How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph.)
Quote #1
"We've shot him half a dozen times," he said. (1.2.14)
The lieutenant says this looking at a picture of the priest. He doesn't mean that they've shot this priest half a dozen times. He's speaking figuratively. To him, all priests are the same: they're all bad and they all need shooting. They're not individual persons, but a singular symbol of what's wrong with the world. We might call this an oversimplified way of looking at things, but don't tell the Lieutenant we said anything.
Quote #2
The lieutenant said suddenly, "I will tell you what I'd do. I would take a man from every village in the state as a hostage. If the villagers didn't report the man when he came, the hostage would be shot—and then we'd take another."
"A lot of them would die, of course."
"Wouldn't it be worth it?" the lieutenant demanded. "To be rid of those people forever."
"You know," the chief said, "you've got something there." (1.2.42-45)
The lieutenant argues to his chief that this violence is acceptable because the ends justify the means. This reasoning puts him further outside a Christian worldview, which has traditionally rejected this moral reasoning. For traditional Christianity, the ends do not justify the means. And some actions are always and everywhere wrong.
Quote #3
"And I shall shoot as often as it's necessary."
"The jefe said with facetious brightness, "A little blood never hurt anyone. Where will you start?" (1.4.100-1)
Serving and protecting aren't on this police chief's radar, are they? We admit, he's sort of joking, but to even tell such a ghastly joke speaks volumes.