A lot of "red herring" issues were dragged into Tookie Williams' appeal for clemency -- everything from his race to quality of his trial to his value to society. It sure looked to me like an attempt to cloud the real issue. Murder. The best justice system humanity has ever come up with has found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Governor Schwartzenegger's only grounds for granting clemency would be a mistake or injustice in the trial process. He could only pardon Williams if the trial was unfair, and not because Williams' life may have had value to society. The responsibility of deciding to grant clemency or not is a HEAVY one, and if Governor Schwartzenegger granted it because Tookie had turned his life around, we would have every criminal and his grandma writing books from prison:
"Don't Throw Your Kiddies Off A Bridge Like I Did",
"Don't Tie A Black Man To The Bumper Of Your Truck And Drag Him Behind You Til His Body Falls Apart Like I Did",
"Don't Kill Your Eight-Months Pregnant Wife And Throw Her Into San Francisco Bay Like I Did"

Even if Williams' change was genuine, he must make restitution for what he did. If our little kids steal candy, we at least make them give it back or pay for it. If you steal someone's life, if you force their future to cease to exist, what can you do as restitution but to make your own future an absolute zero as well??