Persona non grata

This is the story that is slithering through the country like a dusty snake: injustice is rampant and cannot be controlled. The citizens are unsafe. They feel under attack. By the Powerful, the Villains. That is why the country's leaders reintroduced the death penalty for a brief period. Because it just must stop. The nasty iniquity.

And then the final moment comes. Because words are beautiful. But words only have a certain shelf life. An example must be set. The money has to be put where the mouth is. How else can the Leaders remain credible? How else can they remain in power?

That is why, after careful consideration, a citizen should be appointed. He will serve as an example. He will bear the burden. Whether or not the victim is guilty is a secondary matter. After all, this is not about guilt. It is about the principle. The higher purpose. The future of the country. The safety of all the citizens.

That is why, on a rainy day at the end of October, a young man is arrested. At the moment when ten police officers overpower him, the unwitting subject drinks a cup of bubble tea in a small restaurant that has just opened last summer. The naive citizen is pushed to the ground and handcuffed. The Law Enforcement Officers are satisfied. They believe that they are serving the Higher Purpose. They realize that this action is a case of obedience.

After three days, the Supreme Court handed down the verdict. The ignorant creature deserves the death penalty. An example must be set. The general interest takes precedence over the personal. The decision is inevitable. The ruling cannot possibly be reversed. The Government must act. To show that she is serious. To prove her servants that she can act decisively and heavy-handed.

And the stupid human being? He does not know what's happening to him. He sits in his cell and stares helplessly at the dirty walls. He is too dazed, too perplexed to realize what is happening to him.

I had decided to let the spectacle pass me by. I thought the idea of the death penalty was an easy and cheap publicity stunt by the Government. What positive impact could the conviction of a innocent citizen have on the entire wellbeing of the whole society?

But on the day itself I am at the back of the crowd. From a distance I watch how the captured citizen is led through the city in a cage. Through the maddening and jeering crowd. As if he is a dangerous wild animal. As if he needs to be protected from himself.

I feel an intense powerlessness coming over me. Apparently, there isn’t anybody who is willing to stand up now. Is there nothing at all that can put an end to this spectacle? No fate, no god, no system? By the time when the timid compatriot is led to the guillotine, his fate seems irreversible. Injustice will triumph again.

The executioner mutters something to the condemned. He is allowed to say one last word to the angry spectators. The guileless, frightened man straightens his back and starts talking.

“Before I was arrested, I used to run a dating service for chickens. But I was tussling and struggling to make hens meet.” And before the crowd realizes what is going on, he continues with a second joke: “What did the mayonnaise say when the refrigerator door was opened all of a sudden? Close the door, I am dressing.”

Even from a distance, his way of telling jokes is infectious. The convict has a loud and pleasant voice. His performance is very empathetic, lively, and comical. In no time he manages to build a direct, unique interaction with the wonder-struck audience.

” Do you know by chance what the difference is between a hippo and a zippo? One's pretty heavy and the other's a little lighter.”

Admittedly, the jokes are very lame. But the people are amused. Even the executioner leans against the guillotine to keep from falling over laughing. While the prisoner pulls off one joke after another, the guards already start dismantling the scaffold. They realize that you can manipulate and trample on the law. But how can you ever compete with humor and fight against hilarity?