I heard this morning that Philip Workman’s final wish was to have his last meal donated to the homeless. He asked for a vegetarian pizza to be donated to a homeless shelter near the prison where he was executed by the State of Tennessee in the early hours of Wednesday morning this week.

Philip Workman robbed a Wendy’s when he was strung out on cocaine. Officer Oliver was shot and killed during the attempt to arrest him. The only state’s witness recanted his testimony, five jurors said that if they had known that the witness was lying they would not have voted for death, and ballistics experts testified that the wound in Lt. Oliver was more consistent with the calibre of the police weapons being used than it was with the gun Workman used. These facts make me have more than a reasonable doubt that perhaps he did not kill Lt. Oliver.

Nevertheless, Philip Workman was executed. And the prison said it didn’t donate to charity so the pizza wasn’t delivered…until a local woman decided to honour his last wish herself. She asked her friends and other concerned people to chip in and help her. She raised $1200.

I wondered if you’d help me do the same.

If you know of a homeless shelter near you where you could donate one vegetarian pizza in the name of Philip Workman, please do it. Otherwise, contact me and tell me what you are willing to donate and I’ll arrange the purchase and delivery of pizzas to some shelters in downtown Portland.

It’s not much, but it is something good to come out of something really sad. We don’t often get this opportunity.
Personally, I don’t think anyone should be executed, but this man’s unselfish act when all hope was gone, is something to inspire us to act I think.