Father, I call to You, my great God. Speak to me through this ancient book. Talk in terms that I can understand, and begin a work of changing my thinking so that I can change my way of living. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The criminal is now the hero, sadly misunderstood and mistreated. The victim is the selfish sadist who decides to press charges because he is bigoted, rash, or confused. The cold, hard facts are softened and slanted by the semantic footwork of slick political pawns.