One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies (The Shawshank Redemption) comes when Andy Dufresne, upon discovering that there are witnesses to his (Andy’s) innocence of the crime for which he’s been found guilty by a judge and incarcerated in Shawshank Prison, goes to the prison’s morally bankrupt warden, Warden Norton, to plead for him and the ‘judicial’ system to pursue to evidence that has come to light. If justice is done, Andy will be exonerated. After all, he did not murder his wife. Elmo Blatch did. But Warden Norton will hear nothing of it. Why? Because he, like almost all of the system he represents, is corrupt to his core.

Justice is just a word to him. Warden Norton is a masterful character in King’s (the writer of the novel) use of irony for him (Warden Norton). The warden talks a big game about believing the Bible, but he is embezzling money, bribing prison officials, running a prison where cruelty is not only allowed but encouraged. He is a modern-day Judas Iscariot. He’s the textbook hypocrite, liar, and sellout.

Then Andy asks some of the most heart-rending questions of Warden Norton. The acting by both men is superb:

Andy: “How can you be so obtuse?”

Warden Norton: “What? What did you call me?”

Andy: “Obtuse. Is it deliberate?”

Ever looked around at our ‘justice’ system? Seems the Warden Nortons are everywhere. Watch The Shawshank Redemption or better yet, read the book and then watch the film. Andy’s words are loaded with pathos: “How can you be so obtuse? Is it deliberate?”

The answer is obvious: Yes, it’s deliberate, Andy. But it’s not just obtuseness, as you know. It’s wickedness, pure evil, an abandonment of justice. And that, good’ole Andy Dufresne, is why the only thing to do is to break out.

And you did. And your friend Red, who likewise knew the truth, eventually reunited with you. Why? Because, like you said, no good thing ever dies. Not forever, anyway. Just ask Fuzzy Britches.