Message received?

Thousands of people packed a church in South Central Los Angeles today for the funeral of Nobel Peace Prize nominee executed unrepentant multiple murderer and vicious street gang co-founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Snoop Dog even read a poem. How sweet.

Anyway, the LA Times reported that the services included a special message from Tookie, recorded before he was finally punished for the slaughter of four innocent people. Quoth Tookie:

"The war within me is over. I battled my demons and I was triumphant," Williams said on the tape, in which he asked listeners to spread a message to loved ones.

"Teach them how to avoid our destructive footsteps. Teach them to strive for higher education. Teach them to promote peace and teach them to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods that you, others and I helped to destroy."

Of course, Tookie's supporters claimed that he'd redeemed himself by writing a number of books that warned kids to stay away from the gang life that he'd participated in. They asserted that Tookie's anti-gang message had saved innumerable kids from lives of crime and violence.

Somehow, I don't think the message got through to everyone, though:

Several dozen gang members wearing blue attire associated with Crips gangs watched the funeral in the parking lot. One, who identified himself as "Killowatt the Third," age 33, estimated there were 20 to 30 Crips "sets" there to honor Williams.

"That's my role model, man. That's the CEO of the Crips," he said.

Great job there, Tookie. Great. Job.