The Drug Store

Abstract

The life and death by execution of Stanley Tookie Williams is related a teleconference call from his San Quentin cell, seeing him when we tour the prison, and participating in our Witness Program, outside the prison while he was executed inside. The controversy surrounding capital punishment is explored. Tookie’s life is examined from the perspective of resiliency theory. The failure of the War on Drugs is discussed. Illustrations of open-air drug use are given and a discussion with San Francisco Police Department street teachers is reported on, including that most dealers and buyers come from outside the neighborhood. Another Tenderloin death, another funeral. The work of a physician in the Hunters Point neighborhood, where the most recent murder victim was living, emphasizes the stress of inner-city life.