Is An Execution A Place For Jokes ?

Is an execution the place for telling jokes? Patrick Knight believes that it is. Knight is scheduled to be executed on June 26th for the killing of his Randall county neighbors, Walter and Mary Werner, about 16 years ago. Now he says he wants his last words to be a joke.

Knight is asking for jokes to be mailed to him, and says he'll tell the best one just before he is executed. But Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson, who investigated the murders, is not happy with Knight's decision to tell a joke in the death chamber. He said, "The whole thing is not a joke to anybody here unless it is to him. This tells you a little bit about the guy's character, anyway."

But Knight, who says about 250 jokes have been sent in so far, said, "I'm not trying to disrespect the Werners or anything like that. I'm not trying to say I don't care what's going on. I'm about to die. I'm not going to sit here and whine and cry and moan and everything like that when I'm facing the punishment I've been given. I'm not asking for money. I'm not asking for penpals or anything like that. All that I'm asking for is jokes."

Knight went on to say, "I know I'm not innocent. They think they're killing me. They think they're punishing me. They've already punished me. I've already had 16 years of punishment. They're releasing me. They're letting me go. That's helping me out. That's the way I look at it."

Knight said he got the idea of telling a joke at his execution from fellow inmate, Vincent Gutierrez, who remarked as he was strapped to the gurney, "Where's a stunt double when you need one?"

There have already been 14 executions in Texas this year. In addition to Knight, there are four more scheduled for June (including one female). So far, there are ten more scheduled this year after this month.

Most of us would not think it appropriate to tell jokes in the death chamber, but it is not our execution. Personally, I would prefer that Texas not engage itself in legalized killing. But if we must do it, then it is only decent to let the condemned say whatever they want as their last words.

Patrick Knight has chosen to use his last statement to tell a joke. That is his right.