[Borges]

I didn’t see ‘Dead Man Walking’ as all that liberal (apart from that wretched execution scene). It did not glorify the murderer at all and gave plenty of voice to the opposing view. It was fairly artful and even handed. Did you see it?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Borges, I had the same reaction you did. At the beginning of "Dead Man Walking" I was pretty solidly anti-death-penalty. But he end I had serious doubts. It's clear that the condemned man, Matthew Poncelet, really IS a remorseless murderer, and that he is in gravest moral danger because he won't admit, even to himself, let alone repent, the despicable thing he did.

The dramatic tension of the story comes from "Will he admit the truth, and will he repent?" By the very end it becomes clear (at least to me) that it's only the pressure of his inmpending execution (plus Sr. Helen's truth/goodness influence) that moves him across the line to admitting guilt and sorrow.

The execution turned out to be a spiritual benefit for Poncelet. Very paradoxical. And wasn't it so for Dismas?

[An American In Dairyland]

I don’t go to movies but that is beside the point. The issue I raised is that Hollywood was not portraying nuns negatively back when that film was made...quite the contrary. It always revolves around their political agenda. Yesterday nuns were good. Today...