that he's not going to side with the Hollywood set. If you look at his past history, he has committed himself fully to every endeavor. He's not the type to hedge and that's why he's successful. I don't care a bit about Tookie one way or the other. But the decision the Gov makes here will define him as a leader and more importantly, as a man.