I don't know about "probably innocent." It does seem in question, but he was convicted, and, in 26 years, there hasn't been compelling evidence to overturn the ruling
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--I think it's less a question of whether he'd shown remorse so much as whether he felt it.--
Exactly. Exactly, exactly, exactly. Was he just showing it, or did he feel it? What pisses me off about that quote is that it purports to answer that question, but really just dodges it. It assumes the answer instead of giving reasons.
Of course, my complaint is really more with the Assoc. Press than with Schwarzenegger - his full statement does contain actual reasons for his assertion that Tookie's remorse wasn't "real," none of which were given or even summarized in the news articles I read. I think his reasons are still bullshit (see unended01's example), but at least they aren't really circular.
As for the race card, I haven't really seen that - least of all from Tookie himself. If racism was involved, it would have been in the conviction of the original crime. Rather, at my most cynical, I suspect Schwarzenegger is simply guilty of politics - granting clemency would have made him appear soft-on-crime, an image that would further disintegrate his Republican support, which he cannot afford to do right now.
Whether you see the race card or not depends on where you're at and who you're around. On the buses and train into work, and at my actual workplace, all I heard was "it's because he's black"... my response of "or it might be because he murdered four people and founded the Crips" wasn't very welcome. :P
Exactly. Exactly, exactly, exactly. Was he just showing it, or did he feel it? What pisses me off about that quote is that it purports to answer that question, but really just dodges it. It assumes the answer instead of giving reasons.
Of course, my complaint is really more with the Assoc. Press than with Schwarzenegger - his full statement does contain actual reasons for his assertion that Tookie's remorse wasn't "real," none of which were given or even summarized in the news articles I read. I think his reasons are still bullshit (see unended01's example), but at least they aren't really circular.
As for the race card, I haven't really seen that - least of all from Tookie himself. If racism was involved, it would have been in the conviction of the original crime. Rather, at my most cynical, I suspect Schwarzenegger is simply guilty of politics - granting clemency would have made him appear soft-on-crime, an image that would further disintegrate his Republican support, which he cannot afford to do right now.
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