Commentary:
Ryan had his last pizza night on Monday. Next stop: Oxford, Wisconsin. It's after 5pm. Former Governor of Illinois George Ryan has been a controversial figure. Some people have claimed that Governor Ryan did a great thing while in office.
He .... suspended all executions in Illinois and emptied out death row by commuting the sentences of all 167 inmates to life in prison. He cited the risk of the criminal justice system making a grave and irreversible error.
And he did do a great thing for the inmates and the community in Illinois. However, that great thing should not deter his criminal actions. Ryan climbed his way to the top politically and seized it through the misuse and abuse of taxpayer dollars and state employees. And George Ryan is now living with those consequences when he rose in political grounds the wrong way.
As Ryan heads to prison, I am reminded of the story of criminal Stanley Tookie Williams III who was convicted for life in California prison and was on death row for murdering a gang member. Although he never admitted his crimes, he became an anti-gang activist in prison, co-wrote children's books, and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs.
Despite pleas from many people in the State of California and across the world to the governor for clemency for Williams’ goodness in his work in prison, Williams was executed in the end. Williams redeemed himself from his crimes but it came too little too late. A decision comes with consequences. And those consequences come with an ultimate price to pay. George Ryan is a felon who deserves jail time for his crimes. Who you are as a person and character and what you have become are another prime example in George Ryan’s case as he crossed over to… the twilight zone….
As Ryan heads to prison, I am reminded of the story of criminal Stanley Tookie Williams III who was convicted for life in California prison and was on death row for murdering a gang member. Although he never admitted his crimes, he became an anti-gang activist in prison, co-wrote children's books, and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs.
Despite pleas from many people in the State of California and across the world to the governor for clemency for Williams’ goodness in his work in prison, Williams was executed in the end. Williams redeemed himself from his crimes but it came too little too late. A decision comes with consequences. And those consequences come with an ultimate price to pay. George Ryan is a felon who deserves jail time for his crimes. Who you are as a person and character and what you have become are another prime example in George Ryan’s case as he crossed over to… the twilight zone….
2 comments:
SPB I thought it was George W. Bush until the rest of the picture came on. Oh well. Ryan will have that orange jumpsuit and play a little golf. Then in a short time Ryan can call in those favors and snick back to Chicago in the night. Now I wonder if old man Ryan will start any relation on those who did him in.
SPB you did good with allowing us to know about this case. None of the other sites give this information.
"SPB you did good with allowing us to know about this case. None of the other sites give this information."
Thanks! You should thank Chicago Native and Kittybowtie for keeping us up to date of info from Chicago.
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