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Monday, December 12, 2005

Riots Tonight?

Posted by on December 12 at 12:56 PM

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has denied clemency to former Crips gang leader Tookie Williams. He’s supposed to be executed tonight at midnight, and there are reports that the authorities fear riots will break out if the man is put to death.

Why is compassionate conservatism always so long on conservatism and so short on compassion?

For what it’s worth:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway, It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God’s When mercy seasons justice.

That lovely speech is from Shakespeare’s anti-Semetic “comedy” The Merchant of Venice. And the character who delivers the speech fails to show much in the way of mercy herself. But still, Arnie, it’s a nice thought.