When Workman committed his robbery, he was a homeless Vietnam vet who was strung out on cocaine. His final unselfish act recalled that history, and sought to perform one final act of compassion.
Prison authorities refused, saying that a.) state money can not be used to contribute to charity, and b.) the cost might surpass the allotted $20 value of the meal.
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The biblical metaphors here are irresistible. Condemned man in last meal shares food with poor. A miracle follows, and vegetarian pizzas multiply like loaves and fishes. Poor people throughout nation break bread in his memory. Workman, in his final moments, becomes Christlike.
Amnesty International has printed a detailed statement on Workman's case, and believes that the death was the result of an accidental shooting by another officer. Workman's was the 1,074th execution in the United States since the death penalty was restored in 1977. You can get a strong sense of what Workman was like in this videotaped interview with CNN.
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing this, NOW I know why I saw several people approach a group of homeless that I see daily---with pizzas. I remember thinking that was not usual, it's basically water bottles, cash or other. Seeing a large pizza box was interesting, and now I see that it was amazing.
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