Gotham needs a hero...as do the rest of us!

The final scene from Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight has resonated in me over the past week, as I watched Lance Armstrong being sullied over doping allegations. I am not here to contest his innocence or guilt. (Though, I cannot help but wonder at why the USADA would rather believe the testimony of group of people and Armstrong’s competitors at that, instead of the dozen anti-doping tests which proved that he was clean.) What has bothered me is that the USADA has chosen to target a man who is something of an icon for the millions who battle cancer each day. Even if we were to believe that Armstrong the doper exists, why don’t we have it in us to let it pass so that Armstrong the hero can live on? Is the truth really worth that much?

As the music reaches a crescendo, the Knight concludes in a way that is possible only for a hero in a movie:

“Sometimes truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.”