Armstrong is not sorry for what he did, just that he got caught

Even when all this is properly executed, do we really trust the penitent? Or is it simply a requisite ritual?

Armstrong, though he accepted Oprah's invitation, declined our kind invitation to fall to his knees. Nor did he ask for pity — or offer excuses or names. He refused to play snitch and, apparently, has no well-crafted strategy for redemption. He's simply saying he did it.

Perhaps it is a mistake to judge a person's sincerity by affect. We all grieve in different ways; perhaps, too, we experience guilt and shame in our own way.

Stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, his Olympic medal, ousted by the foundation he created and facing multiple lawsuits, Armstrong has fallen just about as far as one can. It seems enough.

Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.

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