Why this is wrong

It's not just wrong, it's un-American. What is?

A press witness describes the execution. Williams did not struggle. He spoke to his witnesses during the process. It took almost ten minutes to find the second vein.

Two men and one woman among Williams's supporters made black power signs during the process. At death announcement someone shouted that California has killed an innocent man. The witnesses were told when they went in that they were not allowed to make outbursts. It comes as no surprise to me that Williams was the kind of man who attracted friends to whom the rules do not apply.

Dora Owens, stepmother of a victim, who had stared passively at Williams throughout the execution, began to cry after the outburst. Maybe she was crying at the end of her long wait for justice or maybe she was crying at the tragedy of a man, the man who shouted, who doesn't grasp the concept of justice.

The man who shouted that accusation used the words of justice, but he didn't really care if Tookie Williams was guilty or innocent. This man cared only about his clan, his tribe, his own people. He took the side of Williams, not because he really believed Williams was innocent, but because Williams was family. He took the side of a murderer and felt righteous about it.

In America, you have the right to DEMAND that the rules apply to you, to your attacker, to everyone. The reason that the Civil Rights movement succeeded is that they argued that the rules weren't being applied fairly, and Black people were, for that reason, excluded. That argument resonated with a populace that grew up knowing that the basis of America was that the rules were clear, written, and applied to everyone.

What has turned around since then is that some have argued that, because of their status, the rules should be applied differently.

When Affirmative Action was first proposed, I had no problem with it. At that time, I bought the argument that Blacks should be entitled to special treatment. As a result of many things (the personal re-appraisal I made after 9/11, age, experience, etc.), I now disagree with that philosophy.

You DON'T have the right to demand that the rules don't apply to you and your tribe or family. That's one of the main problems that we're currently experiencing with the Islamicists - they don't like our laws, they want Sharia. They don't like the freedoms we have, WE should change our way of life to be "sensitive" to them. They don't like our freedom of press, they should have the right to burn books and execute those who express their opinion of their religion or culture.

That insistence on "special" treatment is the hallmark of a pre-civilized culture. It is based on alliances, family, and ethnic origin. It is unsuited to a culture that takes in immigrants and allows them to become full members of that society, encourages international travel and cross-country businesses, and oversees a diverse population.

Tags = Culture and /Society

Whoops! Forgot to mention that the link came courtesy of Doc Rampage, a most excellent blog who I would never knowingly disrespect.