Saturday, December 17, 2005
GRACE: To Lawanda Hawkins -- everyone, a very special guest with us tonight. Her son was murdered by a gang member, a Crips gang
member, and she found it and runs Justice for Murdered Children.
Ma`am, thank you for being with us.
LAWANDA HAWKINS, SON MURDERED BY GANG MEMBER: Thank you, Nancy,
for having me on the show. And also, I`m a member of Crime
Victims United of California. That`s who I`m speaking on behalf
of tonight.
GRACE: What`s your opinion?
HAWKINS: My opinion? This is unbelievable that they would even
think about granting clemency to a man who has been found
guilty of killing four. But besides killing that four, he was
found guilty of -- he co-founded a gang that has killed thousands of people.
And as a parent whose only child was murdered by that gang
he co- founded, I beg the governor: Please do not grant clemency
to Tookie Williams. It would be sending the wrong message
to the community. It would be like a smack in the face to
the victims and the families of the victims.
GRACE: Ms. Hawkins, if you could speak to Schwarzenegger
tonight, what would you say?
HAWKINS: I would ask him: Please do not forget my son,
Reginald LaKeith Reese (ph). He was murdered December
the 6th, 1995, in San Pedro, by this gang Tookie Williams
co-founded called the Crips. Not only was my child, but
thousands of other children were murdered by this gang
he co- founded called the Crips.
To us, family members who are alive whose
children have been murdered, please do not grant clemency.
Also, remember his wife, Maria. Her uncles were
murdered. I don`t understand this. Why wasn`t clemency
given to our children when a lot of them begged for their lives?
12/17/2005 11:23:00 PM

